1. Pick your time. Before you go in the school make sure you’re in the right frame of mind. If you’re feeling tense or miserable then go for a hack instead.
2. Allow enough time. An average session should take about forty minutes. Allow longer. Never school under pressure to get finished.
3. Set realistic goals. Never set out to change something overnight. Leave the real challenges to the days when you know you have time.
4. Be consistent. Constantly changing your expectations will confuse and upset both you and your horse.
5. Set your own goals. However well meaning other people’s opinions can hinder not help your sessions.
6. Be flexible. Be prepared to change your plan for the day if things don’t go as well as they should do in your warm up.
7. Don’t nag! Be quick to correct but quicker to reward.
8. Use your paces. Spend an equal amount of time in walk, trot and canter. Schooling isn’t boring. Trotting endless circles is!
9. Don’t have double standards. Blame yourself before you blame your horse. Most schooling problems stem from the rider not their horse.
10. End on a high. Everyone has bad days. When all else fails pick something you know your horse will do well and call it a day. There’s always tomorrow.
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