A Twist on Conditioning Work

Once a week I pull my own mare, Echo, out for a conditioning ride to help strengthen her body! We used to always do this in the arena, but as every equestrian knows, staying within the same fenced in area 24/7 will eventually get boring. Especially if you're riding multiple horses every day of the week in the same place. So what did we do about that? We took our normal work and went out into the field and on the trails around the property! This has been so valuable for Echo, not only because it's something new, but it also proposes new challenges for her that you can't usually find in a fenced in ring. She's in all new territory with new footing and terrain! As a youngster, there's a bazillion and one scary things out there in the "wild" just waiting to jump out and eat her soul for dinner...or so she thinks lol taking her out of the ring has forced her to be brave and curious, instead of frightened and scared of every rock, leaf, bird, and blade of grass around her. It also forces her to remained focused and attentive. She has had to learn that just because we're out in the wide open, it doesn't necessarily mean it's time to act silly and blow right through my aids. She's actually taken to this very well and has stayed relatively quiet each time we venture out. I've also encorporated hill work in to her conditioning sets to help work those glutes! This has proven to be a lot more challenging for her than she originally thought. Also there are small hills and inclines out in the fields where we work, which also helps strengthen her without adding too much added stress on her body since she's still growing!

Also for farts and giggles, here's some most recent photos of her jumping!