1- 10 minute walk on long rein.
2- Trot and canter warm up with light contact.
3- Flat exercise: - Shorten your reins for full contact. Lengthen and shorten the trot. This is a vintage video (Betsy is just a baby). I like Wolfgang's simple explanation for lengthening. He does not want the slapping of the legs for it, he wants you to squeeze and lower your hands, I would like to add to be sure those hands are on the sides of the neck evenly. I also like Betsy's use of the small circle for the shortening phase. Practice their techniques by lengthening on the diaganol and shortening in the corner. Lengthen and shorten twice on the longs sides and then try Betsy's use of the small circle to shorten.

4- Pattern:
RL canter across diagonal, X circle right at forward canter.
At X simple change to left lead to finish diagonal line.
Trot before corner, after corner lengthen trot.
Trot halfway down the long side and then halt.
Quarter turn to the left and left lead canter to quarterline.
LL canter loop back to quarterline.
Canter across the middle of the arena. Halt.
Quarter turn to the right and extended trot to finish.
5- 3 minute long trot.
6- Finish with walk around yard.

1- 10 minute walk on long rein.
2- Trot and canter warm up with light contact.
3- Flat exercise: - Practicing a change of rein. Another exercise for the rider. It is wise to know how to do things properly or as expected from a professional. There are reasons why we change rein in a specific way. Watch the video then practice them with your horse.
Change of rein out of the circle by doing a half turn out of the circle and then back on the circle, the opposite direction.
Change of rein through the circle by doing an "s" through the middle of the circle, as she says "like a yin yang" symbol."
Change of rein across the diagonals, short and long.
Change of rein down the centerline.
Change or rein through a 4 loop serpentine.
Change of rein half turn (1) and reverse half turn (2) (not on video).
4- 3 minute long trot.
5- Finish with walk around yard.

1- 10 minute walk on long rein.

2- Trot and canter warm up with light contact.

3- Flat exercise: - Today is going to be about the rider not the horse. I am sure that if you truly execute this exercise that you will be calling me all sorts of nasty names at the end of it and maybe when you wake up in the morning the day after too! It is called Thigh Master Circles. Ride a rising trot circle without stirrups but pull your toe in while posting to engage your inner thigh muscles. I have a video for you to watch, the first half is at the trot and the end is at the canter. For this challenge we are only doing the rising trot. As in the video I challenge you to do 5 continual circles each direction.

4- Repeat your pattern again and fix anything that needs it.

5-Jump exercise: The exercise will be a gymnastic with three elements, with v poles for straightness. It will be a one to a one. Jump through until your horse figures it out. This is also a directional exercise. Follow the v poles for direction.

6- 3 minute long trot.
​
7- Finish with walk around yard.

1- 10 minute walk on long rein.

2- Trot and canter warm up with light contact.

3- Flat exercise: - Quarter line straightness. Use the quarter line to achieve straightness. Start in walk and then trot and canter. Use a visual target to guide the horse straight. You want to keep your hands on either side of the neck. Do not allow the hand/rein to pass over the wither or to move to far away from the neck. Fill the space between the rein with straightness from the hind end. If you get the hind end stepping up straight you can easily guide the shoulder with both reins as a unit. Straightness needs to come from coming forward from the hind, not by steering with the hands. If it is not coming from the hind you will look like a drunken sailor trying to walk the quarter line. I have attached a video, this is probably my most favorite video of all time. It helped me with a new level of feeling. No matter what level you are, it has the potential to reach an "ah ha" moment for you. Enjoy.

4- Repeat your pattern again and fix anything that needs it.

5-Jump exercise: I will set up two exercises. The first one will be a simple single jump with pole in front and behind. Be sure to go the correct direction as the entry pole will be tighter than the exit pole. Check ground line for direction. Before starting, canter over a small jump off each lead as a warm up. Then canter through this a few times and let it educate your horse for a nicer jump.

The second exercise will be a gymnastic with three elements, with v poles for straightness. It will be a one to a one. Jump through until your horse figures it out. This is also a directional exercise. Follow the v poles for direction.

6- 3 minute long trot.

7- Finish with walk around yard.

click here for video
​

1- 10 minute walk on long rein

2- Trot and canter warm up with light contact.

3- Flat exercise for Thursday - Canter Halt Canter Transitions. This seems similar to the exercise in Challenge #11. However, canter to walk without trot steps is much more difficult. I have attached a video of teaching this and she uses a series of large circle to small circle for the transitions. I really like this approach as it sets them up appropriately. It is okay if they give a trot step or two at the level everyone is riding at, but work in the future to obtain the transition without the trot steps.

4- Work on this week's pattern.

5-Cavaletti: I will set a series of walk poles. At first walk over them on a loose rein and let the horse figure things out on his own. Then again a few times with light contact and end with short reins and a following hand.

6- 3 minute long trot.
​
7- Finish with walk around yard.

1- Walk your horse for a full 10 minutes on a loose rein.

2- With light contact warm up your horse in a trot and canter.
​
3- Shorten your reins for full contact and today's exercise will be riding a bold canter. I observe everyone riding on a daily basis and most riders here are complacent with a mediocre canter at best. Learning to be comfortable with a big bold canter and it's power will help you in the show ring, recognize and feel a good canter. Everything is about the canter, a good canter will find you a rideable distance. Watch the attached video. She explains how to maintain a good canter. Teach your horse to stay there without your constant nagging. Pay attention to what she says about if your horse breaks to trot on you and how to manage/eliminate that. I see lots of horses breaking to trot without the rider asking. Ride more efficiently and the result will be less work and interference from the rider and a happier horse.

4- Finish your horse with a three minute long trot.
​
5- Enjoy a nice walk around the yard, get him out of the ring.

1- 10 minute walk on long rein.
2- Trot and canter warm up with light contact.
3- Diamond exercise: - Another exercise that many of you have worked on with me. Again, I do not have video to back it up. This exercise was taught to me years ago from Kevin Babington. At the trot and canter work on a diamond shape instead of a circle. Use arena letters or any visual marker for the points to ride to. At first establish the diamond track. Then ride the track with a little inside bend. Develop into looking to your next marker before you get to the marker in front of you to smooth the points. Finally on the straights of the diamond I like to send the horse forward. If done correctly, you will be riding a beautifully shaped dressage show circle not a diamond. One of those great exercises that trick you into riding correctly!
4- Repeat your pattern again and fix anything that needs it.
5-Jump exercise: Work on the same bending line again, if confident ride the 5, the 6 and the 4.
6- 3 minute long trot.
7- Finish with walk around yard.

​1- 10 minute walk on long rein.

2- Trot and canter warm up with light contact.

3- Flat exercise: - This exercise does not have a specific name and I will not have a video to back it up. It also takes a level of feel. However, do not get discouraged if you are not sure what you feel or don't. The first step to developing your feel is to start to be aware as you try. It will come with many miles in the saddle.

For the exercise ride with a longer rein. You are going to teach your horse to remain straight on a circle himself. Each gait will require a little larger circle. Start at the walk on a smaller circle that will accentuate the issues. If the horse falls in with his inside shoulder do a walking turn on the haunch to the outside or if he wants to lean out of the circle do a walking turn on the haunch to the outside. Show him where to be. Practice until you feel him start to maintain this straightness on his own. The trot and canter will be done with rollbacks, like you worked on yesterday. Stay away from the fence so you can turn either direction. I like this exercise to move the shoulders which loads the haunch as opposed to displacing the hind and loading the shoulders. Play around with it, the horse seem to like the exercise as it is unpredictable.

4- Repeat your pattern again and fix anything that needs it.

5-Jump exercise: I will set up a bending S line with three jumps. (I will try not to forget!) Ride the line 5 strides to 5, then try to do 4 to 4. Both directions. Practice until you feel that you can do them smoothly. Remember, you want to shorten a stride not slow it down. Have fun.

6- 3 minute long trot.

7- Finish with walk around yard.

1- 10 minute walk on long rein.
2- Trot and canter warm up with light contact.
3- Flat exercise for Thursday - Rollback to Fence. This is one of my favorite flatwork exercises from my western riding days. I use it a lot, I attribute my horse's excellent rideability to this exercise. Rollbacks are the easiest way to start teaching your horse to move his front end, work off his hindquarters, and collect himself.
When you're ready to begin, hold the reins with steady contact, with your hands comfortably out in front of you (short reins). Ride your horse at a forward trot. Now, begin making a large circle adjacent to one of the long sides of the ring. Every time you come around to the fence, you should be near enough that you could reach out and touch it with your hand. Complete at least two circles, or as many as needed to get your horse to relax. When he does, as you come around to the fence, approach it at a 45-degree angle. This will create a "pocket" for your horse to roll back into. As your horse comes up to the fence at a 45-degree angle, sit back in the saddle, say whoa (why that exercises was on Wednesday)a direct rein closest to the fence to tip his nose slightly toward the fence. Remember: You're not physically trying to stop your horse. You're simply redirecting his energy toward the fence and letting the fence stop him. At the same time, press with your outside leg near the girth to ask your horse to turn into the open pocket you've just created. He should rock his weight back on his haunches and jump his shoulders through the pocket. As you're turning, look over your shoulder into the turn. This will put your body in the same position as your horse's body, making it easier for him to come through the turn. You want to ride the rollback as you want him slow to come around for balance but then you want to power out of the rollback for push off. Once you feel like you have a feel at the trot, then move to the canter. Sometimes, you will not want to move to canter in the same session. So, if this is new to you just work the trot. If you have done this before then do both.
I have attached a video that demonstrates riding the circles to the fence and how that should look. At first you will want to get pretty close to the fence to halt and then turn. Let the fence teach them to rock back. Of course we do not want the sliding stop as in the western reining but it is a great demonstration video for you to get the idea.
4- Repeat your pattern from Wednesday a couple times.
5-Cavaletti: I will set two poles to ridden on a circle. Trot the circle both directions four or five times. Work on stepping over the center of each pole, pay attention to the shape of your circles. Remember circles do not have straight lines or corners. Keep the shape of the horse consistent with the track shape of the circle.
5- 3 minute long trot.
6- Finish with walk around yard.