LEVEL UP your Ride! How to improve the balance and connection with your horse, AND build topline!

Ok, here we go! The Magic formula for building balance, connection and topline! Now it’s your turn to get out a piece of paper and PLAN your ride using a combination of poles, cones, circles, transitions and letters.
Here’s an example to draw out and try. Mark your transitions with an X
Warm up
Start on the rail, on the left rein, in walk, and walk to the first letter or cone. At this marker, ride a 15-20M circle.
After completing the circle, look to your next cone or letter and continue walking to it. At this marker you’re going to do another 15-20M circle to the left, however this time you are going to add in two halts at two of the tangent points of the circle.
Continue to walk along the rail and walk over 4 walk poles (set equally 3-3.5 ft apart depending on the size/step of your horse. They should be comfortable for your horse to walk over. If your horse has never walked over poles, start with ONE pole only and add more poles the next day)
Halt 20 steps after the poles. Yes, count the STEPS!
Continue to walk on the rail, back to where you started, If your arena is large, add a couple of downward transitions to halt or perhaps rein back along the way.
REPEAT this pattern
Change direction and do the same pattern on the right rein.
Now, do this pattern in TROT, excluding the downwards transitions, except to walk over the walk poles. Change direction and REPEAT.
Take a 5 minute break - Reflect on this warm up. How does your horse feel today? Do you feel good about STOP and GO? Can you feel the rhythm of your horse’s foot fall? Are you looking up and practicing good eye control? Breaks are incredibly meaningful to horses! REST, REWARD and PROCESSING TIME!
Now prepare to do this pattern in TROT again, but this time add three downward transitions to WALK and three Upward transitions back into TROT, plus always walking over the WALK poles!
REPEAT X2
Change direction
REPEAT X 2 on the other rein.
Walk on a loose rein and cool out.
How did this example ride for you? On a scale of 1-10, rate the level of difficulty and make some adjustments. The sky's the limit with these five elements. Remember we’re riding for quality, connection, synchronicity and balance. Make it fun for both you and your horse! Refrain from drilling your horse and remember slow and steady wins the race!
#ridingexercises #workingequitation #horsedevelopment #horsetraining #ridinglessons #horse #horsebackriding #equestrian #horsemanship

[@Horsemom]

I hate when I don't have a plan! But sometimes the horses show me what we need to work on. But a plan helps!

[@Humanshonouringhorses]

Absolutely. Those days can be super fun and are important. Having a plan most days though, is an important baseline.