United States Eventing Association

Three Tips to Make the Most of Your Winter Riding Season

The following is provided through a partnership between STRIDER and the USEA. As part of our commitment to diversity, enabling access, and building capacity throughout the industry we are pleased to provide this content to benefit the sport of eventing.

As opportunities in eventing are heating up throughout all points south, many riders are currently staring down what may feel like a long few months of confinement to an indoor arena. The team at STRIDER has some tips and tools to keep you and your horse out of the winter doldrums (even if a southern migration isn’t an option this year).

1. Book an Outing

Be it a haul-out lesson, local schooling show, or a clinic happening within a reasonable driving distance— book it! When you hold yourself accountable to an upcoming date, you’ll find yourself a bit more motivated in your day-to-day rides.

Pro-tip: Use the search tool on STRIDER’s popular calendar to find activities happening near you. You can search by state, USEA Area, USHJA Zone, or USDF Region to find what’s coming up. Or check out Eventing Nation’s What’s Happening page, which auto-feeds from activities collecting entries on Strider.

1. Leverage Video

Get video of your schooling rides. There are a number of studies (like this one) that demonstrate how video feedback combined with coaching accelerates athletic performance. Video is a great tool to help you become more aware of your position and influence over your horse, and you’ll be grateful for the time spent reviewing video when your competition season kicks off!

Pro-tip: Invest in something like a Pivo, which is compatible with your smartphone and will auto-track your horse as he or she moves around the arena. They’re super portable and can even make virtual lessons a breeze if hauling-out is not an option for you. An added bonus is you won’t have to beg a barn buddy or your partner to video your rides!

1. Keep it Fresh

Change-up your normal routine with your horse. Add in some groundwork sessions, grid work, or cavaletti days.

Pro-tip: USEventing.com has a fantastic backlog of Grid Pro Quo articles which feature favorite exercises from top riders. They’ve even been compiled into a book available through Horse & Rider Books!

Whatever your winter season looks like we hope these tips help you and your horse make the most of it to prepare for the rest of your 2024.

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