Whether you’re riding in your back paddock, a quiet arena, or a field with a view, riding alone can feel both empowering and… well, a tad overwhelming! Without an instructor or trainer on the ground beside you, having a goal to improve your riding can seem light years away. And second-guessing yourself can become the default way of training! That or noticing all too late that you’ve fallen back into old habits…
But, you know what? You can improve your riding when you’re working alone. And sometimes, those breakthroughs come faster than you think when you learn to trust yourself, observe more, and ride with intention.
In this post, I’m sharing 5 simple but powerful strategies to help you improve your riding even when you don’t have someone guiding you from the ground. These are tools I’ve used myself, and ones that I have encouraged riders I train online inside of Daily Strides Premium to do regularly. In fact, I’ve watched hundreds of riders transform their progress when they begin including just a few of these shifts to their regular riding…
1. Ride with a Plan
One of the biggest traps that you can fall into as a rider working alone to improve your riding is to consistently just get on and “see what happens.” The wandering warm-up blurs into random transitions. Your track, if we could get it on paper, looks like a random bowl of spaghetti as you noodle around the arena aimlessly! Yeah sure, every now and then you will ride an intentional circle or two (which end up looking like the plate on your ‘map’… And then, when you feel you’ve wandered enough, you halt, dismount, and feel very unsure of whether anything actually improved! Sound familiar?
A riding session without a plan often turns into wasted time. Even a simple 5-minute plan can create structure, direction, and progress. The key here is to work on something that leads you to your ‘bigger’, longer term goal.
Here’s how to keep it simple. Pick one focus for the ride: rhythm, responsiveness, straightness, accuracy, relaxation… Make sure that this focus is in alignment with what you actually want to make happen in the longer term with your horse. Then choose 1 or 2 specific exercises you can use to develop that focus – and bring you and your horse ‘back on track’ if you find yourself wandering.
If you tend to lose track in the middle of the ride, often jotting it down on your phone or a post-it note before you ride will help you remain committed and keep it front of mind. Then working on this in smaller chunks throughout the ride. Small, quality pieces of work to get you and your horse moving forward is the goal here :)
Even a five-minute plan can change how present and effective you are in the saddle. Quality over quantity is the key to making this work. It’s the repeated focused intention that will allow you to begin seeing the results you want.
Having a clear riding plan is one of the fastest ways to improve your riding, especially when you’re training without an instructor.
2. Talk Yourself Through the Ride
Being able to relax and just let your mind wander when you ride is lovely, as a treat. Trust me, the novelty of this approach soon begins to wear off for most riders! And yet, if you’re working alone, you might find that you’ve developed a bit of a habit of ‘zoning out’. You know, going through the motions without much mental engagement. But there is a REALLY simple way to begin changing this…
Talk to yourself. Out loud or in your head. Give yourself the same verbal reminders an instructor, trainer (or I) might if I were there with you in the arena.
For example: “Inside leg to outside rein.”, “Prepare the transition.”, or “Half halt… rebalance… and move forward again.”. This internal (or spoken) dialogue keeps your focus sharp. It anchors you in the moment. And it makes you more aware of what’s really happening. Not just what you hope is happening!
So many riders who listen to this podcast, or are a part of Daily Strides Premium, say that they can ‘hear’ me in their head when they ride. Audio horse riding lessons work great like that ;)
However, if you don’t have anyone to imagine or ‘listen’ to, record a short voice memo before you ride. Then, as you’re walking into the arena (or tacking up) play it to yourself so that you can mentally prepare and ‘see’ the ride and how you want it to play out.
3. Use Visual Markers in the Arena
This is a BIG one that I am constantly harping on about to riders! If you don’t have anything to help you stay on track, literally, you WILL wander! And, let’s be honest, when you’re working alone, it’s easy to cut corners; literally and figuratively! That’s where a) marking out an arena of sorts for yourself and b) setting up a couple of arena markers come in.
Place cones, poles, buckets, or even old feed bags around your riding space to help you measure things like how accurate your circles REALLY are, or if you really made the centre line, or were just wandering randomly! They will also help to develop straightness, keep you aligned, prevent you ‘drifting’… And they are amazing for holding yourself accountable when it comes to timing and responsiveness.
You don’t need an Olympic-sized arena to do this. Create a smaller ‘enclosed space’ in a paddock and get going with your training today. This can absolutely change the game for riders and horses; trust me!
Visual feedback keeps you honest. You either did or you didn’t. It’s an amazing way to improve your riding and your horse’s training when you’re working alone. Simply (and so often inexpensively) adding a bit of structure to your riding space will help you add structure to your ride as well.
4. Record Yourself Riding (Even Once a Week)
Okay, this one is so powerful, but it can feel a lot intimidating, especially at the beginning. There’s something about watching yourself doing something with the sole purpose of being ‘critical’ that can do that to a person! But if you’re serious about wanting to improve your riding, video is one of the best tools you can use.
You don’t need fancy equipment. A smartphone on a fence post. Or, if you want to up it a notch, a tripod with a basic tracking app. You can use a tool like Pivo (which I’ll be diving into next week on the podcast!)
The key is this: Your mindset going into your ‘review’ will determine your results and what you get out of it… Don’t aim for perfection. Don’t pick apart every flaw. Watch with curiosity. Leave the emotion out of the picture!
Ask yourself, ‘What do I see here?’, ‘Can this be improved?’, ‘What’s working?’, ‘What looks a little too wobbly or inconsistent?’. Video gives you honest, immediate feedback. That is something you’re missing when you’re riding alone. And, with a focus on making small improvements, rather than being ‘perfect’, it will 100% work.
A great question to ask yourself is “What did I think I was doing vs. what’s actually happening?” So often, how we ‘feel’ things are going when we ride is actually very different from what’s actually going on! Video will help with that.
In next week’s episode, I’ll share how to use video without feeling awkward or overwhelmed, and why it’s one of the most powerful ways to improve your riding long-term. Especially useful if you’re working regularly without an instructor or trainer.
5. Reflect After Every Ride
This is one that almost ALL riders are missing out on. It’s so simple to do. After all, you’re already doing the work. Let’s make it count. Get some way you can consistently keep track of each of your sessions, so you can quickly recap when doing your weekly or fortnightly riding reviews (another thing we are PASSIONATE about inside of Daily Strides Premium ;) )
After each ride, take just 3 minutes to answer these questions: What worked today? What didn’t work as well?What will I focus on next time?
You can journal it, type it into your notes app, or use Evernote. If you’re not a writer or into writing, you can speak it into your phone and record it as a voice note. You can even message a riding buddy with your recap. I love Telegram or Voxer for both of the above, as you can have your own ‘personal’ channel or a private chat with friends…
The point is, by recapping as soon as possible after you dismount, you are now turning each ride into a training session. And creating a feedback loop for yourself, just like if you were working with an instructor or trainer in the arena.
Reflection reinforces your progress. It helps you remember wins. It also lets you spot patterns. Maybe your horse always stiffens in one direction, or you tend to lose energy halfway through your ride. All of this counts. This isn’t just “woo.” It’s training awareness. And it’s how riders who work alone start making consistent, meaningful progress.
So, just like you would when you finish a ‘real’ lesson or training, begin incorporating this into your own ‘solo’ rides as well. Reflecting after your ride is a proven method to improve your riding and develop greater self-awareness as a rider.
You Can Improve Your Riding Without an Instructor or Trainer
I get it. We have been conditioned from a young age that we need a teacher or a guide to show us the ropes. And, I absolutely 100% believe that if this is possible, do this. BUT, I am also very aware that so many riders don’t have this luxury due to circumstances or limitations.
And while your progress might not be as fast when working alone, progress is possible – if you set things up to work in your favour…
You can make massive progress when you ride with:
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- Clarity (a focus, intention, or plan)
- Presence (mental narration – either someone else or your own)
- Accuracy (an enclosed space & markers)
- Feedback (record yourself and review it regularly)
- Reflection (a few minutes post-ride, so you can begin seeing patterns)
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And here’s the secret; working alone actually helps you build your sense of responsibility. You stop outsourcing your progress and start owning it. And when you do that? You don’t just improve your riding, you become a better horseperson.
Happy Riding
Lorna
Want More Help?
Daily Strides Premium is here for riders facing this exact situation. Audio horse riding lessons to use with your horse, weekly LIVE virtual group horse riding lessons, fortnightly Review and Planning co-working sessions, Live Q&A’s and all the support you need to make every ride great. You can get all the details and get on a lesson TODAY over HERE
Topics Similar to Today’s
Online Training to Help Your Riding
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- Upcoming ‘From Passenger to Rider’ Webinar Waitlist
- Daily Strides Premium – Audio Horse Riding Lessons for Riders
- Information on Virtual Horse Riding Lessons
- Pivo Motion Tracking Software (*affiliate link for 10% off your purchase)
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Connect with Lorna online:-
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- Connect in the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/dailystridespodcast
- Connect in the Virtual Stable Lounge Private Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1499737810323191
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