I have volunteered to help exercise a horse at my riding school who has injured a tendon and was on box rest for 6 weeks and now needs to be ridden in walk only for the next 6 weeks.

I am riding him in the indoor school most week days for 1 hour. The school is about 40 x 20

I'm not an experienced rider but have had a half hour lesson once a week for several years (I'm not very good, bit of a slow learner ).

Any ideas for what i can do with him? Any suggestions for school movements to keep us both interested (we're already doing 3 loop serpentines and circles/figure of eight) or anything that might help my own riding skills?

It all has to be in walk.

Thank-you!

There's quite a lot you can practice at walk to improve riding skills. Hopefully the vet has advised on how to build up his ridden work slowly. An hour is quite a long time for him to be ridden at once, even in walk, if he's only just come off box rest?

You could test your turning and circling aids without reins. Do some stretching exercises without stirrups, pointing your toes, circling your ankles, to improve your seat. Work on feeling for which hind-leg is stepping under/pushing off. Control his walk with your seat, slowing his walk, then picking it back up again (transitions within the pace). Do walk - halt - walk transitions from your seat. Bending and counter bending exercises. Lateral exercises. Work on your feel for straightness and balance. Lateral exercises on a circle. Alternating lateral exercises. Spirals.

There's tons of stuff that can be done in walk, just about everything can be learned in walk before it's learned in trot etc.

There are probably a number of books with suggestions of exercises that you can do. Unfortunately, I don't know any to recommend, but perhaps someone else can.

They have been walking him in hand around the yard. I don't know how long for. They do seem to treat their horses well so i would imagine it is the vet who has said it's ok to ride him now. I rode him for half an hour the first time and then i was asked if i could do an hour. I do hope it is ok.

They seem to think i'm crazy for wanting to do it at all! But i just think it's a great opportunity to practise and to help out a horse who has given others so much and was the first horse i cantered and he looked after me over some of my first jumps too. It's nice to be able to give something back.

Loads of great ideas - thanks. I'm so used to having my instructor there telling me what to do next - not used to having to think for myself!

I ride mostly in walk when I hack out it's a very under rated pace. I do lots of half halts, shoulder in, half pass. Put things on the floor and walk over them.

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Well, the horse i've been riding (Puzzle) was reviewed by the vet a few days ago after 7 weeks of walking and he is still slightly lame (1 tenth, whatever that means ) when trotted up. The vet seems to think he will recover but it could take a very long time. He is to continue with the walking and the vet will review him again in the new year.

So we have several more weeks of walking. As someone who has previously only had a half hour lesson once a week it is really interesting. I'm learning so much and can't understand why there isn't a queue of people offering to walk him! Instead everyone keeps saying how boring it must be! They have no idea...

I've gained confidence handling a horse who can be quite pushy on the ground if he thinks he can intimidate - he walked all over me at first but i'm learning to handle him in a steady, calm, confident manner.

My riding confidence has improved, i now feel very at home in the saddle and don't get upset anymore about the odd spook or looking at things. I've learnt how to sit back and push the horse through it.

I can now do a proper jumping fold.

I get to learn from other peoples lessons as there are often lessons in the school when we are walking. This also teaches me to be aware of other riders/horses and i'm no longer worried about sharing the school during my own lessons.

My canter transitions have improved because although he can't canter i do lots of imaginary canter transitions - this has helped me to go into canter (on my weekly lessons) without tipping forward and dropping the contact.

My leg position has improved. i've got the idea of legs wrapped round and using calf rather than swinging leg up and back.

There's tonnes and tonnes of other stuff i'm learning. Riding a horse every day on my own is so different to having a weekly lesson. And it's all free...

I particularly love the days when it's just me and Puzzle in the school and i can ride around talking utter nonsence to him

I hope Puzzle recovers soon but in the meantime he's giving me a fantastic opportunity that i will never forget...

Well done for taking the opportunity & making the most of the experience

Hopfully he will make a full recovery, keep up the good work the owner is very lucky to have you doing this as if they haven't got the time to spend everyday it is all helping body & mind for recovery

Enforced walking is an ideal opportunity to perfect a square halt. Ride a figure 8, and at each change of rein, halt. If you are not sure, close your eyes briefly, and try to feel where each leg is.
Other suggestions .... Leg yield from the 3/4 line to the track, and from the track to the 3/4 line. 20m circle on right rein, with a series of satellite 10m circles, on left rein, then repeat the other way round, thus encouraging correct bend. The possibilities are endless.

If you find you get stuck for ideas, why not write a list of exercises you can do, and select a few before you start.

A picture of Puzzle.
It was really hard to get a photo as every time i moved away from him he followed me - which seemed really sweet. I know the real reason he does this is just because he's used to being led but i can at least pretend it's because he likes me...can't I..?

What a lovely looking horse.

I first posted back in October, it's now nearly the end of May and Puzzle is finally starting back into light work!

We walked and walked together all through the winter. He was finally allowed to trot in straight lines in the spring, progressed onto trotting corners, had a big set back a few weeks ago when he went lame again and i thought the riding school might have to have him put down. After 2 weeks of nail-bitting it turned out to be nothing serious and he was sound again and we are now trying short canters and he is starting to earning his keep again giving the odd light lesson.

Over the last 8 months i've had to work out, on my own (and i'm a classic nervous novice riding school rider), how to deal with spooking, running off, the odd buck, stopping and refusing to move and all sorts of other things. At one point he started stopping in every corner, which had me fooled for a long time because i really thought he needed a wee, until i finally realised that was exactly what he wanted me to think so he could keep doing it!

I'm sure i wont be needed to exercise Puzzle for much longer and i'm going to really miss my mornings with him - it's been the most wonderful opportunity for me but i'm so pleased he's made it and is finally back doing his job.

A big thank you to Puzzle for putting up with me and teaching me so much and to those who let me loose with their horse.

And it's making me think seriously about having my own...

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Flossie and Declan xx