Exercises to help a child learn to balance

SEL

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Unbalanced child and unbalanced pony are not a match made in heaven, but without going into detail on a public forum that's what the situation is. Pony is actually well behaved, but very green and has a tendency to rush and is built downhill anyway. Child balances between standing in her stirrups and hanging onto the reins - so pony ducks head down, pulls against the contact and rushes more.

Lunging not an option because whoever taught the pony to lunge originally made it do wall of death galloping and breaking that habit is work in progress.

Any exercises I can do (in walk!) to try and get the child to sit back and learn to ride from her seat rather than hanging onto the reins? I'm not an instructor and right now the parents don't have the funds for lessons on a sensible riding school pony who would ignore a wobbly child.
 

Courbette

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Is the pony safe to lead in walk with the rider having no reins and/or stirrups? Maybe start halt to walk from the seat only and make it into a game? Then turning etc again with a loose contact using the seat and legs and keep the sessions short but hopefully positive. Some calm work over random poles could help the pony slow his feet and give the child something to focus and encourage them both to sit up? It might just be a case of slow progress and keep correcting her position until she develops some muscle memory.
 

be positive

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Put pony on a lead rein, keep the contact as loose as you can so you are only the safety net, take reins, and stirrups if possible, away and do lots of halt, walk, halt with the child learning to use her seat to get the halt, you can give a bit of help without them knowing until both get the hang of it, use of the voice by you or the rider should help and may transfer to the lunging, once they can halt from their seat they are half way to gaining balance, keep it fun by using letters/ other points to aim for and make every 'success' a big deal so she starts to enjoy it rather than find something so basic rather boring, reins can be taken back and it repeated with the aim being to barely touch them to get the halt, depending on her age you can give extra challenges to keep her interest.
Most children that really want to ride are not bored by repetition as much as we think they will be, just being on board is enough for many as long as it is not too serious, the standard exercises are also useful, timing them doing round the world, half scissors etc of the pony is safe enough can end up with lots of giggles and help with relaxation and in turn their balance.
 

dorsetladette

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A balance strap may help. If they are holding the balance strap its harder to pull the reins to balance. Depending on how old the child is you could get them to just loop their little fingers through to keep there hands steady. Lower the stirrups a hole or 2 if you can to lower there centre of gravity a little.
Lots of fun running round fields/arena's shouting 'up down up down up down' and giggling jockey's trying to keep up.
 
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chaps89

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Depending on the age of the child, turning it into a game of Simon says helps.

Things like putting both hands on your head, your right hand on your head, then your left hand.
Can you turn around to the right and touch the ponies tail, then do the same turning to the left.
Put your arms out like an aeroplane. Touch your knees.
Touch your toes.
Touch the ponies ears.
Start off doing it at halt, then in walk (with a leader/person ready to catch the child as necessary)
All things that help with balance and sitting independently without the rider realising.
Also things like putting 1 arm out to the side and circling it to the front 5 times, then 5 times to the back, or a foot out the stirrup and some ankle rolls etc.
 
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SEL

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She's about 9 I think - but quite a big 9 for a 16" saddle which doesn't help! She used to ride the pony a year ago and lost her confidence. I could see why within 30 secs over the weekend - green pony and novice rider.

I think we'll be ok with a lead rein esp if I make it a no stirrups or reins game. Stop / start at cones would work and maybe guiding through poles. Over poles is sometimes fine and sometimes pony thinks it's the grand national.

Love the Simon says idea! I think even if I can get 15 mins or so of her doing exercises and then finish with a walk down the lane we'll be good. Just want to spare to pony having its teeth yanked out again ?
 

SEL

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A balance strap may help. Lower the stirrups a hole or 2 if you can to lower there centre of gravity a little.
Lots of fun running round fields/arena's shouting 'up down up down up down' and giggling jockey's trying to keep up.

Less of the running!!

I think a strap would help and right now she's got the stirrups too high. I think to try and help with her balance but actually she's sitting like she's in a chair. Walk is wobbly enough but any attempt at trot and she's rising too high.
 

Not_so_brave_anymore

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Is she a bit tall for the pony? My 6yo naturally sits beautifully on our 12hh, but my 8yo tends to revert to armchair pose. A saddle with Velcro knee pads (and a lot of trial an d error with the positioning!) seems to have helped somewhat. And lots of walk with no stirrups.
 

dorsetladette

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Less of the running!!

I think a strap would help and right now she's got the stirrups too high. I think to try and help with her balance but actually she's sitting like she's in a chair. Walk is wobbly enough but any attempt at trot and she's rising too high.

LOL!!! maybe a quick walk??

I'd definitely lower her stirrups. Do it while she's not there and don't tell her until after she had a really positive session, if you think changing things will make her anxious. My daughter used to get upset if I changed anything as she wasn't the most confident with anything new. So I did everything like that while she wasn't around /looking and then just say 'that was better with long stirrups wasn't it??' after she'd ridden. :)
 

SEL

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Is she a bit tall for the pony? My 6yo naturally sits beautifully on our 12hh, but my 8yo tends to revert to armchair pose. A saddle with Velcro knee pads (and a lot of trial an d error with the positioning!) seems to have helped somewhat. And lots of walk with no stirrups.

Not too tall - but she's a bit on the chunky side. The pony can easily take the weight (she takes mine without issue) but I think without dropping her stirrups and getting her weight in the right place she's ending up at the back of the saddle. Typical speedy pony trot and before you know it child is bouncing everywhere and hanging onto the reins.

I also suspect she's always had her stirrups on the top hole despite doing that annoying child thing of growing upwards! So what worked a while back needs to be 2 holes lower now. Dorsetladdette's idea of doing it when she isn't watching is a good one.
 
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