Looking for some ways to keep your ride interesting, as well as helping to improve your position?
Want better communication between you and your horse?
Try this simple exercise!

Place 2 cones or upturned buckets opposite one another on a 60 foot circle
Keep a soft feel of your reins, and your eye up and looking forward on the circle, press your heels down, allowing your ankles to flex.
Beginning with a posting trot; count how many times you are in the 'up' position as you trot each half of the circle- do you get the same number for each half?
If yes, that's great! If not, what do you need to change to get the same number - ask yourself- is my horse bulging out of the circle? Am I riding a circle or an egg shape?
Am I allowing my horse to speed up or slow down?
Make the necessary adjustments and continue.
When you are able to maintain a rhythm and keep the number of steps equal, increase the difficulty by posting the trot for half, then sit the trot for half; again maintaining the same number of trot steps for each half of the circle. Ask yourself the same questions.
Too easy?
Drop your irons and repeat the exercise :)
When this becomes comfortable, increase the difficulty again by now quartering the circle and changing from posting to sitting trot.
When you have become comfortable with this exercise at the trot, add canter to half of the circle, posting trot half, building up to sitting half, canter half.
When asking for the canter be sure you add your leg evenly and firmly so that you get the response you need.
This is great exercise to remind us how much you need BOTH legs to create and maintain impulsion, rhythm and forward motion.
It will also increase your horse's responsiveness to your upward and downward transition aids, making him softer in his mouth and more responsive to your aids

 

Keep it Clean!

Cleaning pads and brushes once a month helps prevent skin problems from developing and spreading , particularly if these items are shared among several horses.
Now is a good time to disinfect your grooming tools ,saddle pads and blankets.
First, remove as much hair as possible.
For pads, if machine washable, run through wash cycle using 1 cup Lysol (no soap or detergent). Spin dry, then run through 2nd wash cycle using mild unscented detergent and adding 1 cup white vinegar to rinse water to help remove soap residue which many horses have a skin sensitivity to.
Air dry in the sun
For brushes and other grooming tools, soak in hot water and mild unscented detergent, scrub to loosen dirt and remove oils, dander and other residue.
Soak in bucket of warm water with 1 cup vinegar 30 minutes.
Do not rinse, place tools/brushes in sun to air dry. Discard solution