Ep 201: Making Your Training Time Count
Every one of us has a limited amount of time in the day. So, when it comes to training, it is important to make that time count. On this episode, I’m sharing some experiences I’ve had with managing my time, schedule and training techniques to give my horses the best opportunity to succeed.
Managing Your Schedule
During certain seasons of the year, you may need to manage your training schedule in a different way to create the most productive environment possible for your horses. In the summer months, for example, my training routine will shift to start at 3:00-4:00am to avoid the extreme high temperatures that happen later in the day.
I will get all of my riding done by 9:00-10:00am, and then shift my focus to office-related tasks indoors. Is it easy to make this shift? No. Is it worth it to give my horses the opportunity to perform in the most ideal climate conditions of the day? Absolutely. In the heat of the day, our horses can become more easily fatigued, mentally foggy, and frustrated. And, the same can be said for me as a trainer. For both myself and my horses, it is highly beneficial to work at a time of day when our primary focus is not “survival.”
Managing Your Technique
One training technique that I focus on heavily is loping squares instead of circles. Most people exercise horses primarily in a round pattern. While this pattern has its benefits, it can also create the opportunity for our horses to leak out of proper body position. Instead, I like to lope in more of a squared-off pattern where I have a better opportunity to fine-tune my horses’ transitions.
Transitions are changes in speed and direction, and they require a horse to properly engage certain parts of the body and have all five key body parts – head, neck, shoulders, ribcage, and hindquarters – working together. When I reach the corner of my square, I want to lead with my horse’s nose, and then make sure that the shoulders follow along and finish through that same line of movement. This helps the horse gain better weight distribution and stay “lighter” on its front end.
Managing Your Expectations
One key component of making your training time count is managing your expectations. It is important to recognize reasonable gains in the amount of time you have to dedicate toward a specific horse. When you are pressed for time, it is always best to focus on quality over quantity. Set your expectations in a way that supports the amount of time, energy and resources that you have to dedicate toward that specific objective. Do what you can, and focus on 1% gains daily.
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