Safe, fun balance exercises for tiny rider?

Box_Of_Frogs

Box_Of_Frogs

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My riding friend's little 3 yr old daughter (4 in January) has started to ride my miniature shetland mare, Lady. Lady is an absolute poppet and has a sunny disposition and the patience of a saint, so no problems there. I think the little girl is ready now to learn some basic balance/seat so that when she's ready for reins in a year or so, she'll be safe and Lady will be safe. Too little yet for round the world's, no stirrups and stuff like that but has anyone got any ideas for little things to do that will make learning fun? All I can think of is one arm out at the side or on the head, then other arm, then both. Lean forward and touch pony's ears? Lean down and touch your toe each side? What about RDA-type things with bean bags? HELP!!!
 
Awwww. :D

Any type of riding will improve her balance. At just 3 yrs she'll find just sitting up and absorbing the movement difficult enough.

Games are a brilliant fun way to keep a small person entertained, esp as they do get bored quickly. Picking up and carrying a ball then dropping it into buckets. Riding back and forward to collect clothes to dress up a doll. If it's warm, carrying a cup of water. Taking a stick and knocking things off the fence. Obviously the pony needs to be pretty bombproof!

I would also have her without stirrups for most of it becasue all they encourage is a chair seat - it's very hard to get them not to push backwards against the stirrups and end up with their bum at the back of the saddle. And if you make the sittup long enough for them not to be sitting like a jockey, they generally end up stretching down with theirs to reach.
 
Anything with arms - aeroplanes (arms to side) helicopter (arms to side and twist), Heads,shoulders, Knees and Toes (Whilst singing of course), touch the clouds,

Riding stirrups as said before, round the world can be done with some suppourt, riding sitting on pony backwards (just for fun)
 
These are great ideas! I'd agree with the without stirrups ideas - my four year old daughter sits much better without (the only thing I have found is that she gets tired quicker).

She loves doing round the world, bareback and sitting on backwards - we have also walked her through water jumps, up and down mini steps and over sj poles - I think it all builds confidence!

Will try some of these games - she'll love them!
 
Oh wow, thanks guys! Printing this page off to take to yard! Love the dropping balls into a bucket and knocking things off the fence! And I have the perfect teddy bear to be dressed up. Hat and scarf will do for now! When she wins the HOYS Shetland mini Grand National in 3 years time, I'll make sure the TV reporters mention everyone's name!!!!!
 
Robinsons do gymkhana equipment - flags to put in cones etc. Tescos do a school sports day kit for about a fiver that has beanbags, etc that would be useful. One of this years prince phillip cup games is a shopping basket race. They have to go and collect things and bring them back to a basket - strings of sausages (made out of tights) potatoes, fairy liquid bottles (these also double up for the bottle race - carrying bottles from one table to another) etc. We have some diddies that come to our practices and its their fave - especially the fake sausages for some reason!
 
Forgot one!!

Use electric fence posts for bending race, and put a plastic/tin mug from camping shop on, and the child transfers it from one post to another. Sometimes with tiny hands you need ones with handles.
 
Well being an aeroplane, christmas tree, windmill (both arms and single but remember its always backward circles!), drawing circles with the toes around the ankles, being a penguin, turning toes in. I could go on and on! Its all about using mental pictures.
 
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