Season 2, Episode Six is a Coaches' Corner with Amy Skinner in North Carolina.

Here, Jec and Amy visit about cross training. It ties into our last episode in which we discussed what horses and riders need to know. It comes down to the need to always expand our comfort zones. As Randy Rieman told me, if you’re not expanding your comfort zone, you are shrinking it. Dearest listener and reader, think about it. I really think this idea has merit. And not just for horse work, but for life. Expanding our comfort zones, facing fears, having confidence or building confidence in yourself and your horse surely has a lot to do with cross training.

There are ways to tackle various impediments or hurdles to better horse work. Here are a few:

Ask for help

Avoid foreseeable pitfalls (as mentioned and for example, riding in big groups or riding with people who cannot support you if you need help is avoidable)

Or, if you’re a trail rider, maybe check out Jec’s books for some exercises to make arena work more engaging. Katrin Silva’s Dressage for All of Us has ideas, too.

If, in contrast, you’re hitting the trail and you find that worrisome or boring, there are tons of ways to get busy and give your horses tasks that will challenge both of you and keep you partnered up rather than checked out.

If you’re new to the trail, connect with riders who have some understanding of trail riding and the etiquette around it – for instance, ya don’t ride off when someone is stepping up into the saddle. If you are riding through gates, trade off opening and closing them.

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