Favorite flat work exercises to build muscle and stamina?!

[mjdiete]

Hey everyone!
I recently bought a 2002 DWB 3’9 hunter. He was shown a lot a few years ago but the last 3 years he has been used in lessons and to train other horses to canter… (questionable method haha).
Anywho,
I rode him for the first time since I got him and he was amazing, but you can tell he needs a tune up. He knows what to do just needs time to rebuild and strengthen. I don’t want him getting bored with ring work since I’d rather have him nice and refreshed on the flat before jumping, so what fun exercises does everyone do so their horse doesn’t get bored? I doubt he would care if we just stayed in circles over and over again but I’d rather spice it up.

I know about circles and serpentines and figure 8s and all of that. I’m talking more then shortening on the short wall and lengthening on the long wall.

Let me know!

[supershorty628]

Hill work is my favorite thing to do.

Lateral work at all 3 gaits. Transitions on a 20m circle with transitions at certain points (clock exercise). Walking and trotting over raised cavaletti.

For stamina, I take a page out of the eventers’ book and do trot and canter sets, gradually increasing over time.

Also, I like to do transitions within a gait, but I don’t always do lengthen on the long side and shorten on the short side. I frequently flip it and lengthen in the corners and shorten down the long side; a lot of horses drop behind your leg in the turns, so it’s good for fixing that.

[greysfordays]

[QUOTE=supershorty628;8168593]
Hill work is my favorite thing to do.

Lateral work at all 3 gaits. Transitions on a 20m circle with transitions at certain points (clock exercise). Walking and trotting over raised cavaletti.

For stamina, I take a page out of the eventers’ book and do trot and canter sets, gradually increasing over time.

Also, I like to do transitions within a gait, but I don’t always do lengthen on the long side and shorten on the short side. I frequently flip it and lengthen in the corners and shorten down the long side; a lot of horses drop behind your leg in the turns, so it’s good for fixing that.[/QUOTE]

Totally agree about not just lengthening on the short wall. I think lengthening through a circle and collecting are really powerful for strength as well as responsiveness. and I like lengthening and shortening between poles (adding and taking away strides) bc it really forces you to be accurate about how lengthened or shortened your stride.

I also love to either be on the counter or correct lead and do flat serpentines alone the long side holding the lead. I usually start with the correct lead and then do the counter lead. It can feel like dancing when your horse is really balanced.

[KandC]

I like to do spirals at the trot and canter. Circle and leg yield to slowly spiral in, and then leg yield in the opposite direction to spiral back out.

Seconding hill work though! That’s definitely the best.

[Sunflower]

Horses probably mind repetition a whole lot less than we think-- in general-- as they are creatures that value routine. That said, of course, variation is good for them and for us as the riders. Pole work, such as cantering a course of poles, or arrangements such as the ones here https://www.facebook.com/LloydEquestrian/photos/a.577900882303029.1073741830.355560677870385/649612668465183/?type=1

are good.

[findeight]

I like the “clock” exercise. Requires nothing but a ring or large flat space. Visualize a clock on top of your arena or riding area. 12 and 6 o’clock are on the short sides at the centerline, 3 and 9 halfway down the long sides. You can use cones to mark the spots or just wing it.

You will be executing transitions at those points, like dressage markers. When you start, keep it easy and simple going all the way around between transitions, then halfway eventually working to each point on the clock face. Loose rein trot all the way around every few laps to avoid over drilling. And don’t overdo it, once or twice a week for 10 minutes is enough.

Remember each gait has three “gears”, collected, normal and extended and the idea is to get the transition right at the number, not before, not after, right on it. Eventually you want to be able to get any gear of any gait from any other gear of any other gait. That ought to keep you busy for quite a long time, it’s one of those things that’s never perfect. There’s always something new to work in as you get better at the basic gaits and always sonething that coukd be smoother.

I used this at shows to warm up my Hunters, at home to combat the spooks and boogers and with unfamiliar horses to see what they knew. And it’s great for rehab or conditioning going thru walk gears then to walk trot walk and on to the gears at the trot finally adding canter. It wears you and horse out PDQ too.

I found it kind of fun too, not boring. Let’s you combine multiple tasks into the single drill adding halts, rein backs and working on straightness. Get it all done in ten minutes then go for a hack or cool out and be done.

[foursocks]

Spiraling in and out is a great exercise. I also like to do quarter line serpentines at the canter (without changing lead), and counter canter in general. I’m not sure if you need this much strength-building for your hunter, but my jumper benefits a lot from very slow, controlled canter voltes around jumps- it keeps him light in front and builds his hind end.

[norcalammie]

I do an exercise I read about somewhere - pick a set number of steps say 15 steps walk, then 15 steps trot, then 15 walk, 15 trot, etc. Change the number of steps as you get the horse responsive. Can do at walk, trot and carter. Gets my horse really listening to my body position. I do all over the ring so not always on a straight line on the rail - do as part of serpentine, circle, etc. Fun.

[gmabbn911]

Love the spiraling. Also transitions within the same gait and hill work. Poles are great too but a lot of times I’m just too lazy to set them up haha

[yellowbritches]

In my opinion, the most overlooked muscle and fitness builder across the disciplines is just getting out of the ring and hacking. Even eventers seem to miss that step, going straight from ring work to trot and canter sets. Long walks over varied terrain do wonders for a horses topline and fitness. Add in trot and canter, and you’ll have a fit, strong horse who isn’t sour in the ring in no time.

Otherwise, CORRECT long and low work and trot poles.

[doublesstable]

Dressage in the Dressage arena

But always mix it up during the week… one day Dressage, next day pole work in jumping arena, next day track/trail walking and trotting… Keeps the horses interested in their job especially the young ones…

[rennyben]

Different exercises - beyond basic figures:

On a 20 meter circle, pick 4 equidistant points on the circle, so like 12, 3, 6, 9 on a clock face – and at each point do a 10 meter circle and continue on 20 to next point to do next 10 meter. Sounds simple until you try to do it accurately. As a rider you’ll have to focus on the timing and feel of your aids to adjust the degree of bend to keep your horse straight. For the horse it’s a lot of inside hind work.

Shallow serpentines along the long side.

Ride a square and at each corner do either a turn on the forehand or turn on the haunches to turn the horse. After doing this at the walk you can do this at a the trot - the corners won’t be as sharp but it gets the horse so you can mobilize the front or back end of the horse.

Ride a series of circles down the long side - so you’d start a new circle every 10 meters down the long side – so circle, straighten for 10 meters, circle, straighten etc…

Riding the quarter lines instead of the rail to work on straightness (not drifting, etc).