Lesson ideas please!

[Paint it Lucky]

I am training to be an instructor at the moment. I work at a yard where I get to teach, watch and have lessons as part of my training but by and have only ever taught beginners, so very basic stuff which I find easy to come up with.
Well tomorrow one of the usual instructors is away and I have been asked to teach a group lesson of competent 10-12 year olds who can all confidently walk, trot, canter and jump (up to about 2ft) and have all been riding for a few years. So what can I teach them!? I am thinking of maybe some no stirrup work in all paces (as long as they're safe to), leg yielding. I am a very dressage orientated rider so would happily teach them more about this but don't want to bore them by being too technical. So does anyone have any ideas what to do with them that would be enjoyable but also improve their riding at the same time?

 

[laurenpalmer]

yer something new that they don't already know and fun! get them riding properly..just try not to get stressy! they hate that and don't co-operate! leg yeilding would be good maybe some kind of polework if they're good with the leg yielding?good luck!

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

reining back, turn on the forehand - mini dressage comp ?

 

[Coffee_Bean]

Rein Back, turn on the forehand, leg yield, but would maybe say not no stirrups work. It is quite hard work and they may not have a deep enough seat to cope, maybe getting them to do all the different size circles, 20, 15, 10 and 6, in walk and then the top three in trot and top two in canter?? Or riding altogether as a ride, thats always fun

 

[laurenpalmer]

yer good idea and i always loved doing syncronised riding and traffic lights and fun stuff which is also god for control and speed! mini dressage comp would be good..if you had enough time! let us know what u do!

 

[LauraBR]

I have a book called 101 Schooling Exercises which you might find useful, I think it is actually partly aimed at instructors too.

 

[Paint it Lucky]

Thanks for the ideas everyone, the lesson went really well, the riders weren't quite as experienced as I'd thought so we did a lot of work on steering and getting the ponies going forwards but they all got better as the lesson went on and all seemed to really enjoy it, as did I! Looking forward to my next one now