Horse&Rider Magazine - August 2023

Keep it simple

When it comes to training, often the more simple things are most effective – why complicate things if you don’t need to?

These warm-up and gridwork exercises can be adapted to suit any

horse, so build the fences as small as you like. The benefits come from the exercises themselves rather than how high you raise the bar.

As well as being suitable for all levels, these exercises are great fun and will get your horse thinking and using his body to perform at his best.

In this feature. . . ➤ Three simple exercises you can use with any

A cross-pole and a grid of bounces is enough to give any horse a good workout, says eventer Tom McEwen

Photos: Jon Stroud

horse ➤ The benefits of cross-poles ➤ How to use cavaletti

Our expert

Tom McEwen is a British event rider who was part of the Gold-medal-winning team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games riding Toledo De Kerser. He’s represented Team GB at Pony, Junior, Young Rider and Senior level.

Work

home from

Put in the groundwork and start to aim high with our six-step guide to being competition ready

If you want to be competitive with your horse, you’ve got to put in the hours at home. Whether you define success as simply crossing the finish line positively, or getting on the podium, it requires plenty of planning and preparation – so let’s find out what the journey entails.

TOP TIP

Speak to your coach about your goals – they’ll be able to offer you honest advice, as well as help you train towards them.

Our model

Meg Elphick is a 25-year-old YouTuber and event rider based in Worcestershire. She documents her training and competition journey, and has enjoyed considerable success on her home-produced native and part-native horses, including 3rd place at Badminton Grassroots in 2022, and 4th and 7th in 2023.

TOP TIP

If your horse is anxious or spooky, get him out and about as much as you can and to lots of different venues to give him the chance to see plenty of different things and build his confidence.

Eyes on the prize

Setting out your goals is the first step you need to take if you want to up the ante and notice a difference in your results. Whatever your aims, whether that’s qualifying for a championship or getting over 70% in a dressage test, write them down and consider the steps you’ll need to take to get there. Ensuring your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely (SMART), will go a long way towards helping you reach them.

2Get the ball rolling

Organising your diary and creating a detailed training schedule will give you a solid structure to work from. Maybe there’s a specific venue you want to ride at, or your goals require you to be schooling at a higher level. Whatever the aim, by booking in lessons with your instructor and attending local training clinics or shows you’ll be taking a big, positive step towards your goals.

Photos: Jon Stroud

If you really want to push the boundaries and achieve your goals, you’ll need to dedicate yourself to the cause

Dare to dream

When drawing up your horsey bucket list, the only limit is your imagination, as Alison Buttery explains

Our expert

Do you have an equestrian bucket list? You can probably think of a number of things you’d love to experience, achieve or learn about. Maybe you daydream about galloping on a beach, going on a riding holiday or trying a different discipline. You might even have long-held childhood dreams of competing in a particular venue,

of meeting an equestrian idol or experiencing the thrill of riding a schoolmaster in piaffe. Even if you already have a bucket list, taking a little time out to explore your equestrian hopes and dreams can be hugely beneficial. Not only does it give you the opportunity to step out of your daily routine, it also allows you to feel inspired about making progress towards your goals.

Photos: Jon Stroud, horsemen-Sergii Kumer-Jim Noetzel-olgaru79-Ro_Ma_Li/shutterstock.com

Alison Buttery is a certified mindset and confidence coach, a BHS APC senior coach and an experienced rider, who specialises in helping riders overcome their nerves. She’s also the Founder of The Everyday Equestrian.

Press the pause button

Essentially, a bucket list is a collection of goals, dreams and experiences that a person hopes to achieve within their lifetime. It allows you to pause and let go of all those things that hold you back, while giving space to your biggest dreams and aspirations.

It’s so easy to find yourself stuck in the routine of daily life, whereas setting some time aside to define your core values as a rider and explore the experiences that mean the most to you helps supercharge motivation and focus. It becomes an opportunity to reconnect with the ‘why’ and find opportunities to strengthen your bond with your horse.

The personal touch

First, it’s important to remember that any bucket list is entirely personal and will vary between individuals. There’s no right or wrong ,because you’re the only person who decides what is on it. Think big, eliminate self-judgement or self-criticism and trust your gut instinct. Ask yourself, “What would I do if I knew with 100% certainty that I could do it?”

Second, set aside any notion of whether something is possible. Creating your bucket list is not about having the money, time, skills, energy, etc. to do it right now. Instead, acknowledge those thoughts for what they are – merely thoughts.

DID YOU KNOW?

Your mind does everything it can to keep you safe from harm, which is why stepping outside your comfort zone can feel so challenging at times.

A bucket list gives space to your biggest dreams and aspirations

We spend so much of our time in the saddle ensuring our horses are working correctly, but did you know that there’s plenty you can do out of the saddle to keep your horse’s muscles soft, strong and supple, too? In-hand work is an excellent alternative to ridden work and it’s accessible for all horses – young or old, experienced or inexperienced, ridden or non-ridden (subject to vet approval, if your horse is coming back from injury).

If you’re stuck for ideas, I have some inspiration for you. By building these exercises into your routine, you’ll help your horse to develop the right muscles, in the right way.

Warm up your horse

It’s important to warm up your horse not just physically but mentally, too. So, always start with ample walk work, before allowing him to stretch out in trot. Once you’ve got your horse moving, start incorporating some transitions – for example, try 10 strides of walk, followed by 10 strides of trot and repeat. You can include walk-to-halt transitions, too. This kind of exercise is great for getting a horse’s brain in gear as well as encouraging him to take more weight behind and getting his hindlegs underneath him, preventing him from leaning on the forehand. Then, he should start to drop his head and stretch his back.