What Are Horse Calisthenics?

Series Summary

The horse has been used in warfare as early as 4000 BCE. There is archaeological evidence in the steppes of Eurasia of fortified towns being built to defend against horse-riding bandits and raiders. In 1350 BCE, the Hittite tribe developed a written manual for the successfully breeding and conditioning chariot horses. Thus, since before written history and throughout the recorded development of mankind, horses have been a powerful ally to victorious armies and successful agriculturalists. In Medieval Europe, the heavy armor of mounted knights required a new style of horses, strong like a draft horse but athletic like lighter breeds. The destrier , along with the courser and rouncey, became the type (not breed) of horse that would fetch the highest price among nobles and elite military officers.

This free video series covers horse exercise with expert Kelli LaBar. Kelli will teach you all about horse calisthenics and working out your horse. You will learn how to put buttons on your horse to help lead it through exercises, how to train your horse to bump left and right, how to use indirect turns and backing up as exercise, and more. Kelli also shares turning a hip bump into a lope, how do do side passes, how to make small workout routines, and how to apply your exercises to shows and riding competitions. Also, she features safety tips.

Video Transcript

"I'm Kelli on behalf of Expert Village. I am going to show you some tips and techniques that I use when exercising my horse using calisthenics. Basically what calisthenics are a series of exercises that help your horse perform better, help create more suppleness in your horse and allow you to move different parts of your horse's body on command. When you are riding your horse, you should be able to move whatever part of your horse's body that you want just by simply placing your leg or spur in that particular area. So calisthenics include indirect turns, turns on the forehand, bumping your horse around either way. Also side passing is a really good calisthenics; is really good to use so all of these help to promote supplement in your horse, get your horse lifting and using itself a lot better, get your horse better trained to be more responsive to you and overall, just make your horse a much more broke and enjoyable animal to ride. "