How to Plan Your Ride

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#trainingscale #dressagetraining #planyourride
Have you ever wondered what should you be working on during your rides? The Training Scale is the tool for you! I use the Training Scale to plan every single ride - whether I'm on a 4-year old or a Grand Prix Horse!
Most of the time you spend in the saddle should be spent focusing on the base of the Training Scale: rhythm, suppleness, and connection. Even with my Grand Prix horse, I focus on these three levels of the scale for the majority of my ride because without them, it is impossible to perform ANY movement.
You must establish rhythm, suppleness, and connection before you move on to collection (movements like shoulder-in, walk-canter transitions, flying changes, etc.). You should also keep them in mind throughout your entire ride!
A couple great exercises I like to work on to focus on the base of the Training Scale are:
· 20m Circles Counting the Rhythm - Try making one 20m circle at each end of the arena and at each mid-point (at A, E, B, and C). As you’re riding, count each stride to make your horse is going at a consistent tempo. Circles are great for both mental and physical suppleness. Mentally, they give the horse something to focus on. Physically, they help get your horse bending through their body. As you are riding, you really have to focus on bending your horse around your inside leg. When you’re bending, the aids should be inside leg on at the girth moving your horse into the outside rein, and outside leg slightly behind the girth to “catch” your horse.
· Trot-Canter-Trot Transitions - This is a great exercise to work on connection. When your horse has good connection, they are accepting the rein and leg, listening to your aids, and accepting the bit. With that in mind, you really want to have fluid transitions from trot to canter. It’s important to still keep rhythm and suppleness in mind as well. When I’m riding this exercise, I want to feel that my horse is elastic (suppleness) and transitions from a clear two-beat trot to a three-beat canter (rhythm). If you aren’t cantering yet, you can still focus on these same things with walk-trot-walk transitions!
After working on rhythm, suppleness, and connection, then you can move on to higher aspects of the Training Scale like straightness and collection. I like to work on shoulder-in and haunches-in to focus on straightness and a bit of collection. In a corner before the long side, try riding a 10m circle to set up bend for shoulder-in, and then another 10m circle at E or B, transitioning to haunches-in out of the circle.
If you have a young or green horse, more than likely your entire ride is focused on the base of the Training Scale. And that is okay! Each ride you should focus on what your horse needs and what parts of the Trainings Scale will most help you for that ride. There are days where I just need to focus on the basics too!
Don’t forget to RSVP for my FREE Training Scale Webinar happening on Sunday, June 25th, 2023, at 12:00 noon PT. We are going to be talking all about the Training Scale, how to plan your ride, resolve training issues, and more! RSVP here: amelianewcombdressage.com/fre...
I hope these tips help you plan you rides and give you an idea of what you should be working on with your horse!
Happy Riding!
Amelia
P.S. Click here to download a FREE PDF on the Training Scale: amelianewcombdressage.com/pla...

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Come to my webinar this weekend: amelianewcombdressage.com/free-training-scale-webinar/

[@jasonashley6748]

This woman is Amazing, she actually breaks it down to fully understand!! ❤

[@suzanneyorkville]

I had heard about the training scale a long time ago but it went over my head and I did not connect the dots. But recently I listened to a training scale video and put it to work. Well......my horse used to have a lot of resistance going forward. I just focused on rhythm and then everything fell into place. She is very forward now, no longer mincey. Her stride is lovely. The training scale has been a game changer for us.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

That makes me so happy to hear! The Training Scale is really the key to progress. Have you RSVP'd to my free webinar this weekend? I think you'd love it: amelianewcombdressage.com/free-training-scale-webinar/

[@suzanneyorkville]

@@AmeliaNewcombDressage thank you. I have saved my seat

[@cdesserich7509]

I never really know what I should focus on when I ride so this gave me a great guide!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Awesome!

[@spaziocasainterioare1656]

Finally I can see I miss a video LOL Thank you so much!!!!!!! I meant that I saw all the videos you did for us but this one I missed it!!! Great one!! Thank you!!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

You are so welcome!

[@lynnestruck]

I Trainings Scale is so, so important! So few people even realize that it’s the basis for everything in dressage. Thank you so much for the informative video! I am sending this to a number of my students.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

That makes me so happy to hear that you're sharing it!

[@joelbailey1595]

Great informative video. Reminder on starting your ride the right way. Thanks Amelia

[@pkchateau8654]

Thank you so much for this video! I am already a member of Strides and registered for the Webinar, but I really enjoyed this reminder that the training scale is helpful for planning goals for an individual lesson as well as the life-long training progression from green horse forward!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

[@lindaclark1421]

Thanks Amelia really appreciate this video. Using the training scale to warm up has been a ‘light bulb’ moment for me. More of the same ie using the training scale within the ride/lesson. Linda Clark 😊

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

I'm so glad it helped you Linda! Have you RSVP'd for my free webinar on the training scale this weekend? amelianewcombdressage.com/free-training-scale-webinar/

[@helengauperaa4319]

I've not come across a working example of this before, how to apply the scale like this. It was so insightful, thank you so much for this. I have signed up for the webinar!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

You're very welcome! You're going to love the webinar! See you sunday!

[@cherisesingh426]

Thanks so much for your video. Im currently trying to get my circles better 😅

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

haha we're all on that stage! Have you saved your seat for my free webinar this weekend? amelianewcombdressage.com/free-training-scale-webinar/

[@fatima8798]

❤

[@Clarke_Girls]

Brilliant video thank you! Ive been working my horse now for a year, hes only 5 but still he seems to get nowhere! 😂 My main problem is he trots very fast and if i try to slow it he falls horribly behind the bit. So i push him forward and he trots like a standardbred😂. With his head in the air! Please help. I really would like a steady trot whilst him pushing the bit forward?

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Great question! Remember that contact and connection come after rhythm and suppleness on the training scale, so it's more important to prioritize those elements first. Are you coming to my free webinar on the training scale? I'm going over problem solving just like this, would love to have you there. amelianewcombdressage.com/free-training-scale-webinar/

[@Clarke_Girls]

@@AmeliaNewcombDressage yes will definitely be there thank you!!

[@milkmaid4077]

I really wish students would accept this concept. But I find so often their whole goal is canter, canter, canter and lateral work.... (shakes hed and sighs) So commonly heard, "why do I have to do so many circles?, why so many transitions? I just want to get to the canter....

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Tell them to come to my free webinar! I go over why and how it works! amelianewcombdressage.com/free-training-scale-webinar/

[@orsolyafrank573]

Amelia, this is super helpful, as are indeed all your videos. Yet there is something really silly I still struggle with, even though I am not a beginner: in the canter if my seat is glued to the saddle and I follow the motion - my ankles will come up and I lose my stirrps; or if I keep my stirrups and my legs are long, my waist turns stiff and I get to stand up or bounce. It is either , or. Either I am correct below the knee or above, but I can't co-ordinate the two sections. Any ideas? I know it sounds like really silly beginner stuff, but there is no helping the fact that I still have this problem. (Sometimes, and at other times some inspiration takes me, particularly when I am out on the trail... and then it is gone again...) Any tips or ideas? Thank you so much!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

I have a whole free course on the canter that I think will help you better understand and address this with videos and explanations (rather than me writing you an essay). amelianewcombdressage.com/canter-with-confidence-o/

[@catroy210]

I have a mare who travels like this horse… wants to over flex at the pole and come behind the bit. You mention that in this video, but can you talk about that in another video? My instructor has me bump her forward from leg (or stick if she doesn’t show a change in moving forward) or lengthen the stride in the gait.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

I do! Try this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKCnZ4Rtpr5lh8U and then you should come to my free webinar this weekend, I go into it in more detail! amelianewcombdressage.com/canter-with-confidence-o/