Because so much time, energy, and money is invested into these creatures we love, frustration may creep in when the reality of other life responsibilities interferes. It’s important not to internalize these restraints and allow them to make you feel discouraged. Instead, you must recognize and include them as part of your goal setting in order to make your goals more attainable from the start.

Get Started with Goal Setting by Gaining Perspective

A helpful exercise that I use for horse owners and riders is to ask them to write down all the important sections of their life. Examples might be work, family, relationship, other pets, hobbies/sports outside of riding, et cetera. Oftentimes when you see how many things are on the page, you realize that there are quite a few people, animals, and other commitments vying for your attention.

This is a great way to put it all in perspective. When you’re at the barn, nailing those flying changes may feel like all that matters, but no matter how much you love riding, it’s just one piece of your much larger existence.

Most things in life end up needing to be a compromise. You may want to participate in all of the shows on the local circuit, purchase a competitive horse for the division or class you want to show in, master the sitting trot, or ride the perfect pattern, but all of those things require an investment of some kind. You must be honest with yourself about what resources you have available.

This situation also becomes difficult for the professionals guiding your equestrian journey. We never want to tell anyone they can’t do something; good trainers will build you up and encourage you every step of the way. But it’s also our job to manage expectations when a client mentions goals that we know to be outside of their scope of resources.

Setting Goals for Ownership and Showing

Goals can be set in any sector of equestrian sport. A common one is horse ownership. Other than buying a horse, there are many options available, including leasing, half-leasing, care leases, or riding school horses.

Just as horse ownership causes you to compromise by allocating resources (i.e. time and money), choosing one of the other options may take less resources, but requires compromise on how many times you ride per week, how high you jump, what movements you school, et cetera. However, all of the above options will help you continue to grow as a rider.

Other common goals center around showing. Rated horse shows can be extremely costly, plus paying your trainer and your own travel expenses.

I find the best way to get the most out of show season isn’t to only commit to one show at a time, but rather to present your trainer with a show budget for the year that is reasonable to you.

From there, the two of you can brainstorm and put together a calendar of shows that fit your schedule, finances, and goals. This way you can also plan to use those shows to build to some sort of “peak.”

For example, if you can afford six shows for the year, your trainer may decide it would be better to do a cluster of three in the spring and three in the fall so that you get into a rhythm rather than just showing once every other month.

It’s also important to mention that not every rider enjoys showing, and that is totally fine. No one should ever make you feel “less than” for that.

Setting Smaller Goals as an Equestrian

The secret to equestrian goal setting is to use the time you have in the saddle to work on the basics that need brushing up. Rather than having a grandiose goal such as “I want to show in X class,” break down what would be needed to be successful in that class: A better sense of canter rhythm, tighter turns, cleaner lead changes—whatever it is, all of these things are achievable with basic exercises that can be done both inside and outside of a lesson.

Dedicating even 15 minutes of each ride to improving the basics you have targeted will result in reaching the next level. As your foundation builds and your basics and communication with your horse improve, more and more doors will open.

From a sports psychology standpoint, achieving lots of smaller goals on the way to the larger goal will make the journey much more rewarding!

Potential and Comparison

Another common occurrence when setting goals is feeling “I’m not using my horse to his full potential.”  The horse has no idea if he was born with fantastic bloodlines, perfect conformation, or great aptitude for a certain discipline. The only thing he knows is whether he has food, water and shelter, and whether his handlers treat him kindly or roughly.

Your horse doesn’t understand the significance of Finals or the World Show, the difficulty level of the exercise at home or class at the show, the color of a ribbon, nor the concept of what could be. Equines are very lucky to live in the now, and we humans could learn a thing or two!

Where do we as humans get these ideas of what we should be doing? Usually by looking around and comparing ourselves to friends, barn mates, and social media influencers. What they say about social media is true, though: people tend to only post the good.

This is also the case for what people tend to allow others to see in real life. Generally, only a person’s immediate family and closest friends will know about all of their fears, struggles, and hard work. The rest of the world tends to only see the very biggest failures and triumphs, and even those fade from the collective memory of society very quickly.

Social media just happens to be a place where all the happy and colorful win photos are curated and posted, whether you as a viewer have had the best day or the worst day. However, what you don’t know is what the other person gave up to be at the show, to buy the horse, or to finally be able to execute that upper-level movement.

The person posting could have sold their car, missed important family events, cried driving home from the barn for six months after tough lessons, or endured injuries and layups for their horse. Just because those parts of the journey are kept quiet doesn’t mean we don’t all go through them.

Key Takeaway

Overall, as an equestrian, it’s crucial to set goals that fit into the big picture of your life. Riding is supposed to be fun, and our relationship with horses should bring joy. If the time we have at the barn is spent stressing or rushing, then something needs to be adjusted. Throughout all of it, take comfort from your horsey friends and your trainer to help guide you through this balancing act that is the equestrian experience.

This article about equestrian goal setting appeared in the January/February 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Spring is a crucial time to start getting your horse slowly back in shape and reach your goals for later this year. What do you dream of and hope to accomplish this year with your horse? What steps do you need to take in order to accomplish these goals? What exercises might your horse require to get back into shape and perform their best? Be sure to talk to your coach and veterinarian and let them know what your goals are so they can help you come up with a plan to set in motion.

Before setting your goals, take time to think about what you want to achieve. Then, once you have some ideas, write down your three separate categories: short-term, which are considered daily or weekly goals; medium-term such as monthly goals; and long-term, yearly or even multi-year goals. Once you have a vision of where you want to be, now you are ready to start the most important part of achieving success: tracking your progress.

Many successful riders create their own “SMART” goals for themselves and their horses, or goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Stay on track this spring by using this highly successful method below.

What Are SMART Goals?

Smart: “I want to improve” is not specific enough. Think what about what you want to achieve with a timetable in mind. An example would be, “I want to learn the USEF Dressage First Level Test 1 and memorize it by next month.”

Measurable: “I want to improve my First Level Test 1 score by 2 points” is a measurable goal that is specific as well.

Attainable: Make sure you and your horse can achieve the task. The task should be challenging but not one that is too difficult. If your horse is already struggling to perform skills at Level 2, don’t push it and ask him to do those tests yet at a show.

Realistic: Achieving goals requires commitment. Make sure you and your horse are motivated, willing and able to make your goal happen.

Timely: Every goal needs a deadline to keep you focused and working toward it. Set a date by which you want to accomplish your goal. Then, check in with yourself to see how you are progressing and if minor changes need to be made to meet your timeline.

An Example of a Complete SMART Goal

Instead of saying “I want my horse to listen to me,” a SMART goal would sound more like, “I want to improve my horse’s responsiveness to my aids. I will accomplish this by doing 15 sets of up and down transitions (walk to trot, trot to canter, trot to halt)—asking once, then demanding the second time—during each ride for two weeks.”

How Might Goal-Setting Positively Impact a Rider’s Mindset?

Writing down something about your daily activities with your horse is very rewarding to see the progress you make as an equestrian. Sometimes progress can take a while to see, as progress is not liner. You may find some days where everything is going well and other days not so much, but progress is not the moment. Rather, progress is a continuation of moments over the long run. When you have notes, photos and videos of your sessions, it really helps put everything into perspective as you work toward your goals, not to mention this makes for wonderful memories to look back on!

Journaling your daily progress helps maintain a positive mindset. Upon reflection, you will likely learn something new about your horse or yourself and feel proud of an accomplishment or progress after each session. In addition, it’s helpful to record behaviors, attitudes and anything about your horse’s health.

Finally, remember to celebrate and reward your horse (and yourself) for the daily progress you achieve together. It’s about the journey you are on as a team and the beautiful partnership you continue to build. If you need to reevaluate your goals, change them or make adjustments, that’s OK. Your long-term goals are made up of many small daily accomplishments. Good luck with your goals and have fun on your journey with your horses this year!

This article about SMART goals for horses and equestrians is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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“Everyone goes through a process,” says dressage trainer Cody Harrison of Brighton, Colo. “If you change disciplines, it doesn’t mean that you started out in the wrong discipline. As you grow, there are opportunities. You have to step out of your comfort zone and find what’s right for you.”

Here, we talked with three riders who made big switches. Read on to find out what prompted their shifts from ranch riding to dressage, eventing to reining, and western pleasure to polo.

Following the Feel

Growing up on a western cattle ranch taught Harrison to love horses. He searched for trainers and training styles that helped develop a connection and partnership with horses. He found that connection in the world of classical dressage.

“All the time I was growing up, it was all ranch work,” he says. Harrison helped to start his family’s young horses with round pen and desensitizing work.

Craving new training techniques, Harrison worked with a local western trainer who happened to be studying the principles of classical dressage. He found the connection he wanted with horses through dressage.

Harrison now rides and trains horses with classical dressage principles. His dressage mentor, Dominique Barbier, furthered Harrison’s love of his new discipline.

“There’s a mindset and a way of life with the classical principles to make sure the horse feels healthy and safe,” says Harrison. “There are western riders that have that mindset as well, but when I grew up starting horses, it was always physical. The horses were sweating, and they were disciplined if they didn’t do something as fast as I wanted. Now when I work with young horses, there’s not a day when they break a sweat. I have learned to go through the mind to get control of their body and feet to make sure that the horses feel more comfortable.”

Harrison says that as a rider, he finds the biggest switch in style is to use his seat more effectively.

“On the ranch, we used our legs and hands,” he says. “In the classical discipline, the seat is the primary aid. You shift your weight a little more and your legs and hands are used to clarify what your seat is doing.”

Dressage is a permanent switch for Harrison.

“I will stay with this style of riding,” he says.

“I feel like I’m done searching for something different. I am still searching for how to do things better and lighter.”

Harrison describes the moment he knew that he was on the right path in his horsemanship journey.

“I had someone coming to my facility to see if they wanted to put their horse in training,” he says. “Some family experiences were stressful, and I wasn’t mentally prepared to be riding. As I was getting my horse ready, I knew I couldn’t be there mentally today, and I needed [my horse] to be there for me. He could not have been any better. He was there for me and gave me his best and was consistent and made me look good. When I realized that I had that connection and that he could take care of me that way, it was a special moment.”

Change of Rein

Meg Johnson, now of Dallas, Texas, first sat in an English saddle at age 2. Her horse, Joker, carried her through the eventing ranks and earned her year-end titles with the Georgia Dressage and Combined Training Association. She even qualified for the North American Young Rider Championships. Later, a new horse, T’Kai, was her partner as she earned her United States Pony Club “B” rating.

An accident while riding T’Kai on a cross-country course prompted Johnson to rethink her riding.

“I looked like a human train wreck,” she says. Still, she was determined to ride and attended a horseman’s club meeting when starting at Auburn University in Alabama.

Her coach suggested stock seat classes, because she had a strong dressage background.

“After a few practices, I was slotted as our team’s open reiner,” says Johnson. “I loved the elegance of reining—it was like dressage, but with a sparkly shirt and some whooping and hollering! I was also introduced that year to rodeo pageantry, where I had to catch ride and run a reining pattern. I became Miss Rodeo Georgia the following year.”

After college, Johnson knew she wanted horses in her life—reining horses.

“I really never regained my ‘nerve’ after my accident in college,” she says. “I remember holding my baby in the hospital and knowing I couldn’t physically afford to take another fall now that I had someone depending on me. I started horse shopping from the hospital bed.”

Her first reining horse, Jac Smart, was a great horse to learn on—and she says she did have to learn the finer points of showing reining horses.

“I thought I’d read all the rules but had to be reminded that my sliding stops needed to be past the cones, not at the cones like a dressage test,” says Johnson. “I left the show with a disappointing score soaked in penalties. I also remember having a lot of trouble not using my reins; going from full contact in dressage to a looped rein in reining was a loss-of-control feeling that took some adaptation!”

Johnson found her horse of a lifetime in Timber Zak. She and Zak became a winning team.

“I’ll never forget the feeling of hearing my score announced over the loudspeaker and knowing we’d just become world champions,” she says. “It still gives me chills thinking about it. He’s carried me to several year-end titles, five buckles, and a run for Rookie of the Year.”

Johnson offers the following advice to any rider thinking of changing saddles.

“Figure out how to use your strengths from the previous sport—whether it’s your mental toughness, riding skills, or ability to adapt,” she says.

Pleasure to Polo

Nicole Wozniak grew up as a 4-H rider showing her horse Willie in western pleasure. The pair earned a revolving trophy and high honors at the state fair horse show.

Wozniak planned to stick with pleasure riding when she started at Michigan State University, but polo piqued her interest after the first equestrian team meeting.

“When I was walking out, someone said I should join the polo team instead,” she says. “I had been pretty burned out with horse showing in high school and the pressure to ‘win things.’ Polo sounded like a cool alternative. I attended tryouts that next week and I was instantly addicted.”

The new sport excited her and felt like a huge change from the horse show world.

“Polo is incredibly challenging,” she says. “The most exciting part was to not be judged anymore and to get to work with a team. Riding is just one aspect of the game. Hitting, knowing where your teammates are, knowing the rules, following plays, et cetera, were added elements that made things really interesting.”

Polo made Wozniak rework her horsemanship.

“In polo, getting out of your saddle to hit the ball is the No. 1 most important thing. For a while, I was constantly yelled at to ‘get out of the saddle!’ I think that was a product of my equitation background.”

After much practice, she felt like she toughened up mentally.

“At my final intercollegiate game at Regionals, I scored a two-pointer and brought our team within three goals of beating the best team in the nation,” says Wozniak. “The coach of the other team complimented our coach and told him how nervous our team had made him. This was huge coming from him! It was super exciting and a great way to end my intercollegiate career.”

Wozniak continues to ride. “But I can’t go back to the days of being judged against other people. The thrill of the team aspect of polo can’t be beat.”

After trying several disciplines, she says that her love of horses is the same no matter the sport or type of saddle.

“If riding isn’t fun anymore, a change of discipline can be a game changer. Sometimes changing up the discipline for your horse can be just as mentally helpful as changing it for you. If you do change, be kind to yourself. I used to always say that I changed disciplines in riding so many times that I was never able to get good at any one thing. Now I’ve realized that it has made me a more versatile rider, and I am able to do things in each discipline that a lot of people can’t.”

Changing disciplines just may invigorate your interest and teach you more about horses and riding. There’s always something new to learn.

This article about changing riding disciplines appeared in the October 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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The U.S. Equestrian (USEF) Dressage Rule Book describes the leg-yield as follows:

The horse is kept almost straight, except for slight flexion of the poll away from the direction in which he moves, and the inside legs pass and cross in front of the outside legs with the forehand slightly in advance of the quarters.

You can use the leg-yield in many types of exercises to establish a better connection from inside leg to outside rein. Lateral work improves connection, balance, and suppleness. It also gives you more insight on where your horse may be struggling with tension in his body. The leg-yield is typically ridden at the walk or trot.

This movement is introduced in First Level dressage and is an important prerequisite for both the horse and rider before moving on to advanced lateral work.

How To Ride the Leg-Yield

When performing the leg-yield under saddle, I prefer to start in the trot since the exercise has the tendency to compress the horse, so the forward impulsion helps keep him moving sideways more steadily. With a more forward and sensitive horse, it may be better to start in the walk.

Sitting slightly more on your inside seat bone, keep your shoulders level and pointed in the direction of your horse’s shoulders with your hands parallel to each other. Your eyes should be looking straight ahead with the destination of the leg-yield in your peripheral vision.

Beginning on a straight line—either the quarterline or centerline—first ride straight and forward before beginning this move. Keeping your horse straight through the neck on the outside rein with a little inside flexion, press with your inside leg slightly behind the girth in the rhythm of the trot.

Be sure to keep your outside rein contact steady, as you may need to half-halt if your horse begins to rush or his shoulders drift too far over. Your outside leg does not come off, but stays on softly as what I call a “forward guiding leg” to prevent your horse from falling abruptly sideways. The inside flexion encourages your horse to stay soft in his jaw and poll throughout the movement.

When you are first learning to leg-yield, give yourself plenty of time to reach the wall. Moving on too steep of an angle may cause your horse to lose straightness and balance.
I recommend beginning the leg-yield about a quarter of the way down the line you start on and finishing on the wall before the next corner. For example, starting the leg-yield between D and L, and finishing at H or M.

When you arrive at the wall, your outside leg closes and your outside hand comes into the neck to ask your horse to travel straight and then prepare for the bend in the next corner. You may feel that the corner becomes easier to ride as the leg-yield pushes the inside hind under your horse’s center of gravity, creating a greater degree of bend.

Troubleshooting Rider Errors

Here are three common errors when riding the leg-yield and how to fix them.

1. Incorrect riding position: During the leg-yield, it is important that you remain balanced in the center of the horse’s back. Commonly I see a rider swinging or rocking her hips or dipping one shoulder. The leg-yield is a relatively straight movement; you must continue to think of traveling a straight line with your body to help the horse maintain balance.

Often the reason for the position issues is that your horse is not responding to the leg you are trying to yield away from. In this instance, I would recommend carrying a whip or wearing a small spur to assist and reinforce the aid, if needed.

A good visual is to picture that you are leg-yielding to multiple lines close together; travel on one line straight and just move a few feet over to the next line, and the next, until you have finished at the wall.

2. The horse’s neck is crooked or pulled in the opposite direction of the leg-yield: In this case, the horse does not leg-yield, but rather pushes through the opposite shoulder and falls sideways.

You must remember to keep your hands parallel to control your horse’s neck position and to keep his shoulders from drifting. I often tell my students to glance at their hands and use the front of the saddle pad as a reference to keep their hands parallel.

It’s an easy visual for you to see from the saddle if one hand or the other wants to drift forward or back. By keeping your hands in this position, the contact of the outside rein prevents your horse’s neck from overbending and gives him a steady connection to push his inside hind leg into.

3. The horse turns on a diagonal line rather than moving sideways: For this issue, I like to set up pairs of poles or cones parallel to the side of the arena. You should only need about three pairs when leg-yielding from centerline.

Depending on the length of the arena, place the first pair about a quarter to a third of the way down the arena somewhere between centerline and quarterline. Set them a comfortable width apart to trot your horse in between them, maybe 4 to 5 feet.

Set the next pair another third of the way down the arena the same distance apart, and the last pair on the track at the far end of the long side before the corner.

To ride this exercise, begin your leg-yield from centerline to the first pair of poles. Close your outside leg and send your horse straight through the poles. Leg-yield again to the second set and proceed straight through the poles again. Finish the leg-yield between the last set of poles at the track.

By breaking up the leg-yield, you’ll understand how to use your outside leg to guide your horse straight in the leg-yield to prevent him from turning to a diagonal line.

Take your leg yield to the next level with Part Two of this series.

This article about the how to improve your horse’s leg yield appeared in the June 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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As a senior in high school, however, my priorities changed. I focused on graduating, getting into college, and hanging out with my friends. Shortly before I left for university, I quit riding.

Circling Back as an Adult Equestrian

The next four years went by quickly and without regret. I then moved to New York City to work in publishing, and volunteered my time at the Central Park Zoo to experience nature. But when I moved back to New Jersey shortly after getting married, I dreamed of riding horses again.

Almost 15 years after I left horses behind, I returned as an adult equestrian, and began to take lessons again. Quickly, my barn time became the one thing I looked forward to every week, giving me sanity and solitude.

My lessons quickly escalated into becoming a working student, half-leasing, and soon after, owning my first horse. It was official: I became a returning adult equestrian, or “re-rider.”

More and more adults, especially women, are finding their way back into the saddle after years away. Stepping aside and coming back after a long time off proves how passionate we are about horses. It also gives us a fresh perspective.

Competing Demands

“I stopped riding when I started college,” says Linda Snyder, a western re-rider. “I lived in New York City. It wasn’t easy to find riding facilities, and I had very little time available. I trail rode on vacation. I came back to riding in my 50s after my two kids were independent, and I had some time and money to ride. Now living in New Jersey, there are more stables around to ride at and take lessons. I finally realized my dream and bought my first horse two-and-a-half years ago. My goals with Cooper are to develop a partnership and gain trust in each other.”

Many returning adult equestrians share a similar trajectory with Snyder. Career and family demands compete for time and money with our horse habit, and often win—at least for a good chunk of time.

Mindset as an Adult Equestrian

The thing I noted most about my mindset when returning to horses was how timid I felt. As a young child and a teen, I always felt invincible, and when I fell, I bounced. Now, the fall is more of a splat. I have children and a husband that count on me to come home safely, and as a result, I am hesitant and less of a risk-taker.

My pony had a month-long vacation from riding this winter because of the snow and ice. It was unsafe to ride in our uncovered arena. Instead, we did groundwork and played in the snow at liberty.

When the weather cleared, I walked him in-hand, then longed him to assess his temperament before mounting up, and eased him into a workout to avoid any drama. Was I too careful? Perhaps. Yet over the years, I’ve learned to care less what other people think and do what is best for me.

Get Outside the Box

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut. Sometimes when you work with horses as a career, the riding aspect fades. “I started riding at age 9 and lived on a horse until graduating high school, then it was on to college, moving to the big city, and starting a career,” says L.A. Sokolowski, an award-winning equine journalist. “When I was working full-time for the U.S. Equestrian Team and running press rooms for international horse shows, there was little time to ride.”

She never left horses, however. The priorities just shifted to her career. But like most adult equestrians, Sokolowski’s priorities shifted once again.

“I found opportunities to ride and exercise horses whose owners, because of age or injuries, couldn’t ride as much anymore,” she says. “I also wanted to introduce my partner Charles to riding, and to see the horse again through an enthusiastic beginner’s eyes has been glorious. My priority now is to ride horses long and low, bitless and spur-free, and preferably without stirrups, so my seat stays deep and my legs long. I put great value in riding on a longeline and earning my reins.”

Returning adult equestrians may gravitate toward their old disciplines when starting back in the saddle, for both comfort and familiarity. Yet some re-riders will venture outside their comfort zone and into a new discipline.

A friend of mine grew up in the hunter/jumper world. At 36, Michelle trained for an endurance race in Mongolia and quickly fell in love with the sport. Now she spends her weekends riding 50 miles, and has learned barrel racing, team penning, and cow sorting for fun.

Fresh Perspectives

I returned to horses after motherhood, having the desire to do something for myself. I wasn’t alone in that need, nor the transition in perspective.

I was out of shape and had an inconsistent ability to get to the barn. My goals weren’t the same as when I was younger, and the fear of getting injured was real. Now I had a small child relying on me.

Autumn Fiordland, a young mother who used to compete, agrees that time and consistency can be a challenge to manage.

“I rode seriously from age 10 through 16,” she says. “I purchased my horse at age 23. We trained five days a week, schooling jumpers and cross-country, and competed in the hunter/jumper ring. But two years later, I stopped riding because of my pregnancy. When I began again in 2020, I was inconsistent. It has been challenging getting us both into riding shape, but I enjoy the slower pace of walking rides, something I never took time to do while actively training.”

Fiordland had to adapt her lifestyle due to motherhood, but this is such a common occurrence, there is even a Facebook group dedicated to “Mama Equestrians.” Re-riders push horses to the back burner while they navigate college, a career, or motherhood. Still, the unifying aspect is they all return for one thing: love of the horse.

Age often makes us more afraid, realizing we can get hurt, yet also gives us a new sense of freedom to try something new. Life experience gave these women the freedom to explore what makes them happy, such as Sokolowski found in her return, or Fiordland taking off her competition hat and learning to enjoy the ride. For myself, I still ride at a hunter/jumper facility, but have incorporated ground training, liberty work, and positive reinforcement methods, known as R+, into my riding.

It’s common to see me riding in a western saddle and English hunter bridle because it works for us. As a woman in my 40s with three children at home, I make no apologies for riding my horse however I like while enjoying every minute. Because now I know what I was missing all those years.

This article about returning adult equestrians appeared in the June 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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The wind is howling, the snow is knee-deep, you can no longer feel your face, and your horse is standing all the way on the other side of the pasture watching you. You contemplate reasons why you do not live in Southern California or Florida as you trudge out to fetch him, the halter in a frozen hand. It is no secret that staying motivated to ride and developing winter riding goals for you and your horse during the harsh winter months can be a challenge if you live in the northern United States or Canada.

If you struggle to maintain your motivation once the days get shorter and the temperature gets lower, then check out these tips from two Michigan riders, who definitely experience enough frigid weather every winter.

Set Realistic Winter Horse Riding Goals

Whether you are aiming for a show or not, it is helpful to have a goal in mind of where you would like to be with your horse in the future as you keep him legged up. Make sure that you understand where your horse is at in his training. Then, you can determine the steps to achieve your goal. Many Northern states hold off on showing during the winter, so these months are the perfect time of year to work on elements outside of the show pen.

Jill Dutkowski, a full-time small animal veterinarian and part-time holistic service equine veterinarian and barrel racer from Rochester, Mich., thinks of both short- and long-term goals for her six-year-old Quarter Horse mare, Coral. Since she does not need to worry about showing until a rodeo in February, Dutkowski uses her riding time to refocus on the basics after a busy season. In the short term, she will ask Coral to stay collected at the canter or trot nice, round circles, knowing that each smaller objective will lead to stronger long-term success, such as remaining mentally and physically strong for running barrels later.

Be Flexible

No goal is reached without challenges along the way. Horses do not realize the visions we have in mind for them as they often do the best they can with the information we provide them. As riders, we must adapt to their needs, which can easily change no matter the time of year.

Andrea Becker, of Lapeer, Mich., a retiree who has ridden dressage for the past 45 years, possesses a primary goal of achieving relaxation and confidence within her 15-year-old German Riding Pony, Skittles. Every day as she mounts, Becker assesses where her little project pony is at to avoid stress and tension throughout the ride. Becker does not have current goals of showing Skittles, so there is less pressure to accomplish specific items she has in mind, making it easier for her to constantly reward the little things. She knows that not every ride with her mare will be perfect and is happy to take her time.

Mix Things Up

Without the pressure of a horse show scheduled every other weekend, winter months allow you to easily change your horse’s routine as you work toward your riding goals. Constantly working on one aspect of riding can burn some horses out. Trying a new discipline or implementing new exercises into your horse’s routine is healthy for his brain while working different muscles.

For horses like Skittles, activities that are more on the fun side keep her from growing ring sour. Although Becker drives to the barn almost every day, there are days when she does not ride. Instead, she might free longe Skittles over jumps, an exercise that Skittles loves. To further prevent her mare from becoming bored, Becker enjoys ground driving, too, which transfers certain cues over to riding.

“The off-season is an important time to work horses in a different way,” says Dutkowski. “It is time to take their brains off what they do all summer.”

Last winter, Dutkowski gave Coral’s brain a break by focusing on basic dressage maneuvers, as well as cross-rails. This season, they are trying out breakaway roping lessons, which increases Coral’s versatility while furthering her all-around skills. At the same time, both Dutkowski and Coral can decompress mentally from barrel racing. Likewise, there are days when she does not ride Coral, but will go out to spend a relaxing time with her. Dutkowski believes that consistently engaging with your horse throughout the entire year is key to maintaining a meaningful relationship.

Understand and Overcome External Obstacles

Northern winters often come with factors outside of our control that can make riding difficult, such as fewer daylight hours, harsh weather, and extreme temperatures. Instead of accepting defeat before you hang your barn coat back up, find ways to work around winter weather frustrations.

With darkness arriving earlier in the day, Dutkowski picks up additional hours at the vet office since she cannot ride in time each day after work. This way, she has additional vacation days for the summers when she travels regularly to barrel races. In her free time, she watches training videos, as well, to learn fresh drills and ideas to use for later.

Meanwhile, Becker has spare time to arrive at the barn earlier in the day, discovering that she prefers riding in the winter over the summer. During the colder months, the barn is less busy, there are no bugs, and no sweltering heat.

Sometimes, the best way to successfully battle the cold is to simply dress in layers. Dutkowski lives in heated vests, citing that they are worth every penny. Other options to properly layer up include wild rags, thermal shirts, winter gloves designed for riding, and lined pants or breeches. Some riders do not leave the house without toe or hand warmers to stuff into their boots and socks, too.

You are the Company You Keep

Holding yourself accountable to keep your horse in shape during the winter can be a struggle. Riding or checking in with other motivated friends is a fun way to keep yourself on track. Without the company of other riders, who share similar goals or experiences, it is easy to lose energy, falling into a slump. Plus, having a friend can act as a separate pair of eyes to reassure that you are on the right track as well as to help you troubleshoot issues.

Becker believes surrounding yourself by driven peers is a valuable step in reaching your goals. While the barn is less crowded during the winter, there are several other riders that also display strong commitment to their horses, contributing to a positive environment.

Becker’s best friend, Sue Ashley, a dressage trainer and owner of the barn she boards at, demonstrates motivation daily. Becker looks to Ashley as a powerful example of balancing riding and managing the farm with separate personal activities, like taking care of family on top of dog classes. Sometimes, Ashley looks in as Becker rides Skittles to see how things are going or provide guidance on how to move forward. Just by being around her friend, who is constantly on the move, Becker feels energized to pursue her own goals with Skittles.

Enjoy the Journey

While you are working toward your winter goals, remember to enjoy the journey. Do not let the winter blues hold you back from achieving ambitions with your horse. The warm sunshine may be gone for a while, but learning to adapt with your horse and appreciate time with them away from showing will only help in the long run.

No matter your age or work schedule, the best tip is to just get out to the barn. Becker described that age and sore joints do not slow her down. She enjoys the extra time with her project pony, who has taught her patience and flexibility. Since Becker’s summers involve traveling with her husband as he shows his cutting horse, she is grateful for the opportunities to progress with her own mare. Her best word of advice is to “just do it, and get out there and ride.”

Dutkowski appreciates time with Coral just as much. She trained Coral herself and is proud of the growth they have experienced as a team. At the same time, Dutkowski reflects on when she lived in Flint, Mich., where she had limited access to horses—nevermind the amount of snow or if an indoor arena was unavailable. She was grateful to ride anywhere on any horse. Now, Dutkowski does not take the indoor at her disposal for granted with any of her own horses.

Although any equestrian residing in the Great North longs for warm summer sunshine, there is no reason why winter should drag you down or prevent you from setting winter riding goals for you and your horse. Making the most of the resources available to you as you strive for your goals will help you overcome what is out of your control. Just remember to enjoy the ride along the way, no matter the season.

Further Reading

• Horse Health in Winter: Winter Riding
• Trail Riding in Adverse Weather Conditions
• Gear: Winter Warmth with Winter Equestrian Barn Apparel
• How Cold is Too Cold to Ride Horses?

The post Maintain Your Winter Riding Goals appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.