Training idea # 1: A surprisingly challenging yet fun warm-up exercise

Originally published: 02/20/2020. REpublished with a few small changes.

Last fall, my friend Melissa introduced me to this fun warm-up exercise. She had learned it from her riding instructor, Pamela Byers. Mya–my latest training project–loves it. It provides just the right mix of repetition and challenge.

For a more advanced warm-up exercise at the walk, see Training Idea # 2. For a deceptively easy exercise to do at the walk, tro/jog, and canter/lope, see my Clover-leaf exercise.

I meant to share it in a blog post at the time, as the first of a series of training ideas. Then I got distracted looking for an app to create images. I had used Dressage Lite for Horse Riders before, but I wanted something on my computer. I didn’t find anything. In the end, I wrote about How to Memorize Dressage Tests (and other riding patterns) rather than the exercise. Finally, months later…

**This shouldn’t be the first exercise you do. Begin with 10 minutes or so of walking, and then 3-5 minutes of trotting on a long rein.

Although I explain the pattern with reference to a dressage arena, it can be done anywhere!

Training idea # 1: Warm-up exercise

1. Enter arena (here, at A as usual) and track left or right along the rail. In my example, the horse turns to the left but tracks right: “right” or “left” is determined by the bend. In reality, I would simply start at one end of the arena, and not attempt to enter and turn sharply left.
2. Continue to E. At E, half circle… In the picture, it is a 5-meter circle (A dressage arena is 10 meters wide). This would be small for a large horse to do at a trot, unless it was fit and capable of collection. You could do it at a walk, or make a larger circle if necessary.

3. Return to the rail. Where you hit the rail will depend on the size of your half circle. I try to be on the rail in time to set up for the bend through the corner.

Tip: You can incorporate the bow-tie warm up exercises in this pattern! Read about them in My Training Idea # 9 blog post.

4. At A, 10-15 meter circle. In the image, it is a 10m circle, but that is unrealistic if you are trotting. It might be perfect at a walk! The size you choose should depend on the fitness of your horse, how warmed up it is, and your gait and speed.

5. Continue from A to B.

6. At B, half circle to the left. It should mirror the half circle you did at A (the other side of the arena). In the image, it is a 5m half-circle.

7. Return to the rail as you did on the other side of the arena.

8. Ride through the corner and back to A. At A, perform another 10 or 15 meter circle to the right, mirroring the first circle you did.

9. Repeat as many times as you like. Try to maintain a steady rhythm. Some horses really enjoy the repetition, and will learn to do the pattern by themselves. You might need to remind them to work!

Mix it up!

Try it at a walk and trot or jog. With some adjustment, you can do it at a canter or lope. Remember to make the bends large enough for your horse to do comfortably, according to its fitness!

Note that it is work to do this properly. Keep your horse stepping up under itself through the bends. Maintaining the rhythm throughout is a challenge.

Here is what it would look like with bigger circles!