Keep Your Riders Motivated, Engaged & Growing - Even In The Winter Months
Winter can slow down lessons, and riders can lose momentum — but it doesn’t have to. The Winter Horsemanship Challenge invites equestrians to take part in a variety of growth-focused activities that can be enjoyed in lessons or at home, and are designed for all levels and abilities.
The Winter Horsemanship Challenge is a flexible, fun, and educational challenge that:
Keeps riders engaged and motivated during winter
Builds riding, groundwork, horsemanship, and personal growth skills
Encourages confidence, responsibility, and connection with their horses
Gives instructors an easy-to-use program that saves prep time and enhances lessons
How It Works / What's Included
The Winter Horsemanship Challenge is designed to be flexible, adaptable, and easy for riders to use. Riders can mark off activities at the barn, in lessons, in small groups, or at home, and plus the activities include modifications to suit all levels and abilities and learning styles.
Each week features four categories, each with an activity and supporting guide or resources.
- This effort-based challenge is aimed at creating curiosity and growth both in and out of the barn
- Pick 2 of the activities each week to complete
- Equestrians who invest as little as 1 hour a week in growth can earn a ribbon
- Complete 5 out of the 6 weeks and earn a beautiful Winter Horsemanship Ribbon
Why Share the Challenge?
The Winter Horsemanship Challenge makes winter lessons fun, engaging, and meaningful for your riders — and easy for you to run. By sharing the challenge, you:
Keep Riders Motivated: Fun, flexible activities keep riders learning and growing all winter long.
Save Prep Time: Ready-to-use exercises, videos, and guides make your job easier.
Build Connection & Confidence: Activities support skill development, personal growth, and a sense of community.
Coaches and Instructors Love It Because …
A perfect low effort way to supplement any lesson program
Provides great motivation and inspiration for all equestrians
Works seamlessly in lessons or as homework
Designed to support a wide range of abilities and learning styles
Builds true equestrians
Why These Challenges Were Created
As riding instructors, we know that becoming a confident, capable, and compassionate horseperson takes more than what can fit into a weekly lesson. Too often, riders focus on being in the saddle without fully understanding the broader responsibilities, skills, and awareness that make someone a true equestrian.
Horses deserve partners—not passengers. And riders deserve a clear, engaging path that supports growth beyond riding alone. And that’s why these challenges were created.
They bridge the gap between what can realistically be taught during lessons and what riders need to become well-rounded equestrians. Through intentional, accessible activities, riders build a deeper understanding of horses, themselves, and the wider horse world—supporting safer interactions, stronger relationships, and a solid foundation for long-term growth.
What Should You Do?
1. Send to your riders to sign up
Share with your riders so they can sign up! All activities are accessible and trackable through a course portal, email, or a simple paper checklist. They can complete activities at home, at the barn, or during lessons – it’s your choice!
Get 5 or more rider to sign up and you can participate for free!
2. Support Your Riders
Each challenge is self-paced and they can choose challenges from any of the 4 areas of growth. They are advised to consult you, with any direct horse interactions for safety and congruency purposes. Any horse related activities can easily be added into their regular lesson time.
3. Lead by example
Continue to learn and grow as an instructor. You may join the challenge and participate along side them or simply commit to continued growth through learning from other professionals. Instructor Half Halt is continuing to build a library of support.
Stay motivated and build meaningful horsemanship habits all winter long.
This challenge blends fun activities with skill-building tasks you can do in lessons, at the barn or even at home to stay engaged through the cold months.
Will this work for your equestrians?
Which of my riders would this be good for?
All of them! Horsemanship Challenges are an effort-based, skill-building program designed to help equestrians grow in confidence, knowledge, and connection with their horses. It’s open to riders of all ages, experience levels, and abilities—including children – adults, beginners – advanced and participants with special needs. Everyone can join at their own pace.
I need to protect my lesson horses and don't want to create problems.
Absolutely — I am glad that is a priority! The Winter Horsemanship Challenge is designed so riders can participate without adding extra load or stress to your horses. Each week includes activities that are hands-off, reflective, or non-mounted learning, with options to complete the activities at the barn or at home.
Through these activities, equestrians learn to read horse signals, notice subtle body language, and anticipate needs, building empathy, understanding, and respect for horses. They also gain knowledge about horse care, behavior, and communication—skills that make them more thoughtful, confident, and capable equestrians in every lesson.
I don't want my riders getting confused with different teaching methods or doing things that don't work for my horses.
That concern is completely valid—and it’s something this challenge was intentionally designed to respect.
Each week of the Winter Horsemanship Challenge offers multiple activity options, allowing you to guide riders toward challenges that align with your program, your horses, and your teaching philosophy. Nothing is prescriptive or “one-size-fits-all.”
Any activity that directly involves horses is clearly framed with the expectation that riders consult their instructor before participating. This challenge is not a training program, nor does it introduce new methods or techniques. Instead, it supports learning through observation, reflection, and foundational horsemanship—always deferring to the professional in the program.
Activities are designed to meet riders where they are, with built-in ways to simplify or expand each challenge. This allows you to maintain consistency while still offering meaningful growth for riders of different ages, abilities, and experience levels.
Ultimately, the Winter Horsemanship Challenge is meant to support your instruction—not replace it. It reinforces your role as the guide while giving riders structured opportunities to deepen their understanding, stay engaged, and grow into more thoughtful, well-rounded equestrians.
How do they earn a ribbon?
The target is to attempt 2 activities per week or spend a minimum of 1 hour a week in addition to their normal commitment. Provided the riders attempt or progress is submitted in the course platform, ribbon will get mailed out after the challenge has ended to the mailing address that was provide.
How can I get answers to other questions?
Need to contact us? You can email Heather@InstructorHalfHalt.com
Challenges Powered by:
