A chance to ride outside the arena

We’ve had a break in the weather this past week — like chilly Spring days instead of cold Winter days! — and have taken advantage of the opportunity to get outside the arena.

Riders are using The Hill to get a longer straight line of trot and canter than they can in the arena. This exercise really challenges the rider’s focus, because the track has a lot more distractions than the arena.

Lisa’s youth students are learning to manage one or two horses at a time, leading from the back of the golf cart at walk and trot. It’s more challenging than it looks, requiring constant rope management and supporting the horse to maintain gait and position.

The interns have been busy helping the green horses develop confidence with all kinds of obstacles. Fallen trees, running water, muddy creek bed, narrow squeezes, and open spaces.

We also recently had the horses do a photo shoot for The Tack Trunk. We’re still selecting the best photos, but we got some great bloopers to share on our Facebook page one of these days.

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