Let’s get our horses in shape for summertime riding!
I was walking into work this morning, and I was greeted by the sound of a lawn mower whirring and then the smell of fresh-cut grass. And it was right at that moment that it hit me – it’s time for riding season!
Oh my goodness. I have not been that excited with a random thought in a while now. Especially when it comes to being able to actually get out and ride my horse!
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And way back in March, I shared my plan for horse fitness and how I am planning to get my horse fit and ready to ride for the summer. But with work and grown up responsibilities getting in my way, the 6-week plan I had laid out has been kind of pushed off to the sideline for a bit now.
Getting Back on Track
But I feel very confident that the freezing temperatures are no longer a threat, so I can seriously get down to business and get working with my horse!
I shared starting point picture in that post:
Look how fuzzy he is! That was in March, right after the time change. I always do that. I get so excited with the change in time. And then the weather says, “Not so fast….” and we get a few more snowstorms and a lot of not so great outdoor weather.
Thankfully, that has changed. And I have been getting out to work with Plezant more and more. And here is an updated starting point picture:
See a difference? If not, let me point it out, he has shed more of his winter coat. Yay! Some of the shedding is done! He still has quite a bit more to go. But I think he is looking much more presentable for lots of photos that will be coming up over the next few months. Do you see all of the hair in the dirt? Oh yeah, he’s still shedding.
Can you see on his shoulder how he is getting a little sleeker? His midsection still has a lot to go. But he’s getting there! In a few more weeks, I think he will be completely shed out. Or, at least, I hope he is! I am really excited to see his progress over the next month or so. It will be so much fun to share a before and after comparison!
I have to say I think he was looking pretty snazzy in the last video I uploaded too.
We have been spending lots of time together in the past few weeks, and now I have my official plan for getting him back to a level of fitness that will make it easier for him to work for longer periods of time. Without having a buddy to keep him motivated to move, it’s up to me to make that happen.
Starting with smaller increments of time, and building up over time to get him brought back to a level of fitness that will keep him happy, as well as healthy. Even starting with incorporating 10 minutes of trotting a day is a good start for my horse – as well as for me.
Enlisting Some Outside Help
One thing that I am doing for myself is getting some outside help via an app. I will share more about this soon. There is a lot that goes into the app I chose. And I want to make sure I do it justice by sharing some of the really cool features it has with you.
Have you checked into all of the different riding apps that are available to equestrians? There are a LOT! I have downloaded so many of them and then turned around and deleted them from my phone. Most of them don’t really have a lot to offer unless you are willing to fork over money – before you even get to see what the app is all about. I don’t like that. You should be able to test drive the app first, to make sure it’s worth the money they are asking for.
Personally, I feel the app should offer at least a sampling of what it has to offer before you decide to invest in it. Just my 2 cents.
Incredible Riding App for Your Phone
But back to the app that I found….
I was listening to the app I found, Horse Riding Lessons from the International Equestrian, when I was riding, and it gave me something to work on the entire time I was riding. So my riding session went from me wandering around the arena aimlessly for 15 minutes and then saying, ok I’m done. To having a 45-minute ride and feeling like I actually accomplished something. I was able to get Plezant to work – and the time went by so fast! It was awesome!
That one time using the app made me look forward to my next riding session with my horse. That hasn’t happened in a long time.
Having a Plan
I am a big planner. But sometimes executing that plan can be challenging, to say the least. I have no idea why that happens, but it does!
I do find that planning a little bit smaller and then also keeping the plan realistic does help though.
For example, I would love to commit to riding 6 days a week. And I can plan for that. However, the reality is, I will be fabulous if I can ride 3 times a week. And this is a goal I feel comfortable being able to achieve.
This week for another example, and thanks to my app – today is the 2nd day of the week I will be riding. My third day will be Sunday. I wish it could be Saturday because it’s supposed to be gorgeous, but grandma duties mean I will be watching this little munchkin:
Isn’t she adorable? I can’t wait until she is big enough for a pony. I already have a plan for this in the future! You see, there I go planning big goals (aka dreams) again!
But even with my busy schedule of work, 2 YouTube channels, 2 websites, and just everyday chores, I can still find the time to ride 3 days a week. I think it is a little easier because my horse is at my home, and I have to spend at least an hour ‘at the barn’ every day. Which is not a bad thing at all!
Setting Up The Plan
And once you have decided on a time frame for your training, writing it out on a calendar, where you can see it, is very helpful. Especially when you can check it off. That’s my favorite thing to do.
It is so encouraging to see lots of green x’s on my calendar when I have completed tasks. I found this calendar at Dollar Tree a week or so ago. I like the big size, and I can keep it in my tack room. This makes it very visible for me to see every time I walk in or out of my tack room to get stuff to work with my horse. A very good buy for $1.25!
The Hardest Part is Starting
Seriously, putting the plan together is fairly easy to do. But executing that plan, well….this is an area that I am personally working on. That is the hardest part! There always seems to be something I can justify that needs to be done at the moment instead of working with my horse. Can you see the words on my calendar? This is my plan for the next few weeks!
How about you? Do you have a plan for riding this summer? Let me know what your plans are for getting your horse fit for the upcoming summer riding season. I would love to know what you’re doing too!
Happy Riding!
