24/01/2024
This !
🐴 Why Repetition is the #1 Skill You Should Work On 🐴
At its core, riding and training horses is all about repetition. It’s a simple enough concept, but I think we all feel that inherent pressure to “keep advancing” or to keep doing harder things. While this is true to a degree, there is always, always, always benefit to practicing the basics and your foundation. And with anything, repetition will be your friend.
Now of course, there is a difference between “repetition” and “drilling to death”. You must also have enough awareness to know when you are toeing this line. If you’re needing to work on your horse’s responsiveness to your leg, the answer isn’t to drill with the same aid and exercise until you’re both exhausted. The idea here is to use repetition to practice the fundamentals of aids frequently to reinforce them. You shouldn’t be reviewing how to leg yield the next time you want to practice and fine tune it - you should be well-practiced at this movement, even if it’s just a simple part of your warm-up before your jump ride.
Everyone wants to know the “secret” to success with riding. I’m going to be honest with you: there really isn’t one. The riders who find success have a few things in common: they have a consistent routine, they practice the basics often, and they manage their expectations. All of the above are enhanced by one simple constant: repetition.
This winter while you’re preparing to show, or move up a level, or jump for the first time, think about how you can use repetition to your advantage. How could this help your training and, more importantly, your relationship with your horse?
