Going overboard

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. 

TOP TIP

I’d recommend lungeing your horse no more than twice a week – and ideally not on consecutive days. There are plenty of other methods you can turn to if your horse can’t be ridden, such as long-reining or in-hand work.

Find out how to level up your lunge routine with Harriett’s simple exercises in August Horse&Rider – get your copy today!