RI's how to teach children to use their core?

tabithakat64

tabithakat64

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OH's daughter has been riding at a local riding school for a couple of months and has a lovely position but really has no core stability nor any concept of how to use her seat.

What on pony exercises can I teach her to help her improve her core and learn to use it (I like the whole RWYM concept) but am not sure how adapt it enough to be able to teach it to a nine year old.

She's not keen on having more lunge lessons :rolleyes:
 
A bit of an odd way but I've yet to find someone it doesn't work on if being bounced around especially in canter.

I send them off with the homework to practice hula hooping, the hip action can be adapted really easily to sit to the canter and trot. When they're back on the horse they need to imagine they're hula hooping in time with the horse so rather than bouncing up and and down on horses back they move their hips in time with the horse.

Another one I found worked was to say to the child to imagine they have a massive copy of the yellow pages placed in front of them on the saddle. They have to get it off in the canter but can only do this with there tummy. This also encourages them to move with the horse rather than against.
 
General mucking around on ponies! Pony club games are fab for building confidence, seat and balance (all that bending up and down!)
 
Kokopelli said:
A bit of an odd way but I've yet to find someone it doesn't work on if being bounced around especially in canter.

I send them off with the homework to practice hula hooping, the hip action can be adapted really easily to sit to the canter and trot. When they're back on the horse they need to imagine they're hula hooping in time with the horse so rather than bouncing up and and down on horses back they move their hips in time with the horse.

Another one I found worked was to say to the child to imagine they have a massive copy of the yellow pages placed in front of them on the saddle. They have to get it off in the canter but can only do this with there tummy. This also encourages them to move with the horse rather than against.
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Ive just had one of those moments where I feel really old and past it...my daughter has never heard of the yellow pages and isnt sure what hula hooping is! Good advice though...
 
Kokopelli said:
A bit of an odd way but I've yet to find someone it doesn't work on if being bounced around especially in canter.

I send them off with the homework to practice hula hooping, the hip action can be adapted really easily to sit to the canter and trot. When they're back on the horse they need to imagine they're hula hooping in time with the horse so rather than bouncing up and and down on horses back they move their hips.
Click to expand...

So do you hula hoop to the left for left canter, and vice versa? Thanks ;)
 
AN exercise ball helps and I like the hula hooping idea too.
People usually begin to 'get 'this if you ask then to think of keeping the area between the hips and the bottom of the ribs as upright as they can by drawing the stomach muscles towards the spine and then keeping the stomach area firm of course this just a start point but I have always found its a good correction to teach people to think of for themselves as it begins to develop focus in this area.
 
I get them to pretend to sneeze and on the 'oooo' of 'atishoo' (spl?) is what it feels like to have a strong core.

Then get them to stand normally and you can rock them back and forward. Then ask them to hold the 'ooo' of 'atishoo' and you can't rock them so easily.

Hope that makes sense ..... Then when on the horse just say 'sneeze' or similar to remind them.

And The hola hoop thing sounds good too - and I too want to know if it's left hh for left canter and right hh for right canter - guess I will just have to get on and try.
 
redriverrock said:
Ive just had one of those moments where I feel really old and past it...my daughter has never heard of the yellow pages and isnt sure what hula hooping is! Good advice though...
Click to expand...

I can hear it now, yellow pages, oh yell.com, you want me to ride with a laptop!!!! can't I just google it.....
 
I have no idea what 'the core' is, or what it is meant to do. Can you describe it in one or two sentences of words with one or two syllables that I or a child could understand?

(Presume RWYM is short for Ride With Your Mind - I haven't read it though.)
 
Core equals the tummy muscles thats what I would say to a child.
The core muscles are the key ones that develop the instinctive reactions that riders use to keep balance and develop balance independent of the hand.
It's really exactly like riding a bike ( different skill though ) once the muscles have learnt it you have it although you develop more and more fine control of it the more you are trained .
 
You can't balance with out using muscles the earlier you indroduce children to the concept the quicker they develop independent balance to many children learn to balance on the rien and then have to try to unlearn it later.
 
How about standing in stirrups starting with one hand on pommel to balance and then eventually both arms out to sides? Could do in walk or trot with someone leading or on lunge? Similar to balancing on a bosu ball or surfboard which helps core strength. You can get cheap wobble boards (plastic platform with inflated bubble underneath) from supermarkets and doing squats whilst standing on these is great for core strength.
 
I told my daughter that instead of thinking about sitting on top of the saddle/pony she could try to think of sitting down deep in the saddle...she liked that idea and it seemed to help...i did notice she was inadvertently using her core (as such) more consequently. I also told her one day when she was struggling to get pony going, and saying she didn't want to hurt him, that she needed to tell him with her mind and her body at the same time...the slightly startled expression on the pony's face as he set off at a smart pace when she tried this out, was very funny!
Those things are very tailored to my own kid and her particular way of being/understanding things so wouldn't necessarily be good standard practice...but might be a starting point
 
Goldenstar said:
Core equals the tummy muscles thats what I would say to a child.
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Wow, that's a revelation to me! I guess I never used my core much then because, for balance and riding, I reckon I use my back muscles almost exlusively - seemingly with reasoanble success. What have I been missing out on?! :eek:
 
mcnaughty said:
General mucking around on ponies! Pony club games are fab for building confidence, seat and balance (all that bending up and down!)
Click to expand...

Absolutely - don't stress about her using seat and core just yet - using her seat is not on the early riding list of do's. they need to learn to sit absolutely still in sync with the horse before they use their seat otherwise you'll either end up with a hot seated rider or one that scrubs the saddle all the time

Games are great at teaching balance and strength along with confidence too.
 
I think your core muscles are not just tummy muscles but all of the muscles in your torso that hold you upright so back, stomach, sides. Any central muscles that ache if you do any activity that is prolonged and involves balance stability!
 
Goldenstar said:
You can't balance with out using muscles the earlier you indroduce children to the concept the quicker they develop independent balance to many children learn to balance on the rien and then have to try to unlearn it later.
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This ^^^ more kids need to be taught how to actually ride. It's a bit like starting a horses education not caring if it goes around like a giraffe on acid for the first few years and then when it turns 6 or 7 'an appropriate age' trying to ask it to 'work in an outline' It then has to re-build all the correct/neccessary muscles and at the same time re-learn it's way of going. Better to start off properly from the outset.

But then I don't have kids so probably think differently :D
 
Some excellent ideas, thanks & keep them coming :D

The specific issue is downwards transistions as they seem to be all about pulling on the reins and flopping up the neck for some reason I haven't quite fathomed.

Personally, I think everyone should be taught how to ride a downwards transistion using their seat right for the word go.

I asked the teenager who used to ride my pony and she said just tell her what you told me 'pretend your a puppet with string going straight up through you head into the sky to make you sit tall, then imagination your about to have a poo and think halt at the same time'. :eek:
 
:D :D some great tips here, I think I'll be trying the hulahoop idea along with sneezing and pooing :eek::o
OP does child have her own pony or access to one outside of RS? If so and she's big enough I'd be taking her saddle off :)
 
fburton said:
Wow, that's a revelation to me! I guess I never used my core much then because, for balance and riding, I reckon I use my back muscles almost exlusively - seemingly with reasoanble success. What have I been missing out on?! :eek:
Click to expand...

Back muscles balance you laterally and act with the spine to absorb movement.
the abdominal muscles at the front are key in keeping the pelvis upright ( or controlling its tilt ) ..
They are in three bands and can act together or separately and you can gain very good fine control in them.
That's simplistic way of putting it in reality all the muscles groups work together to keep you in balance .
 
tabithakat64 said:
Some excellent ideas, thanks & keep them coming :D

The specific issue is downwards transistions as they seem to be all about pulling on the reins and flopping up the neck for some reason I haven't quite fathomed.

Personally, I think everyone should be taught how to ride a downwards transistion using their seat right for the word go.

I asked the teenager who used to ride my pony and she said just tell her what you told me 'pretend your a puppet with string going straight up through you head into the sky to make you sit tall, then imagination your about to have a poo and think halt at the same time'. :eek:
Click to expand...

They are flopping up the neck because when the momentum slow or stops they are collapsing forward they need to be bracing their tummys to help them stay upright.
I know children can grasp these concepts if you articulate them in a way that's apporiate to their age .
Squeeze tummy and thighs to stop is a simple way to teach it.
I just don't think children should learn to ride by hanging on with the rien which is exactly how a human child will want to problem solve we are naturally dexterous and hard wired to problem solve with our hands and arms.
 
I tried the hula hoop technique last night and it was very helpful!

Found that I naturally knew which way to 'turn' as soon as I started to canter. Tried the other direction and it definitely didn't feel right.
 
Goldenstar said:
Back muscles balance you laterally and act with the spine to absorb movement.
the abdominal muscles at the front are key in keeping the pelvis upright ( or controlling its tilt ) ..
They are in three bands and can act together or separately and you can gain very good fine control in them.
That's simplistic way of putting it in reality all the muscles groups work together to keep you in balance .
Click to expand...
Thank you. Obviously this is something I should look into a bit more!
 
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