02/08/2026
We will be showing before you know it! Until then, here’s some other fun things to try!
15 Fun Unmounted Lesson Plan Ideas
It's that time of year where most of us are dealing with a frozen arena, icy footing, and temperature so cold you can't feel your fingers.
Canceling lessons means lost income for you and disappointed students but riding in unsafe conditions? Not an option of course!
So what do you do? You get creative with unmounted lessons. These aren't just filler activities to kill time... they're actual horsemanship education that makes students better riders when they get back in the saddle.
Adjust these activities to suit your program/horses/riders needs:
1. LONG REINING / GROUND DRIVING
Teach students the basics of long reining such as how it works, what it's for, and how to do it safely. If you're comfortable demonstrating, show them how it's done. Explain how horses can be worked without a rider on their back, it shows another way to communicate through reins and body position. It is also great for young horses, horses in rehab, or building communication
If students are interested, they can start learning the basics with supervision!
2. CLICKER TRAINING OR TRICK TRAINING
Teach something fun - bow, smile, fetch, Spanish walk, whatever!
Use treats and/or positive reinforcement. YouTube has tons of ideas on what and how to teach if you don't know how. This keeps horses mentally engaged during winter downtime and builds trust and communication. Plus it's fun which both students and horses need in the middle of a cold, gray winter!
3. OBSTACLE COURSE
Set up poles, tarps, cones, buckets etc whatever fits in your aisle space. Walk through obstacles in-hand. Obstacle courses builds confidence, teaches problem-solving, strengthens partnership plus you can get creative with whatever supplies you have lying around the barn! The possibilities are endless with obstacle courses!
4. BACKING UP EXERCISES
Not just basic backing but backing straight lines, around corners, through obstacles, between standards or poles. Backing builds body awareness, control, and engagement. Ensure students are asking to back up horses correctly and relaxed.
5. LIBERTY WORK
If you have access to a round pen or small indoor space, let the horse loose and work on connection through body language. This Builds connection without relying on tack. Students learn to read body language and communicate through positioning and energy. Incredibly valuable and doesn't require riding!
6. "JOIN UP" TECHNIQUES
Teach natural horsemanship join-up using body language and positioning. Students learn how horses think, how pressure and release works, and how to build connection through understanding. Perfect winter skill-building! It is magical for a student to have a horse follow them once they "join up" when their horse!
7. BREATHING TOGETHER
Stand quietly next to your horse in their stall or cross-ties. Match your breathing to theirs. Sounds too simple, right? This exercise is surprisingly powerful for bonding and calming. Great for cold days when horses and humans are tense from the weather.
8. TARGET TRAINING
Teach your horse to touch a target (your hand, a cone, a ball) with their nose on cue. This is a great foundation for other tricks and behaviors. Sharpens focus and timing. Can be done in the smallest spaces, making it perfect for winter barn work. Target training is AMAZING for some spooky horses! Once you teach a horse to target "scary" objects with their nose, they become braver and more confident. I discovered this with my warmblood who spooked at everything but once he learned to touch scary objects on cue, he became so much more brave about approaching new things.
9. MINDFUL LEADING PRACTICE
Have your student walk slowly down the barn aisle with their horse. Ask the horse to match their pace exactly. Practice stopping together, backing up together, and turning together as one unit.
The goal is to make leading intentional and connected, not just dragging the horse from point A to point B. Most people lead on complete autopilot with the horse trailing behind, pulling ahead, or totally checked out. This exercise makes leading INTENTIONAL. It improves communication, attention, and partnership in a way that translates directly to riding. Plus, barn aisles are IDEAL for practicing straight, controlled, synchronized leading!
10. CARROT STRETCHES
Use carrots to encourage stretching:
Down between front legs
Around to each hip
Up and over their back
Horses get stiff standing in stalls during cold weather. Carrot stretches are gymnastics, massage, and bonding all in one. This keeps them flexible and feeling good even when they can't move as much.
11. VOICE COMMANDS FROM THE GROUND
Have students teach their (school) horse verbal cues such as walk, whoa, trot, back using only their voice. No physical aids, no touching, just voice communication. This shows students how much horses can actually understand from voice alone! It's amazing communication practice and super useful year-round when leading, lunging, or working around horses. Plus, students get a huge confidence boost when they realize they can control a 1,200-lb animal with just their words.
12. DESENSITIZATION WORK
Have students introduce "scary" objects to their horse in a safe, controlled way such a tarps, umbrellas, balls, pool noodles, crinkly bags, flags, whatever you have around the barn. Let the horse investigate at THEIR pace while the student stays calm and supportive. No forcing, no rushing. Builds trust and confidence in both horse and handler. Plus, it teaches students how to stay calm when their horse is uncertain which is an invaluable skill!
13. HALT AND STAND PERFECTLY STILL, GROUND TYING
Teach students to practice asking their horse for a halt and having them stand like a statue - square, balanced, calm, no fidgeting.
Progress to ground tying: horse stands perfectly still with lead rope dropped on the ground, no one holding them. Just... standing and waiting patiently. This can be way harder than it sounds for some horses! Standing still can be difficult for some horses as it requires patience, self-control, and trust. Ground tying is next-level and incredibly practical for real life: mounting, vet visits, farrier work, tacking up. Teaching students how to build this skill shows them the power of patience and proper training over force. Plus, a horse that ground ties is a joy to work with year-round!
14. GROOMING CLINIC
Turn grooming into actual TEACHING and show students different brush types and their purposes, how to find heat, swelling, or sensitivity, mane and tail care techniques, and hoof care and what to look for (thrush, etc). Students often rush through grooming to "get to the fun part." Use winter to slow down and actually TEACH horsemanship. They'll be better horse people for it!
15. PLAN SPRING RIDING GOALS
Sit down with your student somewhere warm such as the tack room, office, wherever! Grab a notebook and dream about spring - what shows, clinics, trails, skills do they want to accomplish? Write it down. Make it real and create a roadmap. Goal-setting keeps students motivated through tough winter months. Having a PLAN makes them more likely to stick around instead of quitting when weather gets hard. Plus, it shows you're invested in their growth.
WHERE CAN YOU DO ALL OF THIS?
The beauty of unmounted work? You don't need a perfect arena!
You can use your barn aisle if it's long, safe, and wide enough. An indoor arena if you're lucky enough to have one. If your arena is rutted and frozen, look for a flat, softer spot on the property. Don't cancel lessons just because your arena is unusable. Get creative with the space you DO have. A 20-foot section of barn aisle can teach MORE than you think.
PRICING UNMOUNTED LESSONS
Should you charge the same as riding lessons? My take is YES - if the lesson is well-planned and educational. You are still teaching valuable skills, providing your expertise and time, using your horses and facility, and creating a structured learning experience. Don't discount just because they're not in the saddle. Horsemanship education has VALUE.
SET EXPECTATIONS AHEAD OF TIME
When you know riding won't be possible, message students:
"Heads up - footing is frozen tomorrow so we won't be riding. We're going to work on [clicker training/liberty work/obstacle course navigation] instead, which will really improve your partnership when we get back in the saddle." Managing expectations = happier students in my opinion.
Frozen footing and brutal cold don't have to mean lost income or bored students sitting at home. Get creative and use your barn space. When spring comes and students get back in the saddle, they'll be BETTER riders because of the foundation you built all winter. Plus, you kept them engaged, committed, and paying - which keeps YOUR business sustainable through the slow season.
Winter doesn't have to be dead time. Make it LEARNING time.
What are YOUR favorite winter unmounted lessons?
What works in your barn aisle when you can't use the arena?
