Been there done that show horses don't need that much schooling. Geez! What a miserable existance for a w/t/c horse to drill drill drill. I would think they need a tune up after beginners have been riding them to make sure the buttons all work. They need to be fit, but all work will make a horse cranky and sour.

I ride Dressage and try to get out of the arena as much as possible. Like today on a mare who used to be prancy dancy, overbent and very nervous under saddle we just rode around. We stopped to visit with the pasture horses. We did turns on the forehand and turns on the haunches against pasture fences whenever it was time to turn around. We trotted up and down the driveway getting the pasture horses excited. It was a fun and very productive day and I snuck in some training while the horse wasn't thinking leg aides are something to get upset about. She has come a long way in a short time and will walk on a loose rein all day now. I even booted her over when she was slow to turn and she didn't take off in a panic like she used to do. She wasn't on the muscle ever today. When I'm done with her she'll be a great confidence horse for someone.