Amanda Sutton | Seasonal guides

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10 winter stretches: Rein-back between poles

Amanda Sutton, 14 December 2009 12:26

Short winter days can make it difficult to ride, but here are simple ground work exercises to help maintain your horse’s fitness and mobility through the cold winter months. Horses often find rein-back difficult as they may lack mobility, drag their front feet or pull their body back. We need them to think about how the movement starts and lift ...

10 winter stretches: Serpentines

Amanda Sutton, 14 December 2009 12:23

Short winter days can make it difficult to ride, but here are simple ground work exercises to help maintain your horse’s fitness and mobility through the cold winter months. - Make your serpentine loops large initially, staying close to the horse’s shoulder rather than getting in front, as this will make him extend his poll stretch. - As you turn, your inside ...

10 winter stretches: Short and sweet

Amanda Sutton, 14 December 2009 12:18

Short winter days can make it difficult to ride, but here are simple ground work exercises to help maintain your horse’s fitness and mobility through the cold winter months. If you have a novice or young horse, do this exercise initially with one pole, gradually building up to three: - You’ll need a row of three poles one metre apart. Walking ...

10 winter stretches: It's a wrap

Amanda Sutton, 14 December 2009 12:03

Short winter days can make it difficult to ride, but here are simple ground work exercises to help maintain your horse’s fitness and mobility through the cold winter months. For this exercise, put a roller on your horse and some Vet Wrap or a bandage – but only when he’s settled and relaxed. I use a product called Thera-Band, which ...

10 winter stretches: About turn

Amanda Sutton, 14 December 2009 11:53

Short winter days can make it difficult to ride, but here are simple ground work exercises to help maintain your horse’s fitness and mobility through the cold winter months. This exercise will help your horse to learn how to turn correctly by releasing his neck and engaging his hind legs. Do it as slowly as possible – when riding, most ...

10 winter stretches: Releasing the shoulder blade

Amanda Sutton, 14 December 2009 11:47

Short winter days can make it difficult to ride, but here are simple ground work exercises to help maintain your horse’s fitness and mobility through the cold winter months. The muscles in the shoulder area can get very blocked, but horses enjoy this exercise and it really improves their stride length: - Hold your horse’s fore leg and place your ...

10 winter stretches: Circling the front legs

Amanda Sutton, 14 December 2009 11:37

Short winter days can make it difficult to ride, but here are simple ground work exercises to help maintain your horse’s fitness and mobility through the cold winter months. When you first pick up your horse’s front leg, see what happens to the opposite back one. If your horse is tight, this back leg may come forwards. If so, replace ...

10 winter stretches: Rounding the pelvis

Amanda Sutton, 14 December 2009 11:31

Short winter days can make it difficult to ride, but here are simple ground work exercises to help maintain your horse’s fitness and mobility through the cold winter months. To round the pelvis, follow this guide: - With the horse standing square, position yourself to one side and stroke the muscles briskly on one side of his rump, from just ...

10 winter stretches: Activate the hindquarter muscles

Amanda Sutton, 14 December 2009 11:26

Short winter days can make it difficult to ride, but here are simple ground work exercises to help maintain your horse’s fitness and mobility through the winter months. To exercise the muscles in the hindquarters: - Stand the horse square. Position yourself to the side and lift his back leg a few inches. - Grasp the tail and gently bring ...

10 winter stretches: The abdominal lift

Amanda Sutton, 14 December 2009 11:18

Short winter days can make it difficult to ride, but here are simple ground work exercises to help maintain your horse’s fitness and mobility through the cold winter months. This exercise activates the horse’s spine and tips his pelvis into the correct position for work. You must ensure there’s no pain here (signs include localised muscle twitching or hardness). Try ...

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