Winter Riding Lesson Ideas

Winter Riding Lesson Ideas

1. Try pas de deux! A pas de deux is a performance using two horses. The horses perform dressage movements, usually mirroring each other and accompanied by music. This is great practice if you have two riders or can split a group into two riders. Instructors, you can also ride with your student if they do private lessons. They don't have to be complicated, but are a fun element to work and repeat what they have learned, teaches quick thinking and teaches students to be aware of the other rider as they need to stay synched and considerate of what their partner does. This exercise is great for teaching riders how to communicate with each other to keep the horses mirroring each other.

2. Red light, green light

3. Simon Says

4. Ride a buck. Place $ bill (or paper towel) under the riders' body parts you would like to focus on such as thighs, ankles, etc and see who can ride around the arena without loosing it.

5. Treasure hunt. Use anything you have like stuffed animals, pool toys, crops, brushes, etc. Hide them around your arena on standard, fencing, tree, etc. Have riders go around collecting items. You can make it a race and the rider who collects the most items wins - even if its all done at a walk! They can collect each item and even place it in an area of your choosing or a bucket before moving onto the next object.

6. If riding in the snow, make different shapes! Have riders w/t/c each shape, seeing if they can keep the horse in the same track for each gait without going "off course". Or have each rider make a shape that others must follow in the same track. Riders can also ride a shape of their choosing and other students or you can guess what shape it is!

7. Bareback! Best way to stay warm. 

8. Practice different speeds within each gait. For example, forward walk on long sides vs slowest walk on short sides of the ring.