100 Things To Do With Your Horse

100 Things To Do With Your Horse

I wrote this article way back in March. You know, when we were at the beginning of this awful pandemic. And with the threat of yet another lock down, I wanted to bring this blog post out again. Mainly because I know when thinking about being locked down yet again, I get anxious. And I thought YOU might get anxious too. So instead of focusing on the negative, I wanted to give you a goal, or a project to take your mind off what you can’t do, and keep it as positive as we can and look at the good things we can do when we can’t do all of our normal things.

So here are 100 things that you can do with your horse, when you can’t think of anything to do.

Spicing Up Your Horse Time

Sometimes we can fall into a rut with our horses. We can’t think of anything different to do so we do the same routine every time we are with our horses. But there are a lot of different things we can do with our horses that will strengthen the relationship. And some of these are under saddle, and some are from the ground. But hopefully you will find some inspiration from this list.

So if you are searching for something new to do with your horse, here are 100 different things you could do. And please remember to keep in mind safety! If you are doing any of the riding exercises, make sure to have on an approved riding helmet! And know your limitations, if you are not sure how to do something correctly, learn about it, practice on the ground before you attempt it under saddle.

100 Things To Do With Your Horse

1. Hang out with your horse in his field
2. Grooming (brushing)
3. Picking out his feet
4. Practice saddling, and then don’t ride
5. Getting him used to being sprayed, like fly spray shine spray, etc.
6. Clip his bridle path
7. Practice bridling and unbridling
8. Take him for a walk (like you would a dog)
9. Work on backing up (in hand)
10. Teach him to move away from pressure (in hand)
11. From the ground, walk a dressage pattern
12. Take your horse for a jog
13. Lunging both directions, and moving all around the arena
14. Backing up over a ground pole (in hand)
15. Backing a pattern (in hand)
16. Walking up and down hills
17. Practicing mounting and having your horse stand still
18. Work on inside rein, outside leg in the arena, on the trail, wherever!
19. Ride in a two point position and see how long you can do it
20. Practice a three point position and see how long you can do it
21. Perfect your sitting trot
22. Practice rising trot
23. Learn how to feel the correct diagonal while in rising trot
24. Drop and pick up your stirrups without looking down
25. Walk without stirrups
26. Trot without stirrups
27. Two point without stirrups
28. Canter on your horse
29. Learn how to counter canter
30. Learn how to do a flying lead change
31. Walk to canter transition
32. Practice half halts
33. Practice a side pass, both directions
34. Go for a trail ride
35. Walk your horse over ground poles
36. Learn how to do a shoulder in
37. Learn how to do a shoulder out
38. Practice walking a straight line
39. Trot a perfect circle
40. Canter a perfect circle
41. Give your horse a bath
42. Teach your horse to smile
43. Teach your horse to bow
44. Find a horsemanship pattern, and practice it
45. Ride an introductory dressage test
46. Build a gymnastic, and jump it
47. Ride bareback
48. Learn how to do a turn on the forehand
49. Learn how to do a turn on the haunches
50. Ride a regular serpentine pattern
51. Practice sitting on your horse at the halt
52. Spiral in on a circle
53. Give your horse a massage
54. Braid (or band) your horses mane
55. Ride to music
56. Ride for 15 minutes longer than you normally do
57. Lunge over ground poles
58. Lunge over a small jump or cavaletti
59. Desensitize your horse to a plastic bag
60. Desensitize your horse to a tarp (or a water jump)
61. Try to touch your toes while in the saddle
62. Learn how to ground drive your horse
63. Ride a cloverleaf barrel pattern
64. 
65. Get your horse to bend without using your reins
66. Back your horse in a circle
67. Check your horses pulse, and temperature
68. Open and close a gate while mounted
69. Ride with a neck rope
70. Teach your horse to lower his head for haltering and bridling
71. Video record your ride, and then watch it
72. Have a photography session with your horse and actually print and hang a photo
73. Ride a reining pattern
74. Drag your arena, and then work your horse creating fun patterns
75. Have someone lunge you and your horse
76. Practice loading and unloading your horse into a trailer without going anywhere
77. Learn how to apply polo wraps
78. Practice putting boots on your horses legs
79. Jump a small jump without stirrups
80. Remove your stirrups from your saddle for your ride
81. Ride your horse to your mailbox
82. Try riding a different discipline
83. Ride through water
84. Have a complete spa day with your horse (not just grooming)
85. Try riding bitless
86. Make a costume for your horse
87. Take a professional lesson with your horse (online)
88. Groom like you are going to a horse show
89. Make homemade horse treats for your horse
90. Hand graze your horse
91. Find his favorite itching spot
92. Film your ride and have a friend critique it
93. Ride on a loose rein, let your horse decide where to go (in the arena of course)
94. Trot a figure 8 pattern
95. Make or buy a toy for your horse
96. Teach your horse the Spanish walk
97. Take your horse to a local online horse show
98. Teach your horse to come when called
99. Teach your horse different stretches
100. Learn how to braid his tail
101. Give your horse a hug

There Is Always Something New To Do

Can you think of anything else that you can do with your horse? I’m sure you can! The original reason I decided to come up with this list is because I had surgery, and I still had some time before I was allowed to ride my horse.

But now, I find I have to find things to do to keep myself busy, and my mind on happier things. Which is why I revisited this list. Even if I can’t go do all of the things I would like to do, doesn’t mean I have to stay away from the barn! There are a lot of things to do that don’t include riding. I have been doing a lot of these things with my horses right now, while we work through this hopefully temporary new normal.

And the best thing is with this list of things to do, I don’t feel slighted, or that I have missed anything since I can’t go to horse shows, or riding club meetings. In fact, I feel the complete opposite. I have been able to spend so much time with my horses, and bonding with them on the ground. Not being able to ride has probably been the best thing that could have happened. So I challenge you to look for the positive. Try and focus only on the good, and see if you can come up with a list of 100 things you can be doing with your horse right now.