Winter is the perfect season to return to the basics and sharpen both your technique and your horse's 💪 To support you in this work, we present 5 exercises from international rider Maxime Livio, designed to improve precision, balance, symmetry and engagement.

Simple to set up yet incredibly formative, these exercises will help you maintain momentum through the cold season while strengthening your horse-and-rider partnership 🤩

 

Exercise 1: Working the canter on a circle with a cavaletti

 

For this first exercise, all you need is a cavaletti. The aim is to ride a consistent circle, passing over it on every lap.

🎯 Goals

• Keeping a consistent canter from start to finish

• Maintaining a clean and precise circle

• Working on symmetry of landings

• Lightening the shoulders and improving the horse's balance

Like riders, horses have a preferred side. They therefore tend to land more often on one lead. This work helps them rebalance their movement, improving their symmetry and muscular development 💪

To help you, don't hesitate to place cones around the circle: a simple but very effective aid to stay accurate 🔥

Want to watch the video of this exercise? It's right here 👈

 

Exercise 2: Asking for the landing lead

 

Building on the first exercise, the idea here is to ride straight at a vertical and ask for the landing on the chosen lead at the fence 😉

🎯 Goals

• Maintaining straightness before and after the jump

• Maintaining a balanced and consistent canter

• Asking for the flying change using your body weight and position

• Improving the horse's responsiveness

 

⚠️ Important: Never sacrifice the quality of the canter or straightness to ask for the change. The aid must remain subtle, almost invisible.

To avoid anticipation, alternate between:

• moments where you change leads,

• and others where you keep the same one.

 

Want to watch the video of this exercise? It's right here 👈

 

Exercise 3: Bounce + curved line + directional fence

 

Now for a more technical exercise — ideal for working on coordination and the horse's speed of reaction 🔥

The setup consists of:

• a gymnastic combination including a bounce,

• followed by a curved line,

• finishing on a directional fence.

 

🎯 Goals

• Improving the quality of the take-off

• Developing speed of execution

• Building cadence and fluidity on a curved line

• Maintaining the horse's engagement

 

To make your track easier to ride, you can replace the verticals in the bounce with crosses and set up cone gates on the curve to avoid cutting the line 😉 Perfect for working on precision and focus as a partnership.

 

Want to watch the video of this exercise? It's right here 👈

Exercise 4: Double of verticals on a two-stride distance + standalone fence

 

This exercise combines exercises 2 and 3 with a slightly more complex setup 🙈

It includes:

• a double of verticals on a two-stride distance,

• ground poles placed within the combination,

• a curve leading to a vertical with a plank,

• then a return to the double.

 

🎯 Goals

• Working on rhythm and energy quality

• Building the horse's strength through controlled repetition

• Improving connection and responsiveness after a gymnastic line

• Refining the flying change aids

A great exercise for refining transitions and improving the horse's responsiveness 🤩

 

Want to watch the video of this exercise? It's right here 👈

In the example demonstrated by Maxime Livio:

• the double is ridden on the left rein,

• the flying change is asked at the vertical with a plank,

• then the double is approached on the right rein.

 

Exercise 5: Placing pole + bounce + one-stride double

 

The final exercise combines three elements for a complete and structured training session:

• on the approach: a placing pole,

• followed by a bounce,

• then a double on a one-stride distance.

 

🎯 Goals

• Maintaining perfect consistency from start to finish

• Automating the horse's jumping technique through the bounce

• Preparing balance and technique before the double

• Building canter engagement and rider stability

 

To ride this exercise well, keep a consistent canter, stay with your horse and avoid rushing.

 

Want to watch the video of this exercise? It's right here 👈

Wrap-up: 5 accessible, progressive exercises — perfect for winter 💪

These winter exercises by Maxime Livio are designed to help you develop:

• precision,

• symmetry,

• balance,

• and your horse's technique.

 

Simple to set up yet incredibly formative, they will allow you to make the most of the winter period as a true time for building foundations 🤩

And if you try these exercises, tag us on social media so we can follow your progress 🥰🔥