Numpty Teaching a Novice!!!!

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Can anyone give me some tips on teaching a novice the aid for canter and how to sit a canter? i know how to do it but not say it!

Also can you help with how to get her to relax from the classic rs position!

Also whats the best way to teach and get someone to memerize grooming brushes, rug types etc etc

Any other tips welcome!

Im not as thick as i sound btw :o
 
Oh, I clicked hoping for an amusing video haha!

Brushes - take 'em home, stick labels on them, maybe look at them every time you visit the loo?

Rugs - go rug spotting - loads of horses are out in rugs at the mo. Have a pop quiz on any you see when you're out.

My RI used to get us to loosen up by shaking out our arms and turning circles with our toes out of the stirrups at the start of the ride but I think that's dependent on a quiet horse.

Canter aid - inside leg on the girth, outside leg behind the girth, gentle squeeze to transition up. Easiest on corners til you're comfortable as the natural bend helps. Least, that's how we always used to do it.
 
Well im teaching her at work but suitable horse takes the mick when someone who wont make him rides him and the next one along is safe but hugeley sensitive and the poor girl nearly ended up going into orbit when asking for trot!!

I was thinking of sending her home each night with the rideaway catalouge and getting her to revise bits etc? good idea?!
 
Lots and lots of lunge lessons, taking away stirrups in walk to start with, getting her to do suppling exercises. Think of all the things you used to be made to do as kids. It's all about core balance and stretching and strengthening 'new' muscles :) Get her to hold her legs up and completely away from the saddle for 5 seconds, then drop and they'll naturally go lower and around the horse. Get her balanced with no stirrups in walk, get her trotting with no reins in trot, lots of sitting trot till she's balanced doing sitting trot constantly, lots of transitions till she keeps her posture and balance throughout. Pop a neck strap on, and if the horse is good at canter transitions on the lunge, get her to just hold that, sit up and start off cantering like that till she is balanced in canter.
Explain to her, to canter, go into sitting trot for say 3-4 strides, her outside leg moves slightly back, her inside leg stays on the girth and a tiny little half halt/squeeze on the reins to contain the front end and stop him from just running in trot.
Then get her doing that. Then, lots of canter transitions on the lunge. Half circle in canter, back to trot for half a circle, back into canter, etc.

Then once she's happy doing that, off the lunge and away you go :)

If said horse benefits from a stick for her to carry, give her one to just carry and give him a small shake with it if needed.


eta - how old is the rider?
 
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For brushes, rugs etc I'd suggest a good book.

For canter aids, sitting trot, inside leg on the girth outside leg behind. Maybe try on the lunge if the horse will lunge sensibly.
 
I actually think differently. If you don't know what you're doing, imo you shouldn't be teaching, more likely to do harm than good. I think best thing to do is just to sort her position out, until lessons are an option. Bareback or no stirrups in walk, then in trot on the lunge.
 
littlelegs said:
I actually think differently. If you don't know what you're doing, imo you shouldn't be teaching, more likely to do harm than good. I think best thing to do is just to sort her position out, until lessons are an option. Bareback or no stirrups in walk, then in trot on the lunge.
Click to expand...

Please read!!!! I said i do know what im doing im just a numpty at expressing feelings and speaking out what i mean to say
 
ChristmasSparkles said:
Lots and lots of lunge lessons, taking away stirrups in walk to start with, getting her to do suppling exercises. Think of all the things you used to be made to do as kids. It's all about core balance and stretching and strengthening 'new' muscles :) Get her to hold her legs up and completely away from the saddle for 5 seconds, then drop and they'll naturally go lower and around the horse. Get her balanced with no stirrups in walk, get her trotting with no reins in trot, lots of sitting trot till she's balanced doing sitting trot constantly, lots of transitions till she keeps her posture and balance throughout. Pop a neck strap on, and if the horse is good at canter transitions on the lunge, get her to just hold that, sit up and start off cantering like that till she is balanced in canter.
Explain to her, to canter, go into sitting trot for say 3-4 strides, her outside leg moves slightly back, her inside leg stays on the girth and a tiny little half halt/squeeze on the reins to contain the front end and stop him from just running in trot.
Then get her doing that. Then, lots of canter transitions on the lunge. Half circle in canter, back to trot for half a circle, back into canter, etc.

Then once she's happy doing that, off the lunge and away you go :)

If said horse benefits from a stick for her to carry, give her one to just carry and give him a small shake with it if needed.


eta - how old is the rider?
Click to expand...

Thankyou, have printed this off!! She is 19,
 
No prob! Riding is one thing, teaching can be another getting the wording right to explain things to a novice.

I'm better with children, as you don't have to worry about sounding patronising lol. Back when I worked in the riding school, you'd have the kids learn the full grooming kit for their horse, and do games like taking one brush away and them having to say what it was missing etc.

But, for someone older, I would just do it simply as in getting her groom the horse with you, and just explain what brush it is she's using each time and the use for it.
Ie,
'He's got dried mud on him, so we use a rubber or plastic curry comb for that.'
'He's not muddy now, so we use a body brush and metal curry comb for that. The body brush lifts any dust off and we scrape it off with the metal curry comb to clean the excess dust off and not put it back on the horse.*Demonstrate a few strokes*'
'Need to pick his feet out before and after you ride the horse, as they can have mud and stones packed in there which can make him lame if you ride him with them in, so you just pick them out each time, like this *demonstrate picking a foot out, get her to do the next*'
Then explain the rest the same way, demonstrating a few bits for each one, and leave her to groom the horse doing the same :)

Then, for rugs, just explain about whatever rug is on him each time and why.

Tell her to get a copy of the BHS stable management manual to read....mark some pages for her for the main simple things first to read [Rugs, brushes. tack etc.] :)
 
Sorry op, don't mean at all you don't know what you're doing yourself. But I think if you aren't sure how to teach, then imo its not the best idea. Teaching & doing are two different things.
 
I like your catalogue idea.....

the teacher in me instantly thought you could set her different tasks! e.g.

Find all the individual items needed in a grooming kit - cut out and stick down and calculate price!

Or

Find a wardrobe of rugs for a ...... pony. (and give her criteria)

(Although if she's 19 she might think it's a bit naff!)

My class are doing something similar next week to learn about adding money but using Argos catalogues - I've got a couple of pony mad kids though so maybe I'll let them have Ride-Away instead!

:)
 
Cello_song said:
I like your catalogue idea.....

the teacher in me instantly thought you could set her different tasks! e.g.

Find all the individual items needed in a grooming kit - cut out and stick down and calculate price!

Or

Find a wardrobe of rugs for a ...... pony. (and give her criteria)

(Although if she's 19 she might think it's a bit naff!)

My class are doing something similar next week to learn about adding money but using Argos catalogues - I've got a couple of pony mad kids though so maybe I'll let them have Ride-Away instead!

:)
Click to expand...

If she thinks its Naff then she obviously isnt keen, she is very sweet and i have told her although we are simualr in age i am not talking down or partonising her and she must speak up if she all ready knows or feels like im speaking like she is thick lol
 
i know this thread is a little old but i just have to say i started my riding lesson about 8 months back (a little old at 21) and i didnt get any of these further lessons on rugs and brushes etc it was just get on and ride. i always wondered what the hell to do and just taught myself using the internet..


i feel ive missed out! is my RS no good?! :confused:
 
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