Before starting a new program you should assess your horse’s current physical state and what your goals are in order to have a clear plan. Taking photographs before, during and after implementing a new routine will help inform your progress.

Getting your horse to stand square for conformation shots can be a pain, but this is an important tool for finding weaknesses or compensations as well as tracking progress. You’ll want to take front, back, side and “bird’s eye” shots.

Make sure your tack is fitted properly to your horse. A shimmable pad is often used by fitters to help prop up a part of the saddle while you work on building those muscles. If the saddle is unbalanced, the rider is most likely unbalanced, which causes compensatory movement patterns within the horse.

Make sure you are aware of your own imbalances and work toward fixing them out of the saddle. It is unfair to ask your horse to move properly without working on yourself as well.

Watch your horse at liberty. Is he moving freely? Does he look tense or stiff anywhere? Assess your horse’s body condition score and general demeanor.

Have a baseline understanding of your horses cardiovascular fitness and nutrition levels.

Have a specific goal in mind. All disciplines can benefit from using the USDF pyramid as a framework for what you should be working on.