Your Favorite Gymnastic Exercises

Bringing my event horse back into shape after a layoff due to Lyme.... He's like a different horse now and has been back u/s for two months - trail riding, schooling dressage, schooling cavaletti and low fences.

However my horse has always benefited from gymnastic exercises and I'm looking to make him stronger.

Any recommendations of gymanstic exercises that has built your horse's strength and jumping muscles back up? Not necessarily looking for gymanstics for "teaching" roundness, etc... just good exercises for strenthening over-all....

I have quite a few that I use and like but would like some more ideas to vary the routine a little! Thanks.

I love gymnastics!

Trot pole, (vertical)(one stride)(oxer)- usually what I start horses with

(vertical)(one stride)(vertical)(two stride)(oxer) -one of the easier ones

(verticle)(one stride)(oxer)(one stride)(vertical)- a little more difficult

(bounce)(bounce)(bounce) - harder still

(bounce)(bounce)(one stride)(bounce)(bounce)(bounce) -can be ridden both ways

Or any variation of the above!

^Pretty much most of those. They are fun!!

Yes, those are the ones I like to use too! :) Bounces make my horse work - which he needs to do.... Haha.

I've been doing a lot of cavaletti exercises for suppling him up since he's rather stiff to the left too.

I like starting off with bounces.

Trot pole to x-rail-bounce-vertical-one stride to verticle

Trot pole to x-rail-bounce-vertical-onestride to verticle-two stride to oxer.

You continue to add on stride then slow down and decrease. The next exercise goes down from 1 stride to a 2 stride down to a 1 stride. Force horse and rider to collect again.

I got this great book 101 Jumping Exercises...its fantastic! I found it on amazon.com for $10