Ideas to get you going in 2023

23 Jan Ideas to get you going in 2023

It’s that time of year.

The arena has been frozen for at least a week. The livery yard owner is up to their eyeballs in mud and has kicked half the yard off. Your blood turned to solid Gordon’s gin (other brands accepted) in December and you’re now on a detox. 

We agree January is tough for us all. So here are some ideas on things to plan and get you going this cold wet first month of 2023. Some you may already know and some may just be a reminder to go have some fun with our four-legged friends.

1. Sign up for an online dressage test

Online dressage has grown from strength to strength in recent years, taking away the need for transport to compete in monthly classes, leagues, and championships. There are several options available but we love the E-Riders Eventing using tests from BE  and Dressage Anywhere.

The perfect way to improve those dressage scores over the winter months and set quantifiable goals for winter.

E-Riders:- https://www.e-riders.co.uk/

Dressage Anywhere:- https://dressageanywhere.com/

2. Join a local riding club

Want discounted lessons and a fun, friendly way to train? Then investigating riding clubs in your area may be for you. British Eventing are also offering a great discount this season for British Riding Club members.

There are also opportunities to compete as a team in a number of disciplines if that’s your thing!

To find out more check out- https://www.bhs.org.uk/british-riding-clubs/find-a-british-riding-club/

3. Sign up for a spring training camp

Camps are so much fun. It’s a fantastic opportunity to improve your riding, meet new people and spend quality time with your horse. Some of our favourite facilities in Scotland that run weekend-long camps include Greenfields of Avondale, Auchlishie Eventing & Lindores Equestrian.

4. Go to the beach with friends

Nothing better than a good gallop along the sand with a friend in tow! Please check at least one of you has brakes (ideally both of you wearing a body protector because we know what you lot are like?!)

5. Do a BHS Ride Out 

The BHS’s Ride Out UK (ROUK) campaign celebrates the joys of riding out in our beautiful countryside, as well as raising awareness of the great work they do to protect and extend safe places to ride and carriage drive off-road.

You can find out more about ride out dates here:- https://www.bhs.org.uk/support-us/our-campaigns/ride-out-uk/

6. Arrange a pole work night

Whether alone or with friends, having a day or two’s pole work a week is a great way to change things up. It’s useful for working on balance, control and steering. 

A simple exercise for straightness can be to set three coloured poles in a row and aim for a certain colour each time up the long side of the arena.