Fun riding stuff for kids....

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mangobiscuit

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Am in the process of teaching my daughter (7) to ride. We are just walking independantly very well but trotting she is still not confident enough to rise, steer etc all on her own!!

She usually rides a 15hh cob who is absolutely perfect to learn to ride on, such a good temperement etc but still got oomph!!

Put some blocks out in the school tonight in a line and got her to walk through them (like snaking inside and outside of them) but got a bit stuck on some other stuff to do to keep it fun and interesting - but also stuff that will encourage her to practice using all her aids.

Anyone got any tips/exercises?

Thank you!
 
I do lots of things with the letters in the school, so stopping at a letter, steering, and thinking of an animal, food you like, food you dont like, colour that begisn with that letter

Getting them to know what letters you can change the rein to and from.....hope this helps, there is a book called, 'teaching children to ride' which is quite inventive....
 
Oh wow! Thanks for that info!

Ok I will google it - do you know the name of the author?
ETS: have just found the book I thnk - will be ordering tonight
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Haha oh so you're an instructor!?

Yeh I can imagine keeing 4 year olds amused is quite a big job!

I was half considering going down the same road but I'm in two minds...
 
Grandma's footsteps was always a popular one. Good for stopping/starting on their own

Lots of changing the rein/halting at markers.

What about setting up a mini handy pony course?
 
well hardly, i have just done my Stage 1, and have started teaching young kids in small groups and private lessons. Its easier than Yard work though!!

If i get a really quiet kid i normally end up talking to the pony....quite sad really!!!
 
Make up little handy pony courses with weaving cones, ' a tunnel' ( just 2 poles to walk through but you have to duck down) put parcels round the track to collect and deliver and then to encourage trot work the train can always run late!!
Always found when i was doing a bit of teaching this was great for building confidence as the kids loved it!
 
Play "traffic lights": when you say "red light" she has to stop, "green light" she has to go, "roundabout" ride a circle, you can use turn left & right, and when she gets really good, "motorway" can mean trot.
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Also riding while singing and doing actions to "head, shoulders, knees and toes" is good, or any form of riding without holding on e.g. touching the pony's ears or tail. If ever she rides with another child, you can get them to try and stop, walk turn etc at the same time.

Hope that helps
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Right...thanks for all that guys!

Am going to order that book and find some bits and pieces to make a small fun course for them to pootle round
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We have unlimited amounts of random objects and junk but a very limited supply of jump wings and poles
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Oh well........
 
If you can get a couple of poles, I always find crocodiles is their favourite (I usually teach the babies at pony club).

You just lie the poles about 3 ft apart and tell them they are the jaws of a crocodile. The idea is to ride straight through the middle, without touching the jaws otherwise you will be eaten
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Each time they come round you move them closer together - is a very good excercise for riding straight/ steering...

Will think of some more!
 
Don't you remember doing 'around the world' when you were younger?

I still can't believe what sticking power she's got - a future eventer in the making I reckon! x
 
ps. also agree with giggles - they love heads, shoulders etc.

and handy pony is great...

I also teach them to hold rein properly in one hand (bridge) and steer (just simple rein changes) and also usually do a few warn up exercises like 'touch your left toe with your right hand' - depending on how stable they are!

Also halting at markers or in boxes (made of trotting poles) and counting to 3 before walking on is good...

x
 
Yeh she's quite a whizz ar round the world!! She has got a sticky bum hasn't she - it's just CONFIDENCE that is lacking at the mo...it'll come i'm sure *aaaaah shame we haven't got a smallish little pony for her*
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Thr crocodile thing sounds fun - it's all about keeping it interesting!

She happy walking doing touch heads shoulders etc in walk but we're still working on letting go of the saddle when trotting.

Thank you for all your replies guys!

Oh and Vics: I only got half your txt
 
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