5 Best Practices

Brenda Robson Author

What to do when your horse is away at the trainer's stable. Improving your horsemanship, planning your skills and practices and more.

5 Best Practices

So, you did your research! You selected the best trainer and sent — or are about to send — your horse to their location for a number of months.

Now what? Do you wait for your horse to return with all the good manners and “buttons” put on it? You can’t wait to get out on a trail ride or to start developing your pathway to your competitive goals.

Oh no… wait! I hope that you haven’t been wasting your precious time while your horse was away in training. What could you have been doing? Better yet, what could you do in the meantime?

These five best practices will set you up for a better and safer experience when your beloved horse comes home.

1. Map Your Goals

You should map your goals for when your horse returns. When will you ride? Consistency is best. What skills will you practice? What do your goals require?

2. Expand Your Knowledge

You can increase your knowledge in regard to your goals. If trail riding, learn or practice how to prepare for unexpected encounters.

Even if you can’t ride, you can study the methods and simulate activities like the One Rein Stop or getting off easily and swiftly on both sides. Read up on the experts—especially once you have a plan and need to brush up on the techniques.

3. Learn From the Trainer

You should be attending the training sessions and learning directly from your trainer—how that person rides, how long, how hard, what they include in a training session, and more.

Ask questions and watch how your horse is responding and hopefully progressing.

4. Ride Other Horses

If you can ride another horse, improve your balance and alignment in your body. Stay familiar with the motion that a horse gives you and learn to move in synchronization with it.

The more horses you ride, the more adaptable your body should become.

5. Practice Mental Imagery

Take time to incorporate imagery—psycho-cybernetics works wonders!

Did you know you can practice any skill in your mind and it will transfer to your riding? That’s because you can actually do perfect practice on any skill. When you make a bad move, go back, start over, and correct it.

Perfect practice happens in this technique. Look up how this amazing addition to your practice could work for you.

If you implement one or all of these best practices while you wait for your “trained” horse to return to your stable, you will have become the better partner, better rider, and better horseman all around.

Ready to Keep Growing With Your Horse?

If you love heart-led, kind, and practical ways to bring out the best in your horse, explore my Calm Loading Roadmap — a simple step-by-step guide to help you trailer load your horse calmly and confidently.
Because when your horse feels safe, you can both go farther together.

Categories: : Let's Talk Training