08/24/2026
What do my first 30 days of riding look like?
Before I ever put a foot in the stirrup, my horses have already done a LOT of groundwork.
Round penning, yielding hindquarters and forequarters, backing, side passing, flag work, desensitization, saddling, sacking out, stirrup driving, ground driving, the Jeffries Method… all of that happens before I ever put a foot in the stirrup.
As for those first 30 rides:
First, I want a gas pedal. Forward is a big deal to me. I don't want sticky feet, and I don't want a horse getting worried about moving forward when I ask. In my experience, that's when you can start getting into trouble — bucking, rearing, spinning, bolting, or just getting mentally stuck all typically happens when they don't want to go forward.
That's also why I do a TON of transitions in my groundwork before I ever ride. Walk to trot, trot to canter, back down again. A lot of horses will often show you their sticky spots in the transitions.
Second, I start putting in my braking system. For me, that's my one-rein stop. I teach that right away because I want that emergency brake there quickly.
Gas pedal. Brake. Gas pedal. Brake.
Over and over and over again.
I want my horses to go forward confidently, but I also want them to be able to flex, give me their head, and stop all four feet when I ask.
Third, once I have a gas pedal and a brake, then I start working on speed control. If they're lazy and breaking gait, I get them moving.
If they're rushing, I bring them back down without making a big deal out of it.
Then, we start working on the steering wheel. Direct rein and following their nose.
So, typically in 30 days:
Gas pedal. Brake. Speed control. Steering wheel.
The fancy stuff comes later!! 🤠
