With the country going into another lockdown, it's time to get inventive again!
Try some of these activities with your horse to keep things from getting stale.
No Stirrups November
The perfect time to take part in ‘no stirrups November’, especially if you haven’t tried it before. Riding without stirrups is great for balance, a better leg position and awareness, try asking yourself: ‘Am I balanced?’ ‘Am I relying on my hands too much’ ‘is my horse in a good rhythm’.
Set a goal
Try setting a goal for you and your horse to work on, maybe it’s to perfect a shoulder in or a half pass, or maybe it’s to work on your canter rhythm for showjumping. Whatever it is don’t over do it or you risk both of you getting bored or frustrated, try just making one small improvement each time you work on it, and always end on a positive.
In-hand work
Working in hand with your horse is a great tool for improving your bond whilst working on something useful, from walking over raised poles, to working on a lateral movement, these can help build your horses core and help suppleness.
Have a pamper day
Even though its winter you can always have a pamper day with your horse, especially if you have access to a hot shower. Bath your horse with warm water, we recommend using The Alchemist Garden natural soaps and shampoos, once you’ve dried him off brush through his mane and tail and then turn your attention to his hooves. Pick his feet out and pack it with a natural hoof clay, they apply a moisturising oil to his hoof wall, both of these can be found at The Alchemist Garden.
This month will be hard for many of us, but remember to stay positive, we are all in this together!