My show horses are never finished, we are always working on something. (I'm not showing anything this year.) My horses are rewarded for perfect behavior. If we go into the arena with big plans for training that day and the horse is spot on perfect, light and elastic sometimes I'll scrub the work session and go for a pipe opening run or a quiet trail ride or even just put the horse away. I never keep schooling when they are giving their everything. I'll introduce the concept, ask for a few right answers and then move on to something else. Resistance days might get more arena work because I won't end with an argument.

We gather cows with Dressage horses. Pretty much any horse can trot over 18" fences, so I take Dressage horses to Horse Trials for a little cross country and exposure to crowds. Breezing is a blast! Fitting up for cross country is fun. Water jumps are my favorites.

So, it usually breaks down to 1 or 2 days a week in the arena, 1 day a week fast trail ride, 1 or 2 days a week slow trail rides, 1 day a week jumping or cavelettis or gridwork, 1 day a week free longing in the arena (no tack), 1 day a week at a show and 1 day a week of rest. Mix and match.

Younger horses would have more trail time and no jumping. I do a lot of training on the trail. Bending and leg yielding and transitions are just as easy out on the trail as in an arena.