Exciting tips on teaching young children

[Hannah1999]

Hi all, I am teaching my two young girls
to ride and feel like I’m making it very boring. I’d really appreciate some hints and tips on making the experience more fun so they really forget they are learning and just enjoy riding, whilst gaining confidence and balance. I have two amazing ponies who are super on and off the leadrein. Thanks in advance.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Heads shoulders knees and toes song works very well with little ones, as they need to keep their balance, giggle whilst singing it too. start at halt, then work on to walk, trot....
Plenty more, especially using nursery rhymes

 

[scruffyponies]

I can't speak for 'proper' teaching, but we teach them all whilst hacking, and can get a young child riding confidently surprisingly quickly; Lots of simple balance exercises in the beginning (hands on head, touch pony's ears etc)
Introduce stirrupless and bareback as early as you can - even if the bareback is just up and down the yard after a ride for a few minutes.
Kids like imagining things - give them permission to be silly, and they like to feel in control, so let them go in front.

 

[dorsetladette]

We did lots of fun games like bending poles and other races. Then round the world and half scissors. Out hacking you can play I spy and make up silly songs too. Dressing up makes riding fun too, I mean who doesn't want to ride a pony dressed as a princess??

Getting them to teach each other can be fun, but its amazing how bossy you sound when you are impersonated by a young child marching round the field lol

 

[Wishfilly]

Definitely make it fun- use games- picking things up one handed is great for lots of reasons, for example. Races are often good for getting confidence up. Hacking out is also great, for balance and making them almost forget about riding.

How young is young?

 

[Hannah1999]

Nearly 4 and 2.5 - 2.5yr old is very brave and has a natural horsemanship she seems happier but the oldest seems to get brave when friends or family are present but then seems to go backwards whenever we are alone. She is better on a hack, we picked blackberries, turned round flowers etc - she always seems to want to trot and canter but in the field we tend to go head to head where I feel like I’m being very bossy and she digs her heels in.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Nearly 4 and 2.5 - 2.5yr old is very brave and has a natural horsemanship she seems happier but the oldest seems to get brave when friends or family are present but then seems to go backwards whenever we are alone. She is better on a hack, we picked blackberries, turned round flowers etc - she always seems to want to trot and canter but in the field we tend to go head to head where I feel like I’m being very bossy and she digs her heels in.

I wouldn't want to be doing any sort of formal teaching with a 2.5 yr old tbh. Even the nearly 4 yr old is a bit young for competitive games, which is what often motivates young riders. I would keep the field for 'Heads, shoulders, knees and toes' type games and spend most of the riding time on hacks. Young children don't have a long concentration span, so hacking suits them, as there is usually something different to notice and talk about. You could always reward the 4 yr old with a canter in the field at the end of the hack. Use what she wants to do as rewards for doing what you ask.

 

[Pickelina]

Following as I have an almost four year old too, and a (just) two year old. Only one pony between them but it's the eldest's pony, little one has had a sit on but only been led around the paddock. Eldest loves learning her up-down for trot and going no handed with arms balanced out. She has a fantastic seat from riding with a pad. Her favourite thing is leading her sister around on him though!

 

[Tarragon]

How about activities based on the Simon Says game? I also like playing Grandmother's footsteps.

 

[Hannah1999]

Thanks all, I really appreciate your responses. Please keep any ideas coming

 

[HeyMich]

If you ride in a school with letters, and your kids are old enough to know their letters, you can play a nice game where they halt/transition at certain parts of the school to spell out words. My daughter's favourite was spelling the word CAKE with perfect square halts. Funnily enough, I also rewarded her for her first proper canter with cake too... Spot the running theme!

Another one is marking the points of the clock whilst on a large circle (therefore works on a lunge line well) and, imagining they are the pointer of the hour hand, getting them to halt/transition at certain times on the clock. I guess both of these games are like Simon Says, but just a bit different.

 

[teapot]

Games, more games, and even more games. Worry about the formal teaching later.

 

[MissMay]

simon says and traffic lights (green go(trot if able), orange slow down, red stop) and 'race'the length of arena

 

[Wishfilly]

At 4 and 2.5 I wouldn't worry about formal teaching much as they may not be ready for it. Time spent in the saddle will benefit them in terms of seat/balance and confidence. Lots of hacking and fun adventures and let them take the lead, e.g. if you 4yo does not want to canter on one day, I would not push it.

I think picking blackberries at this time of year is great, and so are simple games like, pick a toy up in one place, then put it down somewhere else, or throw it in a bucket. Head, shoulders, knees and toes, or the "numbers game" where they do different actions on different numbers are popular with this age group.

There will come a point (probably between 6ish and 8ish) where things start to click and they become more ready for formal teaching, but for now I would focus on time in the saddle, balance and having fun!

 

[SpotsandBays]

We used to do stories, and the little girl I taught loved it! I let her pick who she was and where we were, and she’d basically make the story herself. Usually We’d have to go and “Deliver” something - Typically a whip or whatever we had to hand but she’d say it was something else - to some prince or whoever who would be a lap or so away, and we’d encounter something scary so we would have to trot away to be safe! Then we’d come across a big log (pole) and we’d have to go over (practise jump position). Silly stuff like that. Honestly the kid did most of the work! Also things like Simon says, what’s the time mr wolf. Follow the leader etc. Also what I would call a stretching session, so halt pony, make kid touch their toes, opposite hands, pony’s ears and tail, see how tall they could reach. Around the world etc

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

My kids just seeing riding as going for a walk without actually having to walk! I assumed they weren't really learning anything at all, but they can both now sit minor spooks comfortably, and they've both developed a funny kind of "crouching" trot, which I think will just naturally become a proper rising trot. But then again, I have no aspirations for them above this! (they were having lessons at the local RS before lockdown, which we haven't restarted yet, but I think we will when our fields start getting too muddy to ride)

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It's sloe picking time soon get them out picking those it's much easier on horseback you can reach all the high ones, the horses will also munch it so they are happy to stand, and you get lovely gin!!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

It's sloe picking time soon get them out picking those it's much easier on horseback you can reach all the high ones, the horses will also munch it so they are happy to stand, and you get lovely gin!!

I am not sure that I would want the ponies eating blackthorn tbh and I doubt that the ponies are big enough to allow the children to reach higher than an adult anyway.

 

[C24]

My daughter just started riding lessons last week, she’s just turned 5 today. We’ve had the odd potter around the yard bare back and a little sit in the stable on my friend/yard owner’s smaller ponies. She’s had one 30 minute lesson with someone walking beside without a lead rein. She did walk, trot, walk without stirrups and a walk over trot poles on a 20m circle. Mainly focused on steering, halt, upward transitions and general riding posture. Her instructor told her that she could change the rein, halt, walk and trot whenever she wanted so she had control of the pony. For my daughter that’s what works for her, to feel in control and given some responsibility and choice. With your eldest you could try Gymkhana/handy pony type activities. She doesn’t need to ride quickly around it, just at her own pace. Kids are sponges and at those ages they learn better through play than through schooling exercises which quickly make a rise feel very stagnant and boring. Hell, I’m an adult and I know I get sick to the back teeth if I’m constantly schooling my boy and focusing on my riding form every time. Kids are even worse, you’ll be lucky to get any more than 5 minutes of uninterrupted attention from a 4 year old - especially if it’s something which she doesn’t find fun to do.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I am not sure that I would want the ponies eating blackthorn tbh and I doubt that the ponies are big enough to allow the children to reach higher than an adult anyway.

It was meant to be a bit of a joke never mind