Welcome to Trainer Tuesday! Each week we ask trainers a question and gather their answers for you. These trainers have a range of experience, backgrounds, and focus points of their programs, so the answers have as much variation as you would expect and also probably much more similarity.
This week’s question posed is: What is one thing every rider should think about or do while flatting on their own?
Here are their answers:
“Always check your brakes, check your accelerator, and check your steering.”-Daphne Thornton
Read more from Daphne and listen to her on the Plaidcast here.
“I think it useful for a rider on their own to imagine jumping a course. You need to be able to lengthen, shorten, turn left and right. Those are the basics. I think if you have a pattern in your mind then it’s easier to avoid just lapping the outside of the ring.”-Geoff Case
Read more from Geoff and listen to him on the Plaidcast here.
“Riders often flat on their own. The first consideration I would like my students to take is always look at your horse–truly look at the horses. The goal is to teach them the ability to evaluate the horses. And to warm up slowly and always be fair to the horses.” –Missy Jo Hollingsworth
Read more from Missy Jo and listen to her on the Plaidcast here.
“While flatting on your own, it’s so important to consider using your time evenly between work and decompression. I always tell my students that no one learns from drilling- it’s the quickest way to burn your horse out. If you jumped around in your lesson, use your next flat ride to practice a few lateral movements and then ride outside the arena (on the farm property or trails if you have access). Do some easy transitions and then stretch your horse out on the buckle. Remind yourself that although practicing skills learned in lessons is important, so is allowing your horse to be a horse… and allowing yourself to enjoy just being with your horse! You’ll both benefit mentally.”-Ariel Univer
Read more from Ariel here.
“First, always keep your eyes up. Second, have a flat plan or pattern such as:
- Walk/trot/canter both directions with circles in each corner
- Cross the diagonal at the trot
- Cross the diagonal at the canter, WALK, no flying lead changes,
- Then do a figure of eight (USEF eq 113.5) at the trot,
- Halt (USEF eq 113.2c) at the start of the long side of the arena,
- And then counter canter the long side, walk a half-turn in reverse (USEF eq 113.9), sitting trot to the corner before the long side
- Walk, then counter canter the long side again,
- Walk to sitting trot
- Do another half-turn in reverse,
- Then go back to rail and work at a walk, trot, and canter and see how you and your horse are balanced and responding.” -Diane Carney
Read more from Diane and listen to her on the Plaidcast here.
“One of the main things I have my riders work on when they are not lessoning is their balance and position. The goal is to make sure they are in the middle of their horse and that they are using both hands and legs when steering.
Working on the rider’s balance can be practiced through flatting without stirrups to help the rider sink down into the tack to be able to feel both sit bones in the saddle evenly. For the hands, I have them touch their thumbs every now and then to be sure their hands are working in a straight line across from each other and together.
I also have my riders ride off of the rail to ensure that their hands and legs are steering the horse correctly instead of relying on the wall or fence. I also like my riders to incorporate ground pole work when riding on their own to practice balance through the turns and straightness at landing and takeoff.”-Donna Pace
Read more from Donna here.
