As humans, we have a tendency to become creatures of habit. Often times, we become slaves to our routines without even knowing it. Now, in the horse world, routine certainly isn’t a bad thing. If the routine is involved with the daily feeding/care ect of our horses, routine can be important for your horse’s health and well-being! However, as far as our riding goes, sometimes we unintentionally end up just doing the same exact thing every time we go out to the arena. It’s easy to get stuck in a riding rut. For equestrians, time at the barn is precious. We covet it. Every moment we get to spend with our horses is valued. Yet, sometimes as much as you love your horse, you may find yourself losing the enthusiasm to ride that you used to have. The joy you usually experience can sometimes feel like it’s being replaced with boring repetition.
The solution? Try broadening your horizons! Have you considered trying something new? Instead of following the same pattern of walk/trot/canter/reverse/walk/trot/canter/finish, branch out your riding routine. There are lots of options to add variety to the time you spend with your horse!
Hit The Trails: Do you have a confident horse? Try getting out of the arena! Trail riding can be a wonderful way to relax with your horse and let your brain take a rest. If you’re not an experienced rider, make sure you have a competent and safe trail riding buddy to go with! Safety should always be your first priority. Also, before you venture out into the great unknown, be familiar with basic trail etiquette and safety measures. That’s a topic for another post, but if you’re unsure what those are, ask your trainer or a trusted, experienced trail riding friend. (There are also many reputable articles online on the subject!)
Patterns: On the other hand, maybe most of what you do is trail riding. In that case, have you thought about adding a challenge to your riding time? Mix it up! Do pattern work instead. Set up some cones to really make you and your horse have to think. If you normally do pattern work, do you end up doing the same set of exercises/patterns/rail work every time you ride? If that’s the case, stretch your wings and make up harder patterns for yourself with more elements. Patterns are a great way to connect with your horse… If you want a smooth pattern you and your horse will have to get on the same page to complete it error free.
Transitions: Patterns also employ another great exercise and that’s transition work; such a practicing trot to walk/trot to canter/canter to halt/ect ect. Transition work has MANY benefits and really helps you get in sync with your horse. The great thing about transition work is you can practice it in the arena or out on the trail! If your horse is a little fresh or a little dull, doing some transitions can help build softness and responsiveness.
Bareback: If you’re an adventurous person, give bareback riding a try to mix up your riding routine! Personally, bareback is my ultimate favorite. Besides being fun, riding bareback teaches you so much about balance and moving with your horse. If you’re comfortable bareback and have experience, take it up a level and try doing your pattern and transition work bareback!
New Disciplines: Last but not least, if you’re in a riding rut and getting a little bored with your typical riding routine, try out a new disciple for fun! Are you a western pleasure rider? Try some dressage! Do you ride jumpers? Try riding a reining horse! Maybe you’re already an all-around competitor, but have you ever expanded your horizons to cutting and cow work? There are so many different disciplines just waiting for you to try! If you are interested in trying something new, find a reputable and reliable instructor who’s willing to help you. Trying new things is wonderful, but it’s important to do it in a safe manner and an environment where you won’t learn things the wrong way.
Besides being fun and challenging, acquiring experience in multiple disciplines can be very beneficial for improving your riding skills. You have to grow as a rider and expand your skills and abilities. You’ve probably come across the term “cross-training” before in the horse world. Cross training is when you use techniques and skills from other disciplines to help improve you and your horse in the discipline you specialize in; such as hunter/jumpers often use dressage techniques in their flat work. Personally, I’m an advocate of cross training. It’s a valuable asset to be able to pull pieces from experts from many disciplines to create your own “tool box” of training knowledge and skills.
Of course, please keep in mind, first and foremost, common sense and safely should be applied to all of these situations! Safety should always come first and wearing a helmet is a really smart idea! Stretch outside your comfort zone and be willing to expand your horizons, but be smart and don’t push past the capabilities of you or your horse. Once again, the safety of you and your horse should always come first. Seek wise professional help whenever in doubt!
I hope if you’ve been feeling a little “stuck” in your riding, this has rekindled your enthusiasm! Now, this is certainly not a comprehensive list, but it’s meant as motivation to get you started! Now it’s time to branch out and go have some fun!
See you around the barn!
-Rebekah Bukowski