No matter your age or experience level, one thing is for sure: We all look forward to lesson day! It’s a chance to spend time with your favorite horses and barn friends, to work hard with your trainer and to become a better rider. One way to get the most out of your lessons is to create a riding diary to help track your progress. By recording how your lesson went, what skills you worked on, and any new information you’ve learned, you’ll be able to stay on track toward your goals.
The fun part of using a journal is that you can personalize it and make it your own. Here are some tips for creating your very own lesson diary.
1. List the Basics
Find a notebook or journal to make your diary; personalize it with stickers, photos, magazine clippings and drawings to decorate the cover and entry pages.
After each lesson, write down the date, the name of the horse you rode, how long you rode, and which instructor gave the lesson.
This will help you track hours in the saddle and establish a timeline of your progress.
2. Get Detailed
Write down what kind of lesson you had. Was it English, western, bareback or on the longeline?
Share what activities and exercises you did and what skills you worked on.
For example, a beginner may write: “I walked around cones and practiced steering.”
Intermediate: “I dropped my stirrups and worked on balancing the sitting trot.”
Advanced: “I memorized and jumped an eight-fence course with flying lead changes done correctly.”
Don’t forget to include how you felt during the lesson. Were you relaxed? Anxious?
How about your horse? Calm? Nervous?
3. Positive Reinforcement
List what went well in your lesson for both you and your horse.
What were some of the highlights? What made this lesson so fun?
For example, beginner: “My horse listened to my voice commands, and I remembered how to ask him to back up.”
Intermediate: “I kept my horse going at the trot by using my legs and voice.”
Advanced: “My upward and downward transitions were smooth, and I kept my horse collected.”
4. Record Mistakes and Corrections
It’s also important to be honest about what didn’t go well and what your plan is to fix any problems you’re struggling with.
Remember, you can ask your instructor to help you with this type of entry.
For example, beginner: “My reins kept sliding out of my fingers. I need to keep my fingers closed on the reins.”
Intermediate: “I kept looking down at my horse’s neck instead of keeping my head and eyes up.”
Advanced: “I kept pinching my knees. I need to let my leg hang downward from my hip and keep the proper leg alignment.”
5. Set Goals
Make sure to add small, reachable goals for your future lessons and come up with a plan with your instructor on what to work on next.
For example, beginner: “I want to tack up and untack my horse myself.”
Intermediate: “I want to steer and ride one-handed at the jog and lope.”
Advanced: “I want to ride my dressage test without having it called out to me.”
When you meet a goal, make sure to check it off your list and put the date down to remember when you achieved it. This will be a clear way to track your progress and keep you motivated!
6. Get Detailed
Jot down anything new you learned and discovered in your lesson, such as:
◆ Horse, tack and equipment terms
◆ Horse colors and breeds
◆ Grooming, tacking and first-aid techniques
◆ New riding signals and cues
◆ Insights on horse behavior and riding disciplines
7. Trainer Input
Sometimes after a lesson, you’ll think of a question that you didn’t ask during your ride. Write it down to remind yourself to ask your instructor at your next lesson.
Ask your trainer if they’d be willing to jot their comments in your journal after a lesson too, so you can review their thoughts anytime.
8. Keep It Fun
Keeping a riding diary should be fun and not feel like a chore. Add “to-do” and wish lists, rate your rides from 1 to 10, take notes on horse topics you find interesting, and ask your instructor for any extra projects and homework that will help you become a more knowledgeable and stronger rider.
With the highs and lows of each person’s riding journey, there will be no prouder feeling than looking back to see how far you and your horse have come and all that you have accomplished. Take good care of your riding lesson diary and all the memories in it!
This article about making a riding lesson diary appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!
