How to Successfully Gymnastize Your Horse! - Exercises, Insights and Tips from Professionals

The great thing about gymnastics is that we can all do it. Regardless of whether you're a dressage rider or a show jumper, you prefer to work with your horse from the ground or you like to go cross-country- you can incorporate exercises everywhere. You don't believe that? Well then let yourself be inspired.

Why is gymnastics important for horses?

What is all this good for anyway? Why should I gymnasticize my horse?
Apart from the fact that it is a lot of fun to sit on a loose and permeable horse, it is essential for its health.
We strengthen the horse's body, make sure that everything is well supplied with blood and thus promote its well-being and general condition. People who do sport are fitter, less susceptible to illness and also to issues that unfortunately occur more frequently in old age, such as osteoarthritis
can be prevented.

At the end of the day, we all have the same goal: we want our horses to be healthy and fit, to have fun with us and to be by our side for a long time. There are certainly many ways to support them, from feed to training to physio and co.
All of these have their justification, but one component rarely leads to a complete result.
The food cannot muscle building without proper and optimal training, and treatment by a physiotherapist has never made an Olympic champion.
But if we combine and coordinate everything, then we should be well on the way to giving our horse a great, long life! 

The importance of gymnastics for horses

But before we go into detail, let’s consider what we want to achieve with gymnastic training. We aim for a horse that moves freely and relaxed, arches its back, swings elastically, uses its hindquarters effectively, steps underneath itself, "carries" itself, and enjoys the work.
The muscles should engage and relax, allowing the horse to move easily, making riding effortless. None of us want our horse to be stiff, tense, or to become rigid during the session, whether from the ground or in the saddle.

However, we must not forget that working "with the horse" involves two participants—the horse and ourselves. If we are tense and stiff, we cannot expect the opposite from our horse. So, we need to be relaxed, open, focused on our horse, blocking out the surroundings, and concentrating entirely on the work between us both. This is precisely what we ask of our horse.

Correct warm-up before gymnastic exercises

We can start with gymnastic training even during the relaxation phase. There is walking and actual walking. I can sit on my horse with the reins in one hand, my phone in the other, looking at posts and stories on Instagram, while also checking a few emails and responding to my friends' voice messages on WhatsApp.

However, I can also consciously sit on my horse or lead it at a walk and focus on how it feels today, whether it appears relaxed and attentive to me, or if it seems more nervous and distracted. 

Regardless of the impression, I try to engage it and maintain or gain its attention. So I can ride in walk on a long rein, keeping a light connection, and drive each step alternately. As in further work, I already start here with various figures of movement, letting my horse step over, encouraging it to walk more actively, and bringing it back to a collected state. I occasionally include a transition to halt ride a bit of shoulder-in, allow for leg yielding, and want it to be soft to my aids. 

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These are all ways of warming up your horse optimally and using its muscles. The more I work and gymnasticize my horse in walk, the less "work" I have to do in the other gaits. 

The more transitions I ride, both between gaits and within the gaits themselves—meaning tempo transitions -the more my horse must use its hindquarters, step underneath itself, arch its back, and lower its neck. 

Additionally, while riding, you can regularly incorporate the "giving the reins" exercise to help the horse lengthen, stretch, and maintain its relaxation.

For all pole jugglers and those who want "more".

If you are ambitious when it comes to jumping or enjoy working with poles, you can also integrate poles or smaller jumps into your work.
Trot and canter poles, both on the straight line and on the curved line (circle, serpentine line...) help to arch the back and allow the horse to step energetically. It also promotes the activity of the hindquarters and helps them to absorb power on the one hand, but also to strengthen the muscles in the long term.

If you want to go more in the direction of jumping, you can not only lay poles but also use cavaletti and small crosses and practise exercises with the poles slightly raised to improve concentration. Concentration and strengthen the muscles even more.
In-and-outs, small crosses on a curved line or gymnastic rows with steep and ochre jumps can also be helpful here.

You can also combine exercises, for example placing diagonal trot poles, either with one stride between the poles or two strides, then over the other diagonal a small cross with a trot lead pole and once half a circle around the outside to ride a jump with a canter lead pole at E or B (depending on the set-up).
This exercise combines different goals:
On the one hand, my horse has to concentrate very hard on the individual exercises and think along with me. The trot poles encourage the rhythm, the rider sits out and takes up a lot of space in the horse, has a soft connection to the horse's mouth and keeps the horse with him before, over and after the poles. They should be ridden consciously, the horse should swing. Quickly darting over them doesn't help anyone. The horse should not flee but learn to carry itself.

On the way to the placing pole with the cross jump, a light trot can be maintained, allowing the horse to relax while still being engaged in the work and maintaining a positive tension. The rider takes their seat early in the horse and turns directly and purposefully towards the center of the cross. Figuratively, the rider tries to sit on the hindquarters; the horse approaches the placing pole at a trot, should listen to its rider, and jump powerfully from the hindquarters.
After the jump, continue straight into a canter, keeping the horse between the aids while maintaining rhythm and energy. Finally, the jump with the canter placing pole comes next—again, straight, centered, and from a relaxed state. Afterwards, the horse is brought back to a hand gallop, praised, and allowed to relax on a loose rein.
Calmness and awareness, as well as correct riding and straightness, are crucial in this process.

However, one should not forget to take breaks to breathe and relax both oneself and the horse, gradually introducing the horse to the tasks at hand and not repeating the exercises excessively, but rather listening to the horse and stopping when it has performed well. It is better to incorporate exercises into the daily routine more often than to do them once for what feels like an eternity.

Gymnastics from the ground and in hand

We initially discussed that there are many ways to gymnasticize a horse. So how do I do this in groundwork and also on the lunge? In lunging, you can incorporate transitions just like in riding. One idea could also be working with a double lunge. You can also vary the size of a circle, ensuring that the horse maintains its rhythm and tempo while bending softly instead of just “running straight into the turn.”
Additionally, you can incorporate poles from the ground, such as trot poles placed in a row or single poles positioned at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. The horse must concentrate here, being mindful to lift its legs and place its feet carefully.

In groundwork, you can incorporate not only differences in tempo at the walk but also include volte exercises, potentially at the trot around you, followed by transitions to a walk or halt, backing up, and lateral movements. As you can see, the possibilities are nearly endless.

‍Off into nature- for all those who enjoy trail riding

But there are also many variations in the field, on horseback or on foot - uphill is a very good exercise for the hindquarters, it strengthens the muscles and promotes body awareness.
Riding over a few branches lying on the ground in the forest? The horse is concentrated, has to lift its feet and works on its abdominal and back muscles.
And for all the water rats? How about a trip to the aquatrainer? Similar to us humans, it is easy on the joints, the body awareness is trained, walking is more strenuous and the muscles start to work. Not to be compared one to one, but also very helpful is the work on the treadmill where you can take different increments.

5 gymnastic exercises for horses:

1. Lunge work: gymnasticize the back and abdominal muscles of your horse without the additional weight of the rider. There are many exercises that you can incorporate into your lunging work and use to make lunging more varied. Find out more here...
2. Walk work: As the saying goes, walking is the royal discipline in equestrian sports. In no other gait can you incorporate as many exercises for gymnastic training or assessing the horse's fitness level as in the walk. That’s why we have compiled the best exercises to improve your horse´s flexibility in a video for you.
3. GroundworkYou can gymnasticize your horse not only on horseback but also from the ground. Every rider, whether amateur or professional, should work with their horse from the ground, as this is not only fun but also strengthens the bond between horse and rider. Bernadette Brune shows you which exercises you can do from the ground to gymnasticize your horse.
4. Basic exercises for strength and coordinationCoordination also plays an important role in training the horse, because a horse with good coordination can use its body better. They become more agile, more attentive and more balanced. You already know that you can gymnasticize your horse with a few poles and cavalettis and build up a few muscles at the same time. But how do I set up coordination training? How do I place the poles and how do I gymnasticize my horse? In our instructional video, you will learn how to promote the horse's coordination and strength.
5. Transitions, lateral movements, and figures of movement: They all have one thing in common; through them, you can not only loosen your horse but also gymnasticize it. Anyone who has been riding for a while surely knows them: the serpentines. Vary the figures of movement a bit, be creative—you could ride three arcs at a trot and always halt at X, back up, and then trot again. There are countless ways to incorporate gymnastic training into your horse's daily training. Some of them have been summarized for you with Christoph Hess.

Gymnasticizing horses: Summarized

Gymnastic training  is an essential component of horse training that is accessible to every rider, regardless of the riding discipline or training approach. It significantly contributes to the horse's health and fitness by strengthening muscles, improving mobility, and enhancing overall well-being. Whether focusing on groundwork, incorporating dressage or jumping exercises, or encouraging the horse in nature, gymnastic training can be integrated into everyday training routines.

A well-gymnastized horse runs loose and relaxed, shows active hindquarters and carries itself with ease. This state is not only comfortable for the rider but also essential for the long-term health of the horse. Through targeted training, varied exercises, and regular breaks during sessions, the horse remains motivated and ready to perform.

It is important that the rider is also relaxed and focused to ensure clear communication with the horse. Effective gymnastic training begins during the warm-up when the rider makes the horse aware and prepares its body for the work ahead. With the right combination of lunge work, walk work, groundwork and transitions, every rider can adapt the gymnastic training to the individual needs of their horse.

Ultimately, balanced gymnastic training, combined with other components such as feed and targeted care, leads to a healthy, efficient and happy horse. This creates the best conditions for a long, active and harmonious life alongside your horse.

Horse gymnastics: The most important questions and answers

How can I gymnasticize my horse?

To gymnasticize your horse, it is important to engage in regular and targeted training. This can be achieved through various exercises that promote both the physical and mental fitness of the horse. Effective gymnastic exercises include lateral movements such as shoulder-in or traverses to improve the horse's flexibility and balance. Additionally, figures of movement like circles and volte are helpful for training suppleness and coordination.
Another important aspect is working on the lunge or from the ground to gymnasticize the horse even without the weight of a rider. Through targeted exercises, you can strengthen the back muscles and improve your horse's relaxation. Always pay attention to the correct execution of the exercises and ensure an appropriate workload for your horse. Regular training combined with variety and patience will help your horse become gymnasticized and progress in its development.

How do I activate the horse's hindquarters?

In order to activate the horse's hindquarters, the horse must stand correctly on the rider's aids. A targeted shift of weight to the inner seat bone and active leg aids can encourage the horse to activate its hindquarters more. Exercises such as leg yields, traversals and holding can also help to strengthen the hindquarters and make them more supple. Regular work on the lunge or on the ground can also help to strengthen the muscles of the hindquarters and improve the horse's overall gymnastics. It is important to be patient and consistent, as activating the hindquarters takes time and practice. A good balance between forward impulsion and collection is crucial to use the hindquarters effectively and teach the horse a healthy movement pattern.

What is meant by gymnastic riding?

Gymnastic riding aims to train a horse so that it can carry its rider without the horse's musculoskeletal system suffering any deficits as a result. This requires an even load on the hind legs, which alternately carry the joint centre of gravity of the horse and rider.