08/25/2021
“How can I make arena work more exciting for my unenthused horse?”
I hear this all the time. So often, in fact, it’s probably a topic I talk about in a lesson nearly every day to somebody somewhere.
There are several factors involved:
-people who get bored in arenas (who probably would prefer to be on the trail, jumping, or out doing something more interesting than following the rail
-horses who’ve had mundane, dull, unpleasant or downright terrible experiences in arenas.
This second factor is unfortunately too common, especially in performance horses who are drilled on movements and schooling has become painful or unpleasant, and school horses who’s life gets dulled away with every twenty-meter circle. They learn the arena is the bad place, and exhibit anything from disinterest to downright panic.
I’ve never started a horse who hated the arena, because to me, the arena is simply a contained area in which to have a two- way conversation. It’s a place of relaxation and balance, with great, even footing to practice new movements in. Do I love to be out on the trail? Absolutely. If I could, I’d pack my bags and stay out in the hills til dark, but I have multiple horses to ride each day, and the arena is a fantastic place to school quietly in an easy to understand way for the horse. Just like a classroom, the sentiment developed within its walls depends very much on the teacher, and the mindset they foster.
So firstly, do YOU hate the arena?
It’s ok if you do. I get it. But I find that teaching students to understand all the nuances of the seat and how much power it has to relax the horse’s back opens up an entire new world for them. Learning about the miraculous results that riding over ground poles can have can perk trail riding devotees up too. I think for many riders, understanding that riding in an arena is just a dance between two partners, with less interesting scenery, helps them gain perspective.
So for the rider, some tips:
-keep arena riding short. Don’t let yourself ride til you’re bored, because I guarantee your horse is beyond bored by that point.
-make it interesting with ground poles, cones, and other markers to give you a visual marker
-study on equine expression and biomechanics to give yourself an idea of the feeling and look you’re after: a breathing, relaxed and swinging horse is quite the reward!
And for the arena-bored horse:
-don’t make the arena a place of work initially. Maybe bring them in and just groom, or feed their dinner.
-use ground poles and cones to give context to exercises, and to make them more interesting.
-try bringing something when more interesting, if possible and you have access to it, into your arena work. Ive taught many horses shoulder in or leg yield with cows in the arena, by moving them down the long side of the fence in the lateral movement.
-make the goal of every session to be relaxation and balance, in whatever way the horse needs that day. Don’t get so hooked on an exercise or pattern that you feel it needs to get done, despite having a cranky horse
-don’t forget to cross train! But when you do go out on the trail, take the concepts and feelings you schooled in the arena with you- don’t make arena the bad place and trail the break. Make everywhere you go a beautiful, fluid and relaxed conversation between you and your horse.
-if your horse has aversions, respect them, and don’t be afraid to back off. My gelding began rearing when going across the diagonal from drilling dressage movements, so for a while I found creative ways to avoid that until he learned the arena was a place of calm.
Be creative, make it simple, and don’t get boxed in to making the arena always about “training.” I love my arena, but I wouldn’t love it if it were always about sweat and riding patterns.
Pictured is a beast who did NOT love the arena, and a very dedicated young girl at one of my clinics.
