28/ FEBRUARY 2026 THE RIDER


Done With Going Round and Round on the Rail


By Kathy Farrokhzad. Do you ever get stuck


in the same rut ride after ride? It is true that finding a routine is a good idea be- cause it gives you and your horse a sense of structure that you can build upon over time.


But there are times


when you want to spice things up before you pack it up!


Use the 10/5 Challenge when: - you’re both done with that 50th loop around the rail and want to do something completely “off the wall” (pun intended!) - you feel that everything went right in the ride and there’s still more left in you and your horse for a bang- up last effort - you want to get the kinks out and release tension in you and your horse - you want to develop hind end engagement and larger hind end strides - your horse is feeling a little lethargic and “uninspired” - your horse is too pumped up and needs to put his en- ergy somewhere - you want to fine-tune your aids and transitions - you want to play a little with a “last dance” before you’re done for the day.


In any case, this exer-


cise will help both you and your horse work out of your tightness. It encourages your horse to loosen over the top line, work out his balance and engagement, and in general, become bet- ter able to work through any transition.


The 10/5 Challenge The idea is pretty sim-


ple. You want to do 10 strides of one thing and then 5 strides of something else. For example: - 10 strides canter/5 strides trot - 10 strides left and 5 strides right - 10 strides canter/5 strides walk - 10 strides leg yield/5 strides shoulder-in


There really are an in-


finite of variations you can use.


But I love the first one


the most, especially for be- ginner to intermediate horse and riders, so let’s break that one down more for an ex- ample.


The 10 Strides Canter/5 Strides Trot Challenge


1. Canter Go into a canter. Make


sure you have a “decent” canter to start - encourage your horse onward if at all possible.


2. Count strides. The idea is to hit the


transition on that 10 mark, and be absolutely picky about changing gaits in the 10th stride.


3. Transition to trot. You might have to re-


ally prepare for this transi- tion at first. Chances are, your horse will not be ex- pecting such a downward transition so soon, so be ready to reinforce your ask- ing aids as soon as you can. The idea is to stay in that 10 stride number. So be picky.


4. Transition to canter. But watch out! Don’t


“sit” on your laurels! Those 5 strides are over before you know it, and you have got to get back into the canter on the fifth trot stride! And there is the real


challenge. This exercise re- quires you to be sharp, accu- rate and physically in sync with your horse. The quick- ness of the transitions will jolt you into a higher level of accuracy and timing. The physicality of the transitions will have you both huffing and puffing in no time. Just remember to keep breath- ing! You might solicit a nice body-shaking snort from your horse in the process. That is a good sign.


5. Do it again! The first time is proba-


bly going to be the easiest for a while. The next bunch


of tries will really highlight the areas that need to come together for a better transi- tion. As your horse starts to realize that there will be more and more transitions,


he may go through some tension and resistance be- fore he can gather up his strength and balance to be able to smoothly make so many transitions.


You might discover a


few issues as well! Initially, the transitions come up very quickly. You might feel overwhelmed and thrown off balance a bit. Keep at it. If you find yourself not making the 10 strides, do 12. But aim for 10. Figure out how to adjust your tim- ing for the transitions. You might have to do the “ask” for both the upward and downward several strides before. Practice. Stick with the


program 10, 20 times even if things don’t go well. You will get better at it and your horse will become more bal- anced. Things will start falling together. The next time you try this, you might discover that the horse has an easier time with the tran- sitions and responds more smoothly and efficiently to the aids. Of all the exercises


I’ve used, I’d recommend this one the most for anyone to try at any level. It works


well with an advanced horse/rider combination as well as for the beginner rider or horse. You can make it a very basic exercise of one simple transition or complicate it as much as you would like. If the can- ter/trot is too simple, move onto something that chal- lenges both you and your horse. Do the transitions while you change direc- tions. Change leads and then break to the trot. The varia- tions are limitless!


Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is an EC coach and author of the Horse Listening book collection, Goal Setting For The Equestrian: A Personal Workbook, and the creator of the Practice Sessions on- line program. If you liked what you read here, check out her blog at HorseListen- ing.com for many more arti- cles about horses, riding and life in general.


Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Announces 2026 Committee Updates


The Board of Direc-


tors of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame re- cently approved new mem- bers of


the following committees: of


Standardbred Nomination Committee Following the passing longtime Committee


Member, Dow Clowater, the CHRHF Board of Directors has approved the addition of Dr. Ian Moore, CHRHF Ho- noured Member - Class of 2024 to the Standardbred Nomination Committee. Born in Sheffield England, Dr. Moore grew up in Prince Edward Island and has suc- cessfully balanced profes- sions as a Standardbred trainer and practising veteri- narian. Racing primarily in Ontario, Dr. Moore has trained horses to earnings of more than $29 million through 2025. CHRHF In- ducted horses who have benefited from Dr. Moore’s tutelage include Shadow


8782 Longwood Rd, Mount Brydges, ON, N0L1W0 www.viatrailer.com


Play. At the recent O’Brien Awards for 2025, Dr. Moore received his third O’Brien Award for Horsemanship and was named the Trainer of the Year, while one of his 2025 stable stars was hon- oured as the Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year and Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year.


Planning Committee This volunteer com-


mittee is responsible for overseeing the planning and execution of the day-to-day operations of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. The committee membership includes CHRHF Board Members, CHRHF Hon- oured Members and senior racing industry executives. Recent Board approved ad- ditions to the Planning Committee include: Tony Elliott is cur-


rently the Manager, Ontario Betting & Racing at Wood- bine Entertainment. He has been very active in develop-


ing marketing strategies and promotional campaigns that strengthen wagering en- gagement and elevate the visibility of Woodbine’s Thoroughbred and Stan- dardbred brands. With expe- rience overseeing racing operations and marketing initiatives across Ontario racetracks, including The Raceway at Western Fair District and Clinton Race- way, Tony brings a deep passion for Canadian racing, strong industry insight, and a steadfast commitment to growing the sport’s profile nationwide. Alexander Fanti has


built a career in the racing and gaming industry, hold- ing wagering, marketing, and sales roles across Canada and the United States. He has held positions at Woodbine Entertainment Group as Marketing Man- ager and at Daily Racing Form (DRF) as Director of Data & Analytics. In his most recent role at DRF, he


led initiatives to accelerate growth in advertising sales, retail product sales, and eCommerce subscriptions. Currently, Alex works in consumer-packaged goods sales and remains an avid horse racing fan. The Canadian Horse


Racing Hall of Fame thanks these new Committee Mem- bers, as well as all the vol- unteers who commit their time and knowledge to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. A complete list of Committee Members can be found here. Founded in 1976, The


Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, is a registered charity with a mission to ho- nour and preserve the his- tory and majesty of horse racing in Canada, by cele- brating and bestowing recognition for excellence achieved by those who have significantly contributed to horse racing in Canada, a sport with a legacy of over 250 years.


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