50 / HorseandRider.com
The mental part of
riding is just as important
as the physical part. Having
a plan before you get in the
saddle helps you and your
horse have a productive
riding session, whether
your goal is to improve on
basic horsemanship skills
or be successful in the
show pen.
Some days, your riding
objective will include
letting your horse relax,
which might involve an
easy riding session in the
arena or going for a leisure-
ly trail ride, while other
days your objective will be
more specific to help you
prepare for a competition.
Regardless of what your
end goal is, it’s good to plan
your ride before you even
step foot in the arena.Before you throw
your leg over the
saddle, come up with
a game plan of what
your riding session is
going to look like.Ride&TrainPlan Your Ride
WINNING INSIGHTS BY BUD LYON, WITH NICHOLE CHIRICO
Aim for
ImprovementOnce you know what your
end goal is, it’s time to
come up with a day-to-
day riding objective. To
avoid overwhelming your
horse, try to simplify your
objective and work on
one piece at a time. Some
days, it might include
working on a certain
maneuver, while other
days might involve a light
exercise session. However,
try to aim for one percent
of improvement at the
end of each ride.
Even if you never plan
to step foot in the show
pen, it’s good to create
reachable goals to help
you improve as a rider.Good horsemanship skills
are important no mat-
ter what discipline you
partake in, and by making
slight improvements each
ride, your horse stays in a
good mind-set, creating a
better riding experience
for everyone.
It should also be noted
that if you have multiple
horses you’re riding, you
need to treat each horse
individually, and tailor
your riding program to fit
each horse’s needs, which
means you might have to
come up with separate
game plans and riding
objectives for each horse.
It doesn’t matter if your
end goal is the same for
all of your horses; they’ll
have different strengths
and weaknesses andCreating a game plan helps you have a productive riding session, whether you’re preparing for an event or
trying to improve on basic horsemanship skills.Bud Lyon, Tioga, Texas,
has experienced great
success at all levels in his
horse-showing career, from
youth to open. Along with
training open horses, he
takes pride in coaching
amateur and youth riders
to achieve their goals. His
coaching and communica-
tion abilities make him a
sought-after clinician for his
areas of focus—reining and
ranch riding. Learn more at
budlyonperformancehorses
.com.
TOP^
PHOTO^BYNICHOLECHIRICO;^ BIOP
HOTOB
Y^
MALLORY^
BEINBORN