My kids riding lessons.... (Sorry long)

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Tabbi

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My two boys go riding every other week and have been going for about a year now and I am getting a little peed off with their progression.
Some times it is just them in the lesson but more often then not they have other riders who have not learnt as much them in their group.

My boys have done transitions, work without stirrups, trotting (lots of trotting!), round the world, thread the needle and have done quite a bit of jumping.
I want them to start on cantering but they dont! I have even mentioned it to the instructors about cantering but they dont seem to ever get round to it.

I have even thought about asking the YO if I can teach my boys so they can advance more.
Now you may think that they are not ready but both my boys have experienced canter but only a couple of steps and they love it when it happens!!
So should I ask YO to crack on with teaching them canter? or if I can teach them? or just wait for them to eventually get round to teaching them it?
 
I would have a chat with the instructor about it, explain that you think they are ready and maybe ask why they haven't started yet. If you get no joy from that, maybe think about teaching them yourself or taking them to a different instructor?
 
How old are they? As someone who used to teach lead rein lessons I would say that is a really long time to make them wait before introducing canter unless they are very young and have very short legs.
 
I agree they're definatly old enough to learn how to canter, IMO if they can jump they should be allowed to canter. It will help them to improve their balance and continue on to improve with jumping etc.
 
They are deffinbaly old enough to canter, I was gong to ask age as my little girl is nearly 4 and is dying to ride by herslef, jump and canter, even though can ride better than older children she is not strong enough to control a horse, poor her it wil happen soon enough.

If your boys are capable, then you do need to have word before they get bored!
 
On paper it certainly sounds like they are ready to learn to canter by now... I had my first on my tenth lesson (I was 10), did a few strides here and there for a few weeks to give us a taster then went back to lots of trotting without stirrups. It really got my enthusiasm up and gave me a reason to want to learn to trot without stirrups to improve my canter.

Why not do as others have suggested, have a chat with their instructor and ask if there's any reason why they don't canter yet and possibly take your boys elsewhere if you aren't happy with the answers.

On another note, do the lessons seem varied and interesting - for instance we had group lessons to learn how to ride around others and independently of the group, we learnt lots of different school exercises, occasionally did jumping and gymkhana games etc..... or are they dull and repetitive to watch? If the latter you might be better off spending your money elsewhere.
 
QR
I have to disagree - canter is not age related so it is nothing to do with being 'old enough' to canter - it is about being balanced/confident enough.
If you trust your riding instructor, leave them to decide what your boys should do, when, and on which pony.
If you don't - withdraw them from lessons and find somewhere else. I suspect that no reputable school would let you teach them yourself, due to the health and safety/insurance issues.
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My daughter is 12 and has had 6 private lessons recently , and some lessons several years ago when a fall put her off. Back then she did not get on to cantering. She has now started cantering week 3
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although this was on lead rein. She has done lots of trotting, steering exercises around cones etc, round the worlds, pole work and work without stirrups off lead rein.I was suprised and anxious at her cantering but last lesson she cantered on her own, but pony was on auto pilot. I would have a word and express your wish to see them move up a gear!!!!
 
I spent too long in lessons without being taught to canter as a youngster, canter became this 'big scary thing' which meant I struggled with it later, had no confidence with it at all, I finally got a turning point aged about 12 or 13 when someone stuck me on an ancient pony on dartmoor (bless him he was a star) and took me out just her and me and it was great.
 
it seems strange that they are allowed to jump but not canter
if you think they are ready and they enjoyed their few strides I think she should talk to instructor and if she disagrees go elswhere, no harm in you or YO teaching them
 
I think they get bored when they are just trotting around every lesson! then having to "slow down" with what they are doing as they have a newbie with them or that the newbie needs more tuition to do what my boys are doing so they are not get the tuition to further their riding......if that all makes sense!
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I would not really want to take them anywhere else as I help out at this school every Saturday so feel loyal to them.

I think I am going to have to ask specifically if they can start on cantering and take it from there.

I just dont want my boys getting bored with it.
 
IMO cantering should be taught before jumping and I find it quite strange that this isn't the case. I just think its not inconcievable however small the jump that the pony could break into canter as a result of jumping and therefore I'd want to know the child had experienced canter first. Also, if they are balanced enough to jump then they should be able to manage canter.
 
Could you get them lessons with just your two boys together for a while so newbies are not slowing them down? Id ask if they could canter , instructor might have a really good reason for them not cantering? Or maybe they will start them cantering if you ask? Poor boys - bet they are dying to be bombing about lol
 
I tend to agree they should probably be cantering by now, it's not as though they're 4 and perhaps not got the whole brakes thing strength wise sorted. We moved RS as my daughter kept being told 'nearly ready to canter' at her first one for a whole year (she'd ridden there every other week for nearly 3 years since she was 4) - 1st private lesson at the new place she was cantering fine and on the correct leg. At this RS it's large enough that they have enough in the groups (usually 3-6 of them mid week, weekend max 8) to be at similar level but there have been a couple of times that they've merged my daughters level with one 2 or 3 levels below (just started canter) due to staff shortages, and the instructor has had the whole class doing the same exercises but made it harder for the higher level - such as working independently (lower level follow my leader) and without stirrups (lower level had stirrups), working in canter for the higher level and sitting trot for the lower level at the other end of the school, and doing a tricker route round the jumps incorporating a higher one at an angle twice. SO I would question the level of tuition if the instructor can't incorporate 'more' and include canter for your boys if they're ready, even if they don't get the rest of the class to canter. No reason why they can't canter to the back of the ride where others do sitting trot or rising trot instead. I'd be mentioning to the instructor that your boys are keen to canter and asking the instructor when, maybe asking for a special learn to canter lesson? If not I'd be looking elsewhere.
I agree it seems odd they're jumping without cantering.

Mind you it's a lot different now than when I first learnt - you learnt walking and trotting in the school, once they deemed you competent enough at that you weren't allowed to ride in a school lesson any more (I think they needed the slot in the school as they had a waiting list of people wanting to learn) but you had to go on a hack, and the slow hack incorporated a hill, up which the ponies knew they had to canter till they ran out of puff. Was easy peasy, safe because you kind of couldn't fall off going up hill, slow enough as the ponies ran out of steam rather than ran off with you and great fun, but perhaps why I totally lack style!
 
I run a riding school, and wouldn't be permitted to have a parent teach their own children, unless that parent was an employed instructor of mine (or a freelance instructor I normally used). Mainly because you have to name your staff and their qualifications/experience on your insurance renewal. You also have to have detailed risk assessments for each member of staff detailing why you deem them to be suitable for teaching and how you regularly assess them and monitor their development.
As far as your childrens lessons go, I find it very strange that they are jumping before they are deemed ready to canter - I'm assuming the jump is a raised pole, or trotting pole, aimed at just making them steer?
As far as learning to canter goes, age is irrelevant and whilst instructors should be keen to progress their pupils and drive them at the correct speed to try new things, they also have a duty of care to ensure that they don't cause a child to fall or lose confidence. If it helps, we have fairly clear guidelines on when to teach cantering. Children (or adults) should be able to:
1. Rise to the trot, in balance, without using the reins to "pull themselves up", and have an idea about diagonals.
2. Be able to sit to the trot, without holding the saddle and without their hands bouncing about too much.
3. Steer independently (off lead rein - as lead file if in group)
4. Understand how to ask for canter.
Its all very dependant on the pony as well - a first canter pony should be voice trained (to the instructor), be slightly stuffy to get into canter, comfortable and not be very heavy on the forehand. Out of 15 ponies, I only use 5 for new canterers, as the others whilst good in canter aren't ideal.
I'd suggest you have a chat with the instructor - good instructors will be happy to explain why they aren't cantering, and also give you some idea of their progression plan for your kids. In my experience, group situations are great for kids as they can learn from others and push themselves on. However the key is that all kids in the group are the same standard - if not, private lessons are the best way forward so that you know that the lessons are aimed at the correct standard for your kids. I also think you can judge a lot from your kids - if they're enjoying themselves and having fun, its probably the right standard and type of lesson. If they are keen to canter and chomping at the bit to do more, they are probably needing a bit more of a push.
Hope that helps.
 
get them in semi private lessons and tell the instructor what you want - as a paying customer you have requirements and if you think its safe then thats fine!
 
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QR
I have to disagree - canter is not age related so it is nothing to do with being 'old enough' to canter - it is about being balanced/confident enough.
If you trust your riding instructor, leave them to decide what your boys should do, when, and on which pony.
If you don't - withdraw them from lessons and find somewhere else. I suspect that no reputable school would let you teach them yourself, due to the health and safety/insurance issues.
S
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Agree with Shilasdair, it's nothing to do with age, but I do find today children are jumping before they can even trot without hauling on the pony's mouth, and parents (not saying you OP, but oh boy have I seen some) demanding that the kids 'have fun' and canter and jump - and the schools/instructors cave to pressure to keep the business, and the poor ponies end up with no back teeth and a back ache!
Getting down slowly off my high horse
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I think Shilasdair's point is good - do you trust the instructor? If yes, and she has a good reason for not wanting them to canter yet, give yourself a pat on the back for finding a really good, responsbible instructor, and give it time.
If not, then obviously it's time to move! Find an instructor you do trust, and book them in immediately

Things have changed, but just to give you all a laugh, back when I learned, at a very prestigious children's establishment, in the dark ages, you had to be able to walk, collect the walk, trot rising (on the correct diagonal) and sitting , with and without stirrups, ride various school movements accurately, get on and off indepedently from both sides, touch your toes while walking and about a dozen other things including a partridge in a pear tree before you were considered fit to canter. And you had to be able to canter on both leads with and without stirrups, identify the correct lead, know if the pony was disunited, and do simple change of leg on two circles, or some such enormously long roll call before being considered fit to jump.
So it could be worse
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