“Arena work is so boring!”
“My horse just doesn’t enjoy working in the arena!”
I hear this from my students a lot, especially when we find ourselves stuck in the not very large indoor arena during a never-ending El Niño winter, when snow, ice, wind, and mud make the great outdoors unappealing, or unsafe, for weeks at a time.
How can we make time in the arena more enjoyable for us, and for our horses?
No, it does not require lots of cones, poles, obstacles, Franklin balls, or other equipment - though it’s a good idea - and lots of fun - to play with all of these.
No, it does not require tons of complicated, elaborate exercises - though it’s good - and lots of fun - to try new exercises.
No, it does not require a bunch of horses in Santa hats, some Christmas music with a Latin beat, and a quadrille performance to practice for - though it’s very educational an incredible amount of fun to do this.
No, it’s much simpler than that. Here is the one thing I do so my horses and I will enjoy time in the arena:
I check in with my horse. Based on what he tells me, I think about what he needs from me today, and how I can help him become his best self during our work session.
That’s all, really. It might mean a lungeing or in-hand session before or even instead of riding, if my horse feels super anxious to begin with. It might mean lots of quick transitions if my horse is relaxed but needs to focus. It might mean standing quietly at the mounting block and getting on and off several times if he seems fidgety. It might mean lots of leg yields if his back feels tense. It might mean lots of shoulder-in and walk-canter-walk if he is ready for straightening, strength-building work. My horse tells me what we need to do to end up in a better mental and physical state by the end of our session. This reasonable, achievable, adjustable goal gives me a sense of purpose, which keeps me engaged instead of just going through the motions.
Horses are incredibly sensitive to our moods and attitudes. If I find arena work boring, chances are my horse will, too. If I find arena work enjoyable and interesting, chances are my horse will, too.
My goal, every day, for every horse, is to finish with a slightly more relaxed, slightly straighter, slightly more balanced, slightly more responsive, or slightly more trusting horse than the one I started with. My goal is to get off a happier horse than the one I got on. As long as this happens, my ride, even if it’s in the indoor arena for the 10th time in a row, has been a good one.
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