6weeksto show-ready
WITHLAURENSPRIESER
AnotefromLauren
The other coachesandI arehere to guide you through this program. Download the Ride iQ App anduse this 6Week audio lesson training program to prepare yourself and your horse for a well-organized off property outing, a confidence boosting warmup, and a successful dressage test at your next show.
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This 6-week-training plan combines
Fundamentals, Technique, & Mental Preparation
A few notes
First and foremost, it’s not just about riding. It’s about good physical preparation, but also a huge amount of good mental preparation. Knowing your tests - really knowing them - means you can ride the work and not be a victim of the pattern. Knowing how to influence your horse emotionally means being able to support them as they go somewhere new. This program will work on your own headspace, too.
Second, this program exists to maximize your test riding skills in a methodical way as you count down to your show. This is not level-specific, but you and your horse should be fit enough and ready for the level you’ve picked. If you’re embarking on a show journey at Intro or Training Levels, you may not need the same level of intensity in your work as someone going FEI, and this program includes options accordingly. Fitness and an appropriate choice of level is key.
This training plan is for you if...
Your horse has been working consistently and is welleducated at the level you're planning on showing. You should pick your show level based on what you're reliably capable of, not on what work requires hope to get through.
This training plan works for you
Life is full of unpredictability and variability, and this plan is designed to be flexible and work alongside life s other commitments. Rest assured, you can modify the plan to fit your schedule while staying on track with your progress. Some things to keep in mind as you make ad ustments
Regardless of anything else, your horse s comfort and soundness is priority number one. If your horse shows signs of discomfort, pause the plan and get veterinary help before doing any other work
During the program, aim for 4-5 rides per week, plus one hack day and 1-2 rest days
Tips to help you go further
The Private Ride iQ Member Community on Facebook is another great place to get advice and share your progress. Believe it or not, both are very important! Riding is an individual sport, but a support squad can have an immensely positive impact
Ride iQ and this training plan exist to support your independent rides, not to replace in-person coaching. When you have an in-person lesson, you can skip the prescribed Ride iQ lesson that s most similar for that week.
This 6-week-training plan combines
Weekly Rides
Schooling Rides
Each week has a theme, and includes four types of rides to focus on that theme plus build skills and technique that are more level-specific.
These rides are suitable for all levels of competition and can be used as full rides or as warmups to more complete work.
Skill-Building Rides
Here you’ll have choices: skills selected specifically for riders going Intro-Second Level and riders going Third Level and above.
HACKs
Hacking your horse is so important for both the body and the mind. I’ve suggested specific Hack Chats throughout the training program that are adjacent to the week’s theme.
Test Riding
Practicing your test in advance is crucial, as is committing your test to memory. I recommend you visit the entire test at least once a week, and for longer tests at the higher levels, visiting at least parts of the test once a week more.
The Weekly Plan
6 weeks to go
Schooling Day
Warmup, and then
Skill: 329. How to Half Halt with Lauren Sprieser
Duration: 10:59
Schooling Day
Warmup, and then
Skill: 428. T/C Collection on a 1 to 5 Scale with Lauren Sprieser
Duration: 19:28
Skill- Building Day
Warmup, and then
Lower level skill: 316. Walk Trot Transitions with Hilda Donahue
Duration: 23:05
OR
Upper level skill: 430. Balance in Collected Canter with Lauren Sprieser
Duration: 15:05
Test Riding Day
Ride the whole test, start to finish. What s easy? What s not? Make notes of what feels like a reach.
Un m ounted Lea r ning
Sports Psychology: Flow State for Athletes by
Ashley Johnson
Ask An Expert: Episode 62: Gina Smith, Ask an
Olympic Dressage Rider
Dressage Test Read Through: Listen to the test you re working toward
Hack day
Hack Chat: Goal Setting with Reese KofflerStanfield
Duration: 11:30
Q uality o f gaits - G oing s m all
5 weeks to go
Schooling Day
Warmup, and then
Skill: 429. Improve Canter Quality with Jon Holling
Duration: 30:04
Schooling Day
Warmup, and then
Skill: 333. Guide to Medium Trot with Lauren Sprieser
Duration: 10:29
Skill- Building Day
Warmup, and then
Lower level skill: 325. Medium to Working Trot
Transitions with Kyle Carter
Duration: 23:31
Upper level skill: 511. Canter Half Pass Zig Zag with Lauren Sprieser
Duration: 8:56
Un m ounted Lea r ning
Sports Psychology: 9 Types of Performance
Strategies by Ashley Johnson
Ask An Expert: Episode 69: William Micklem,
Fulfilling Your Potential in Sport and Life
Dressage Test Read Through: Listen to the test you re working toward
Test Riding Day
Work on the pieces of the test that didn t go well in last week s practice.
Hack day
Hack Chat: Planning a Competition Season with Jon Holling
Duration : 12:48
Q uality o f the gaits - going b ig
4 weeks to go
Schooling Day
Warmup, and then
Skill: 006. Responsive Transitions with Kyle
Carter
Duration: 23:12
Schooling Day
Warmup, and then
Skill: 112. Mind Reading 101 with Sinead Halpin-
Maynard
Duration: 16:54
Skill- Building Day
Warmup, and then
Lower level skill: 300. W/T Transitions for Responsiveness with Jen Carter
Duration: 13:11
OR
Upper level skill: 512. Walk-Canter and Canter-Walk Transitions with Jon Holling
Duration: 13:52
Test Riding Day
Check in with the whole test, start to finish. What s improved? What s still a struggle?
Un m ounted Lea r ning
Sports Psychology: Maintaining Focus with Ashley Johnson
Ask an Expert: Episode 44: Doug Payne, Competitive Strategies
Dressage Test Read Through: Listen to the test you re working toward
Hack day
Hack Chat: Performance Anxiety with Meaghan Marinovich Burdick
Duration : 30:07
T r ansitions
3 weeks to go
Schooling Day
Warmup, and then
Skill: 301. Working Into Corners with Jen Carter
Duration: 13:30
Schooling Day
Warmup, and then
Skill: 330. Balancing in Corners in W/T with Lauren Sprieser
Duration: 11:36
Skill- Building Day
Warmup, and then
Lower level skill: 302. Stage 1, Young Horse
Half Halt with Jon Holling
Duration: 15:43
OR
Upper level skill: 514. Cantering in the Corner with Lauren Sprieser
Duration: 16:35
Test Riding Day
Work on the pieces of the test that didn t go well in your previous week s practice.
Un m ounted Lea r ning
Sports Psychology: Managing Performance
Anxiety with Ashley Johnson
Ask an Expert: Episode 28: Peter Gray, Ask a
Dressage Judge
Dressage Test Read Through: Listen to the test you re working toward
Hack day
Hack Chat: Visualizing Your Dressage Test with Lauren Sprieser
Duration : 14:08
C O R NE RS
2 weeks to go
Schooling Day
Warmup, and then
Skill: 410. Halt Transitions with Jon Holling
Duration: 31:31
Schooling Day
Warmup, and then
Skill: 502. Stage 3, Square Halts with Doug
Payne
Duration: 21:40
Skill- Building Day
Warmup, and then
Lower level skill: 337. Square Halts with Leslie
Law
Duration: 17:10
OR
Upper level skill: 515. Active Hind Leg in Canter with Lauren Sprieser
Duration: 11:13
Test Riding Day
Check in with the whole test, start to finish. Is it feeling easy now? Are there any pieces that still aren t going well?
Un m ounted Lea r ning
Sports Psychology: Dressage Mental
Preparation with Ashley Johnson
Ask An Expert: Episode 46: Kyle & Jen Carter, How to Properly Warmup
Dressage Test Read Through: Listen to the test you re working toward
Hack day
Hack Chat: Tack Room Essentials with Ashley
Adams
Duration : 20:45
S q ua r e halts
1 week to go
Schooling Day
Warmup, and then
Skill: 046. Show Ring Familiarization with Doug Payne
Duration: 13:44
Schooling Day
Warmup, and then
Skill: 120. Distracted Horse Walking Exercise with Lauren Sprieser
Duration: 13:32
Skill-Building Day
Warmup, and then
Lower level skill: 336. Trot-Canter Snowman
Exercise with Lauren Sprieser
Duration: 13:42
OR
Upper level skill: 507. Refining Canter Half Pass Exercise with Lauren Sprieser
Duration: 9:53
Test R iding Day
Sweat the small stuff: transitions, corners, halts, and geometry. You re as trained as you re going to be now, so focus on flow.
Un m oun te d L e a r ning
Sports Psychology: 5-Minute Pre-Ride
Meditation with Lauren Sprieser
Ask An Expert: Episode 24: Max Corcoran,
Grooming
Dressage Test Read Through: Listen to the test you re working toward
Hack day
Hack Chat: Warmup at Competition with Lesley Grant Law
Duration: 14:30
P lanning f o r o ff Pr o pert y
Final tips from Lauren
Make a schedule for your show day. Know when you’re braiding, when you’re getting on, and how long you’re going to walk before you start your warm up. Then stick to that schedule. Getting on too early isn’t better.
Breathe! It doesn’t matter how well prepared you are, how fancy your horse is, or how banging you look in your show clothes if you don’t breathe!
Remember, experience is the thing you get thirty seconds after you needed it. No matter how your dressage test goes, you’re going to come out of that arena seven minutes smarter than when you went in. Enjoy the process!
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Goget ‘em!
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