The August bank holiday is usually a bonus for equestrians. As it’s the last bank holiday before Christmas, it is a great time to make the most of the good weather (fingers crossed!) before autumn hits. If you are lucky enough to have some time off over the long weekend, you may be wondering how to make the most of it with your four-legged friend. Keep reading for our top ten things you can do this bank holiday for a fun-filled time, who knows, you may even check off some bucket list items!

1.      Go to the beach

A beach ride is quite high up on the bucket list for most equestrians, so why not tick it off this bank holiday? Hopefully with some good weather It is a good idea to go early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the crowds. If you’re lucky enough, you may get a super quiet stretch of the beach to canter or gallop in the surf. Make sure you do your research before you go and ensure the beach you are going to allows horses though.

2.      Try a new sport

If you’re a bit bored of the same disciplines with your horse, it could be a good time to try something brand new. Find a place that teaches beginner horseball or polo near you and take your horse over for the day. A lot of polo clubs host taster days or give it a go lessons, either on your horse or a seasoned pro. Maybe you will find your new passion!

3.      Give them a makeover

The long weekend is the perfect time to do all those jobs you haven’t had the time for, one of which may be giving your horse a makeover! Tidy up those manes and tails, retrim those bridlepaths and feathers and if the weather is warm enough, you can even give them a bath and get rid of those stable stains for a day or two.

4.      Head out for a hack

If you’re lucky enough to have access to transport, head out somewhere new for a hack. Woodlands are looking beautiful it’s a great time to be building on fitness with some long canters and hill work. If you don’t have transport, try arranging a ride with friends instead and plan to go somewhere locally that you don’t usually have time to make the most of.

5.      Have a photoshoot

Capture some memories you can keep forever this bank holiday and arrange a photoshoot with your horse. There are lots of equestrian-specific photographers in the UK that understand the niches of capturing horses and their riders and know how to get that specific shot that you will treasure forever. Remember to pull out your best outfit and give your horse a makeover so you’re both turned out to perfection. If you are a current KBIS policyholder, keep your eyes peeled for a giveaway coming soon that may help with exactly this!

6.      Teach them a trick

Not all the fun you can have with your horse has to be whilst riding, you can have a lot of fun on the ground too! Teaching them a new trick can be a really enjoyable and rewarding experience. Try teaching them something quite simple that will improve your ridden work such as standing or moving to a mounting block or a trick that will impress everyone at the yard like bow or “please”. Our top horse groundwork exercises are a great place to start. [hyperlink ‘top horse groundwork exercises’ to the article on the KBIS website]

7.      Hire out a cross country course

Why not get your first taste of cross country on grass this season and hire out a course? Either arrange a lesson and get some pointers for the coming season or head out with friends and just enjoy the time tackling some different fences with your horses.

8.      Play with polework

It’s no secret that polework for horses is great for improving their general way of going and for many of us, it’s something that we don’t spend enough time doing. This can be due to lack of time to put poles out when trying to squeeze in an after-work ride or simply lack of inspiration. This bank holiday, try downloading the Polework Patterns app and get instant access to tonnes of layouts. You can search by area you want to improve, number of poles you have or hit the random layout generator button for something different.

9.      Bring back the gymkhana

Gymkhana is something we all spent lots of time doing when we were kids. The sun came out and so did the plastic buckets, beanbags, and poles for some good old-fashioned mounted games fun. As we have got older, many of us have never thought to give gymkhana another go, but why not try it this bank holiday? The games are fantastic at improving your horse’s directional skills, can help you work better as a team and most importantly, it’s really great fun!

10.   Organise a clinic

If you keep your horse at a larger livery yard with access to a good-sized arena, try getting everyone together and arranging a clinic with a reputable instructor. Clinics can be organised around disciplines such as jumping, dressage, polework and can be a cost-effective way to try something new with your horse and get some quality instruction. If you have access to transport and don’t have the facilities at home, have a look at your local equestrian centres and see if they’re hosting any clinics this bank holiday weekend.

That’s our top 10 things you can try with your horse this bank holiday ! Looking for more advice? Take a look at how to make homemade fly spray.