My guy and I like to keep it fresh, lots of hacks and new things to see. We are stuck in our indoor for the next couple of months. I plan on doing cavaletti and ground poles to help keep our hill strength until we can get back out there. But I’ve been thinking about working on some desensitizing since he can be fairly reactive. What are your favorite games to play - on the ground and in the saddle?
To keep riding fresh, I suggest cone work. You can purchase colored cones that agility dogs work with. You can space them up the centerline and practice leg yielding left and right at all gaits through the cones. You can set them in a large square and practice shoulder-in approaching and rounding the cone, releasing to a straight line when the hind legs line up with the shoulders. You can use them to make a “box” in the middle of the arena and ride a clover leaf pattern or other pattern and only doing transitions (depending your horse’s level of training) within that box. This really helps the horse associate a physical aid with space and can help them prepare and execute. Etc, etc. Comes are VERY helpful for all sorts of exercises. because they are a visual aid to you and your horse.
Groundwork/desensitization: Your horse always has to follow your lead in terms of direction and speed. I suggest a good NH trainer if you don’t know how to execute this. Back up. One of the best exercises my horse ever learned for him was for me to stand at the end of a 6’ lead rope, and direct him to put his foot on the base of a cone. Seriously, it was like Hellen Keller learning to spell water. "Ohhhhhh, I have to follow your direction and body language even though I’m 6 feet away from you? Ohhhhhh, I have to listen all the time. Ohhhhhhh. The back up and ground exercises that he knew inside and out saved my butt at shows many times when he was freaked out. Priceless. Seriously.
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I have trouble motivating myself to get the horse out and saddled, but once I get myself up there I go into “the zone” and soon become totally immersed in what we’re doing. It’s the reason I like to ride by myself, because it’s so much easier to get into that state where it’s just me and my horse (and the picky little details) with no distractions.
In fact, I recently started working in walk a lot more, and now that I’m into it I’m excited about it because we’ve been clearing up several long standing misunderstandings that weren’t as obvious at trot and canter.
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Maybe some groundwork - especially if he’s reactive? I am a big fan of both Tristan Tucker’s and Warwick Schiller’s approaches to relaxation and mental focus. I do a lot of it year round with any horse, but find it particularly helpful in winter both with the challenge of getting out and about AND the added “fun” of snow falling off the arena roof, ice pellets, gale force winds making it sound like we’re going to lift off, etc. etc.
Warwick Schiller’s video library has a week’s free trial and the subscription is monthly, so you’re not locked into paying for it forever. I personally find it a very useful resource and worth the $$.
I bought a hula hoop at the dollar store today, and I’ll keep my eye open for cones too! I do lots of ground work as well as work in the walk (he’s an ex Amish driving horse, so we’re still working on the basics of under saddle) and relaxation is key with him. I’m also going to bring a tarp or bedsheet to hand around the indoor and work on dealing with distraction. Thanks! Keep them coming!!
So, you’re looking to add some drama? Just need some fire, motorcylces, ramps, cars, and a ground crew.
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//youtu.be/pq0nwZ978_A
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I give my guys the coldest part of the winter off. It’s good for their brains and my sanity as well 
So I’m no help for your question lol
I definitely need a ground crew! I asked my (non-horsey) hubby to come and act as a distraction (waving bags, throwing balls, etc) but his schedule doesn’t always allow it. So I need some things that I can do on my own! 
His work load definitely drops off in the coldest (and darkest) months, but we do have a heated indoor (spoiled) so getting out and stretching his legs and working on some soft skills is helpful for both of us! Keeps him entertained and loose during these cold months!
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All I have to do is get on and ride him down to the other end if I want to create drama! If he’s okay at the walk then trot or canter will usually get him going, and if he’s having a particularly calm day all I have to do is some counted walk along the wall and he’ll fire right up. And then if I don’t give him a chill break before I get on he’ll still be fired up.
Not that I want any drama, but if I did it wouldn’t take much to get it!
You can add a yoga ball to the mix too. My girls had fun pushing one around this morning. The one who is bolder will chase it if I kick it across the arena.
My list is fairly comprehensive because my horse dislikes the whole 4 walls thing.
In-hand work (proper in-hand work, not natural horsemanship nonsense)
Longeing
Cavaletti/poles
Barrels (we have a young can chaser at the barn so when she sets up to practice, I work around the cans in walk or canter working pirouettes and occasionally run a pattern)
Tarps are fun just to walk over, but also for developing more enthusiasm in the piaffe 
Ground driving/dragging a tire around
Playing with light flags (dollar store fake silk scarves) attached to long bamboo poles
Having an obstacle day where a bunch of us set up whatever comes to mind with whatever is on hand and all play together and then put all the crap away together too. So much more bearable to share the moving of stuff with others and great fun for the horses to teach each other new obstacles or hold each others’ hooves through scary stuff lol
And music, always music whether it’s the arena radio or our own personal playlists on our phones, always music. It’s amazing the difference to one’s outlook it can make to find your horse working along happily to the beat of the music. Or horse gets a bit frazzled by wind/metal creaking noises that we get in cold metal arenas - sing along and you will take your own concentration off the spookiness enough to make a difference in your horse’s attitude.
You can kick it up a notch and play broom polo. (Once your horse is broom and flag broke, of course.)
My then youngster seemed to enjoy it but it is hard work for the rider if the ball is underinflated. You have to really raise the broom and wack! Quite a workout. Suburban WAZE shortcutters passing our indoor would stop and pull over to watch for a while. I think they thought we were beating our horses.
So we played with a tarp yesterday – he was very good, aside from stamping on it really hard to make sure it stayed still. :lol: I purchased a yoga ball, and today we play with the hula hoop! I also have a bluetooth speaker I’m going to bring for some tunes. Our sad little radio leaves a bit to be desired.
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