Lesson ideas for teenagers

[icklemadame]

I'm really struggling with my teenage pupils at the moment and am in need of some inspiration!! I try and keep my lessons varied and fun to keep them interested but I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle... the problem being they are on riding school ponies (which are either plods or speed demons inevitably) which don't really understand 'on the bit' or listening to the aids so lessons in going properly and the correct seat etc. are lost to both pony & child as they either kick like hell or hang on for dear life... and again inevitably children start falling asleep because neither them nor the pony are managing anything constructive at all... does that all make sense??? Plus I tend to have rather large lessons so again I'm limited in space in the school... anyway... has anyone got some fun ideas, for example fun flatwork exercises/canter exercises for some confident teens?? Any idea of any kind would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[happyhack]

tell them you are going to arrange a show for them and prizes will be handed out. They will all get a pony/horse of their own to plait etc and enter in a dressage or jumping or gymkhana games. Plan it for the summer and tell them that they will have to practice hard at their disciplines.

prizes could be mp3 players (you can get fairly inexpensive ones nowadays), dvd's, itunes vouches and rosettes trophies.

My riding school used to do it and it was brilliant fun!!! we all got assigned to a pony and it was ours for a few weeks however often our parents could afford

 

[nikkiportia]

Play music in the background

 

[ghosthooves]

We do things like scissors, serpentines, figures of 8 etc which can be quite fun (if a bit mental

). Last week we were playing mad relay races in honor of easter Sunday (though don't know how much space you have, we managed it with 9 in a 20 x 40 since there were only 3 of us on the go at one time). If the weather conditions are decent (ie less likely to cause horses to spook

) we sometimes do bareback stuff.

Don't know if those are any good sorry

xx

 

[Kat]

Do a working hunter class in the lesson, even if there aren't prizes it will be a good change and you can discuss the results. Combined training would also work, one prelim dressage test and a sj course.

You could ask them to critique each others performances after too.

 

[Penguinboots]

Why not try some drill rides? We used to be given a number, even numbers would go on one rein, odd numbers on the other...both rides had to make sure they passed their partner's shoulder left to left at A and C, we'd be asked change the rein on opposite long diagonals (both rides crossing at X!) and up the centre line in pairs etc etc.
These can be a lot of fun (if a little chaotic!) and it's really good for accuracy.

 

[kate081]

What's wrong with perservering at getting the horses to go better? As a teenager I'd have been horrified at the idea of having 'fun' lessons. I wanted to learn how to ride properly.
Swapping horses half way through way always a good challenge - 2 rides for the price of 1 too. Also jumping different grids or learning how to do shoulder in/ turn on the forehand etc was interesting even if the horse I was riding found it difficult. If they want fun then they should be trekking not learning in a school...

 

[happyhack]

aaah wow!!!! I wanna do that!!!

 

[aliacc]

how about "mirror riding" in pairs..., making up a routine....doing circles and then going wide etc separating and then joining up again into pairs....after practise you could even put together a ride to music and do a little show for parents....with a collection box for appreciative parents for a horse charity?

Ali

 

[duckling]

my old yard used to do musical rides where all the lessons competed against each other in a final show regardless of ability

each lesson chose collectively a theme and the music to fit (we did loads of stuff - robin hood/football/the circus/pirates of the caribbean), and learnt a drill ride which was tailored to the experience of the lessons. beginners had either leaders on foot or lead horses to follow, and the more experienced helped devise their routines and included lateral work, pairs crossing from opposite diagonals, canter work etc etc. always good to have something to work up to - maybe you could suggest it for your whole riding centre to do?? we all had costumes for us and our horses and everything - took about 3 months to devise and practice, just have to make sure each weekly lesson consists of mostly the same people so routines are learnt!!

or maybe do a prix caprilli?? as in dressage test with a small jump in the middle (or even a set of trotting poles).

 

[Ditzy]

Ditto the drill riding, it's fairly simple and great fun, particularly when there's a huge pile up in the middle of the school as you try to change the rein! There's a huge variety of different exercises to try as well.

Swapping horses is also a good idea too, tell them they're going to assess their horses and compare them to the second horse they ride. Get them thinking about how their horse is going and how they've had to adapt their riding when switching from one horse to the other.

 

[TGM]

Make a 'pretend' jumping course using just wings and no poles. If wings aren't available then use cones, barrels or whatever, just something they have to ride between. Get them to ride it in trot first and then in canter. Do it just like a proper jumping round and give them a ding-a-ling to start. Concentrate on rhythm, impulsion, nice smooth turns with correct bend, lrider ooking at the following jump etc. It is a great exercise to do and helps children realise that flatwork is actually very important in relation to jumping!

 

[summertoots]

I have two sets of teenage lessons every weekend. I love teaching them. I tend to do a lot of what people have sugested. Teenagers hate going nose to tail, I work in open order a lot.
Set out trotting pole's and then canter poles and use this as a warm up,then make a kind of tunnel with poles on the ground, about 1m wide,two poles end to end either side, and get then to ride through the centre as this will teach them to ride evenly with both legs, use lots of visualisation, get them to emagine they are in a corridor then gradualy make it wider so they have to ride with more and more acuracy to stop any drifting, I find that if you do this and then go on to pole's where you ask them to ride to the centre, there is a marked improvement in the aproach and ride away from the poles, and then you can move on to impulsion, speed, being rythmical, link it all together and you have worked them on what is important when jumping a course, and lets face it thats pretty much all teenagers want to do!!