“All horses need variety, and their brains need a break.”
― Ingrid Klimke
I love to take my horse out on the trail, and then I spotted a book by one of the world’s most decorated equestrians…Ingrid Klimke. I had to grab it!
Riding Out: Strategies for Training Outside the Arena to Improve Horse Health and Performance by Ingrid Klimke.
This book was published on my birthday of last year…January 21, 2025. This paperback book contains 304 pages mixed with color photographs.
You can get your copy directly here at Trafalgar Square books!
Ingrid Klimke is a world-renowned equestrian, and one of the most decorated. She is a five-time Olympian and has two gold medals and a silver in eventing. She has multiple medals from elite competition around the world in both eventing and in dressage. What I really love is that with all of her serious training, riding outside of the arena has found a place in regular riding. She tells us in the beginning of her book about her childhood and growing up riding out on the trails.
Today her horses clearly perform better with riding out as part of their normal routine.
“The things my horses learn out on the trail benefit me between the dressage boards and in the show jumping arena. Trail riding is an integral part of my event horses’ training program.”
― Ingrid Klimke
I am at the far other end of the eventing spectrum…a wee starter level beginner adult amateur rider for life yet with my years of experience I have also comet o realize my horse does better when I can get him out of the arena once a week. We ride in the fields, out on the trails. Whatever I can do to help him engage with me and the world and not grow tired of the confinement of an arena.
Ingrid discusses how trail riding is great for the horse mentally and physically but also helps to guide the person who may be hesitant at first. In the first few chapters we learn about all of the benefits and why Ingrid is so dedicated to riding outside of the arena.
Ingrid uses the next part in her book to explain how to prepare for your exit from arena riding. She covers the gear for the rider and for the horse. She explains safety and covers common riding rules and riding etiquette.
We also learn about how to approach obstacles in the book. Jumping over logs. Crossing through water. A horse confined to an arena may struggle with some of these, but Ingrid breaks each obstacle down to the most basic and describes how one might introduce a green horse.
“The hills, undulations, hollows, and slopes can improve your horse’s physical suppleness and use of his back.”
― Ingrid Klimke
We finish up the book with more discussion on fitness. Riding on terrain is excellent for conditioning a horse. The use of hills and varying ground firmness can be so useful in developing a healthy well-rounded horse. She explains how to start slowly and develop the fitness over time so as not to do too much too fast.
The conversation finally turns to dressage. Ingrid advocates for dressage work while on the trail as a way to make rides productive and interesting. She gives some useful exercises and discusses stride lengthening and flying changes.
“Up to this point, we’ve let inexperienced horses walk up to strange obstacles to have a look at them. Ditches are an exception to this rule. We don’t let horses look and sniff first because it’s how ditches look that makes them a bit scary. But jumping a ditch is basically just an extended canter stride.”
― Ingrid Klimke
Final Word:
I really enjoyed Ingid Klimke’s Riding Out: Strategies for Training Outside the Arena to Improve Horse Health and Performance. I already subscribed to the notion that getting the horse out of the arena on a regular basis made for a better horse mentally and physically. Ingrid’s book helped validate my decisions and reinforced those thoughts with solid evidence. She provided some excellent stepping stones and exercises that I can use out on the trail. The book also laid out solid training approaches for greener horses.
I would recommend Riding Out for anyone who has a horse and enjoys riding. Particularly for those who are more often confined to arena riding. I encourage you to read this book and see just how beneficial it can be. It can be scary with some horses but Ingrid lays out ideas for how to safely make it happen. The effort is worth it and if you don’t believe me read the book and find out for yourself why the worlds most decorated equestrian swears by Riding Out.
I also want to add that I buy most of my horse books from Trafalgar Square Books; I am also an affiliate with the company. I would love it if you find your copy through my affiliate link here, it’ll let TSB know I sent you!
Published by Trafalgar Square Books, an imprint of the Stable Book Group
32 Court Street Suite 2109 Brooklyn, NY 11201
If you have any questions, comments, or would like further information, please contact:
trafalgar@stablebookgroup.com
The Green Horseman 
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