All work and no play…can make for a sour horse and a burned-out rider. If you’re schooling and competing heavily this summer, make sure to set time aside at least once a month to keep your horse fresh—and your own disposition sunnier.

Gather riding friends for a trail ride, asking each of them to bring something to contribute to an al fresco lunch (French bread or baguettes, hard chesses, sturdy apples, and nuts make for a healthy yet hard-to-mash meal). Then slather on the sunscreen and hit the trails.