Winter Warrior Series Training Videos
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Week 1 Training Video
Establishing Relaxation and Control
Focus on using your aids effectively through suppling exercises and transitions to help your horse relax, stay attentive, and build a foundation of control for the weeks ahead.
Establishing Relaxation and Control
Focus on using your aids effectively through suppling exercises and transitions to help your horse relax, stay attentive, and build a foundation of control for the weeks ahead.
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Week 2 Training Video
Control and Precision
This week builds on the calmness from Week 1 by focusing on control, responsiveness, and suppleness. Flatwork exercises like walk squares, trot serpentines with half-halts, and canter serpentines with trot changes develop precision and balance. For jumping, we’ll use "The Box" and figure-eight patterns with cavaletti to improve rhythm, straightness, and transitions, setting the foundation for more complex work ahead.
Control and Precision
This week builds on the calmness from Week 1 by focusing on control, responsiveness, and suppleness. Flatwork exercises like walk squares, trot serpentines with half-halts, and canter serpentines with trot changes develop precision and balance. For jumping, we’ll use "The Box" and figure-eight patterns with cavaletti to improve rhythm, straightness, and transitions, setting the foundation for more complex work ahead.
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Week 3 Training Video
Lateral Control
This week focuses on improving lateral balance and responsiveness through leg yields and supple bending exercises. The jumping introduces the Y-pattern, combining trot poles, cavaletti, and lateral movement to enhance rideability and control.
Lateral Control
This week focuses on improving lateral balance and responsiveness through leg yields and supple bending exercises. The jumping introduces the Y-pattern, combining trot poles, cavaletti, and lateral movement to enhance rideability and control.
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Week 4 Training Video
Engagement and Adjustability
This week focuses on improving control over stride length, balance, and responsiveness to aids. Flatwork exercises like trot rectangles with walk transitions, leg yield zig-zags, and canter spirals with leg yields help develop adjustability and engagement. Jumping exercises build on this by incorporating canter poles, and cavaletti set at adjustable distances, allowing riders to practice lengthening and shortening strides.
Engagement and Adjustability
This week focuses on improving control over stride length, balance, and responsiveness to aids. Flatwork exercises like trot rectangles with walk transitions, leg yield zig-zags, and canter spirals with leg yields help develop adjustability and engagement. Jumping exercises build on this by incorporating canter poles, and cavaletti set at adjustable distances, allowing riders to practice lengthening and shortening strides.
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Week 5 Training Video
Balance and Coordination
This week focuses on refining balance and coordination through controlled turns, transitions, and adjustability. Flatwork includes half turns on the forehand, variable-sized trot circles, and canter-trot transitions on circles to improve suppleness. Jumping exercises incorporate a bounce on the centerline, and linked S patterns to develop rhythm, balance, and rideability in turns and approaches.
Balance and Coordination
This week focuses on refining balance and coordination through controlled turns, transitions, and adjustability. Flatwork includes half turns on the forehand, variable-sized trot circles, and canter-trot transitions on circles to improve suppleness. Jumping exercises incorporate a bounce on the centerline, and linked S patterns to develop rhythm, balance, and rideability in turns and approaches.
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Week 6 Training Video
Strength and Rideability
This week focuses on improving adjustability, engagement, and control. Flatwork includes walk diagonals into free walk, trot leg yields into S-bends, and shallow canter loops to develop balance and suppleness. Jumping exercises feature a cloverleaf pattern with bending lines, encouraging responsiveness, rhythm, and smooth direction changes to refine rideability and precision.
Strength and Rideability
This week focuses on improving adjustability, engagement, and control. Flatwork includes walk diagonals into free walk, trot leg yields into S-bends, and shallow canter loops to develop balance and suppleness. Jumping exercises feature a cloverleaf pattern with bending lines, encouraging responsiveness, rhythm, and smooth direction changes to refine rideability and precision.
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Week 7 Training Video
Transitions and Balance
This week refines balance, transitions, and rideability through progressive exercises. Flatwork focuses on walk leg yield zigzags, trot teardrops into shoulder-in, and the rubber band canter exercise, improving suppleness and adjustability. Jumping incorporates trot poles in one corner, canter poles in the other, and two perpendicular fences, encouraging fluid transitions, smooth lead changes, and balanced turns within a figure-eight pattern.
Transitions and Balance
This week refines balance, transitions, and rideability through progressive exercises. Flatwork focuses on walk leg yield zigzags, trot teardrops into shoulder-in, and the rubber band canter exercise, improving suppleness and adjustability. Jumping incorporates trot poles in one corner, canter poles in the other, and two perpendicular fences, encouraging fluid transitions, smooth lead changes, and balanced turns within a figure-eight pattern.
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Week 8 Training Video
Straightness and Balance
This week refines straightness, balance, and coordination through targeted exercises. Flatwork focuses on walk leg yield zigzags and the quarterline challenge, where riders practice staying straight while adding 15m–10m trot circles and 18m–12m canter circles. Jumping features a triangle of three jumps or cavaletti on each end of the centerline, encouraging smooth lead changes, balanced turns, and fluid rideability on curved lines.
Straightness and Balance
This week refines straightness, balance, and coordination through targeted exercises. Flatwork focuses on walk leg yield zigzags and the quarterline challenge, where riders practice staying straight while adding 15m–10m trot circles and 18m–12m canter circles. Jumping features a triangle of three jumps or cavaletti on each end of the centerline, encouraging smooth lead changes, balanced turns, and fluid rideability on curved lines.
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Week 9 Training Video
Adjustability & Rideability
This week focuses on sharpening transitions, responsiveness, and control. Flatwork includes double diamond figure-eights with walk and trot transitions and “J” shaped extended canter into collected canter on a circle. Jumping features three key lines: a 5-stride related line, a 3-stride combo, and a 2-stride in the center. Riders will warm up over singles, then link the elements to practice calm, controlled rideability.
Adjustability & Rideability
This week focuses on sharpening transitions, responsiveness, and control. Flatwork includes double diamond figure-eights with walk and trot transitions and “J” shaped extended canter into collected canter on a circle. Jumping features three key lines: a 5-stride related line, a 3-stride combo, and a 2-stride in the center. Riders will warm up over singles, then link the elements to practice calm, controlled rideability.
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Week 10 Training Video
Putting It All Together
In the final week, we shift focus to preparing for show season by riding a full dressage test and a simple jump course. Flatwork centers on memorizing and practicing your chosen test with accuracy and flow. Jumping involves setting a course at your show level, riding it for rhythm and confidence, then refining key elements. It’s all about applying what you’ve built and heading into spring feeling sharp and show-ready.
Putting It All Together
In the final week, we shift focus to preparing for show season by riding a full dressage test and a simple jump course. Flatwork centers on memorizing and practicing your chosen test with accuracy and flow. Jumping involves setting a course at your show level, riding it for rhythm and confidence, then refining key elements. It’s all about applying what you’ve built and heading into spring feeling sharp and show-ready.
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