What's Inside
Search the Site
Tip/Quote of the Day # 244
Remember to take advantage of any hills you may have to build your horse into a stronger athlete. Progressive hillwork done several times a week, with days in between for muscle recovery, will build your horse up to a peak level of strength... which of course will make his job easier for him.
Did you enjoy this article? If so, please share with your friends! Look for the share buttons on the far right side of the page. Thank you!
Related Articles:
- Tip/Quote of the day # 3259
- How to Build Strength in Your Horse's Canter
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3248
- Help to Ensure That Your Horse LIKES His or Her Job!
- Training and Conditioning the Young Event Horse
- Question # 293: So I'm bringing along a young horse. I have been trying to go slow with him, keep jumps small while he grows. He's in his five year old year now. My question is, what is a good guideline for heights you should be jumping at certain ages?
- Keeping the Older Horse Going Strong
- Question # 206: I know that walking up and down hills increases hind end strength, and I have seen a big benefit from walking hills. What are the benefits from trotting up or down hills, and how much of each gait should I mix in when doing hills? (Sharon)
- A Trainer's Responsibility! (That's YOU!) (Current Freebie!)
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1483
- Question # 263: I am riding an OTTB with a limited amount of back muscle. What are some exercises I can do with him to help build it? (Suzanne)
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2823
- Signs That Your Performance Horse Might Be Sore
- Question # 299: My OTTB was recently diagnosed with some major back pain associated with saddle fit (I guess two different saddle fitters looking at it 4 different times wasn't enough!)....
- Question # 298: Your tip of the day about the walk made me think about this question.... I have a nice warmblood mare that I have started and I am only doing exercises in the walk for the first year on her back to give her time to grow...
- Question # 144: I have a question about riding my horse down hills.
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 67
- Video # 41: This is Laura!
- Question # 333: Kayla has a question about core/ab exercises for her horse.
- Introducing the Counter Canter
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3757
- Question # 284: While conditioning work is best done in the open with varying terrain, not everyone has access to the amount of open space, or open space with the right terrain or footing to do their conditioning rides...
- Question # 273: I'm wondering if you have any favorite exercises for strengthening a horse's back and building topline?
- Question # 163: Johnny gets to begin real work again soon following a tie-back procedure. My vet advised me to "take it slow." I've been riding him at the walk to keep up at least some of his back muscling.
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3279
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2121
- Question # 246: I was wondering what your favorite exercises are to work on rhythm at the canter? My trainer says my horse is the horse of a million canters, and this especially comes through over fences...
- Maat's Blog Post # 1: Using Trot Lengthenings to Improve Your Training
- Interval Training For Conditioning the Event Horse
- The Crest Release, the Automatic Release, and Everything In Between (With Pictures!)
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1592
- Question # 223: What are some exercises to strengthen stifles aside from hill work? (Vita)
- Improving the Trot
- Question # 165: I was hoping you could give me an outline of a training program to use for the lower levels of eventing, and also a bit of a guide as to how, and at what levels of competition, the training program should change, as we move up the levels.
- An Exercise to Help Your Horse With Trot Lengthenings
- Making Good Use of Limited Riding Time
- Question # 73: Since we don't have access to hills, could you describe a progressive program for developing hind end strength with cavaletti? (Lynda)
- Field Dressage
- Question # 61: Could you give me some advice on conditioning goals for each week for getting Henry in shape for the Novice Long Format Three Day Event?
- Lisa's Blog post # 42
- Behind the Bit VS Behind the Vertical
- Video # 74: This is Jen on her young horse!
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1834
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4031
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3053
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2337
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1979
- How to Keep Your Horses SOUND!
- Engagement
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3783
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3297
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3265
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2851
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2434
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2205
- An Advanced Trot Pole Exercise to Improve Suppleness, Strength, and Rideability
- Question # 304: So I have recently acquired an off track standardbred pacer. We are in the works of trotting only, and not pacing, before we even attempt the canter. The plan is for him to event lower level...
- Question # 277: I would like advice on how to get comfortable switching from longer Dressage seat stirrups to Stadium and XC short stirrups as a middle aged working amateur rider?
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3542
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2934
- Dr. Haefner's Blog post # 4: Are You Ready to Learn?
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1558
- Video Discussion # 95: This video gives some good tips on how to keep your hard working horse's joints happy and healthy!
- Discussion # 145: Stiff vs athletic movement
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 551
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 357
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 57
- Shannon's Blog post # 5: The Mental Obstacle Course of Riding
- Photo # 32: This is Ramona!
- Conformation Discussion # 3
- Discussion # 3: What do the words "athletic" and "scopey" mean to you?
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4078
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3263
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2161
- Question # 339: Kayla has another question about how to stay with her horse's motion over jumps.
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1063
- Different Half Halts For Different Situations
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 712
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 668
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 227
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2745
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1530
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1278
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1020
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 72
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4391
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4132
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4026
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3314
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3272
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3191
- Making the Best Use of the Terrain on Cross Country
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 691
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 681
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 343
- Question # 82: So over the last few months I've come to appreciate that we need to practice full SJ courses.
- Discussion # 30: How would you ride this fence?
- Downhill Jumps
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2636
- Video # 47: This is Kayla on a 3 year old TB, doing Intro Test B!
- The Busy Mouthed Horse
- Question # 51: I am wondering what the appropriate body position is for trotting uphill.
- Lisa's Blog post # 45
- Strength Training for the Equine Athlete
- Question # 45: We rescued an Arab mix pony last year. She is nervous and a bit high strung/quick in all her gaits. She is one of the most unbalanced horses I've ever ridden, leaning heavily on her shoulders and not engaged behind.
- Pushing Power VS Carrying Power in the Horse's Hind Legs
- Lisa's Blog post # 2
- Conditioning For Soundness
- Question # 10: How about some winter training tips? How often should they be worked over the winter months, how cold is too cold to jump, do horses benefit from time off over the winter and how much? (Sarah)
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4376
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4357
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4281
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3603
- Monitor Your Horse's Stress Levels, For Best Results in Training
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3214
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2439
- Video # 315 and Question # 340: Kaley has a question (with video), about his horse's jumping form, and whether or not his horse might still have upper level potential, despite the form he shows now as a green horse.
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1355
- Brianna's Blog Post # 16
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1266
- Photo # 68: Hailey would like a conformation critique for her horse, a 16.2 hand Appendix!
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 739
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 728
- Question # 251: I’ve read your posts and seen some of your videos of you and Felix in the early days, his tantrums, etc. And I think you recently said they continued for seven years. My question is what made you not give up on him?
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 639
- The Problems in the Eventing World Today! (written in 2014) (Current freebie!)
- Firn's Blog Post # 7
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 514
- Caroline's Blog Post # 2
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 226
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 28
- Question # 23: If you do not have easy access to hills, would it be possible to use poles and/or cavaletti to build up your horse's back and hindquarters' muscles and strength?
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4307
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2679
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2193
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2117
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1739
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1075
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 840
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 219
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 112
- Jumping on an Angle
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4475
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4468
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4461
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4383
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4364
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4332
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4234
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4196
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4191
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4153
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4136
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4119
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 4071
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3831
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3808
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3643
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3634
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3583
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3509
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3463
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3319
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3268
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3181
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3071
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2999
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2874
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2831
- An Exercise to Help You to Find Your Abdominal Muscles When in the Saddle
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2673
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2607
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2551
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2532
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2509
- An Exercise to Rev Your Horse’s Motor - Building Impulsion & Hind Leg Engagement
- Video # 320: This is Bridget, and her 20 year old horse who hasn't done this in quite a while!
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2484
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2481
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2475
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2316
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2294
- Advanced Trot Pole Exercise # 3
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2120
- All About the Volte!
- Question # 343: Kayla has a question about her horse hollowing and tossing his head in his canter transitions.
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1947
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1894
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1865
- How Your Driving Habits Relate to Your Riding Habits
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1829
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1826
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1784
- Question # 334: Kayla has a question about how to go about training the horse to do the more difficult lateral movements that require the horse to move in the direction of the bend.
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1757
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1745
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1626
- Question # 319: Question about your advice to do lots of transitions back and forth from trot to canter to loosen up a horse's back...
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1609
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1534
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1316
- HOW to Use the Turn Into Each Jump to Balance Your Horse
- The Function of the Rider’s Elbow Joints
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1233
- Question # 301: Do you have any advice, suggestions for us older riders that suffer from chronic back & hip issues? I feel I am well past my peak as a competitive rider and as I age I lose more and more "ability." Help. Please. (Nancy)
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1171
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1132
- Nose to the Wall Leg Yield
- The Corridor of Aids
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1095
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1066
- Could YOU Jump a Fence That Fell Out of the Sky and Landed Three Strides in Front of You as You Canter or Gallop Along??
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1033
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 960
- Video Discussion # 90: This video shows the various lateral movements in detail, and demonstrates the great exercise of transitions back and forth between shoulder in and renvers.
- Adding More *Scope* to Your Lateral Work - For Better Dressage Scores!
- Question # 275: My little quarter horse mare likes to tilt her nose to the left at the trot and canter when working indoors...
- Discussion # 140: Let's discuss the very common problem of "one sidedness" in the horse!
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 881
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 870
- Question # 267: My horse used to be a very bold and confident jumper. We competed to Training level very successfully. Then I took a year off because I had a baby. And now that I am back to riding, I feel like I have a different horse....
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 811
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 795
- Discussion # 132: What does this rider need to work on?
- Does Your Horse Try to Pull You Out of the Saddle?
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 708
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 692
- Question # 254: At what level would a turn on the forehand show up on a dressage test? (Julie)
- Tall and Short Rider Problems!
- Bringing a Horse Back Into Work After Illness or Injury
- Question # 249: I have a 5 year old OTTB in training for a client. He's got a great mind but is only vaguely aware he has 4 legs, and he would live on the forehand if I'd stop pestering him about it...
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 596
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 575
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 565
- Question # 245: A recent comment from a Dressage judge on my First level test was "wide behind". I have no idea what this means… unless they were saying that I have a wide behind (which is possible, but not relevant to Dressage I wouldn't think)
- Question # 240: What's your thought on whether or not to give a horse a yearly break and pulling shoes? (Amy)
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 466
- Question # 227: My horse is an “energy conservationist.” Out on cross-country or in the stadium ring, he is inspired to be reasonably forward and balanced. In the dressage ring? Not so much. The current struggle is canter quality...
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 409
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 390
- On Riding Goals!
- What To Do When You Are Stuck in a Rut With Your Riding (Current Freebie!)
- Question # 220: My new horse (who I have had for just a month) has started to grind his teeth when I ride him. Not all the time, but usually near the end of the ride, and mostly during dressage rides...
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 366
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 308
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 296
- The Ultimate Rider Leg Strengthening Exercise!
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 241
- Question # 179: How much weight should you have in your stirrups? (Kim)
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 240
- Photo # 54: This is Kayla schooling a drop fence!
- The Short Backed Horse
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 162
- Question # 160: In the last week my horse has started to 'lean' on the left rein going both directions, it feels like he is fighting me. He will bend both ways and I still feel the weight he puts on the rein. What can I do to fix this problem? (Beca)
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 138
- Stirrup Length for Jumping
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 56
- The Fringe Eventer blog post # 4
- Video # 46: This is Jen on cross country!
- Video # 36: Kayla has a question about how to help her horse get back to the same form she had pre injury.
- Build a Strong Lower Leg!
- Question # 107: The lovely friesian I ride, Rhett, and I are having some troubles getting the leg yield together.
- Question # 98: HOW do I do what you said about using core/back rather than tiring out arms shoulders? Literally, do I let my arms extend, then use my back, or lean back more (water ski)? (Andi)
- An Exercise to Show You How to Control Your Strong Horse Without Pulling
- Question # 92: I'm having a hard time getting a canter to walk on Fleck without trot steps or having to be too hard with my aids.
- Dressage With the Croup High Horse
- Question # 84: I've been working with a somewhat-green OTTB mare for about 2 months. Originally she was VERY on the forehand and heavy in the bit.
- Horses That Swap Out Leads Behind at the Canter
- Discussion # 5: Great quote from dressage rider Katherine Bateson-Chandler -
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 3130
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2850
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 2387
- Question # 314 and Video # 99: This is Susanne!
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 1160
- Horses that Tilt Their Head in Dressage
- Question # 296: I have a question about "bitting up" versus moving up....
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 749
- Improve Your Ability to Sink Into Your Heels
- Tip/Quote of the Day # 283
- Keep Your Aids Dynamic
- Question # 115: I am training my young horse myself. He is a 17.2 hand Oldenburg gelding, just turning 5. Last summer I did some basic flatwork and hacking with him, and he did great!






