Teaching an 8 year old child to ride.

[PonyWoes]

Hints and Tips, if you do not mind please.

I am really looks for ways i can explain to them, and for them to understand, how to assume the correct position, and how to get the horse going correctly.

Without confusing them, if possible.

 

[galaxy]

Is this your child, a friends child or a RS?

At 8 as long as you make it fun (games etc) you can tell them straight out about position. they have enough understanding.

 

[Littlelegs]

Have they rode much before? & how much teaching have you done? (not being rude just so I know how best to answer lol)

 

[Miss L Toe]

They should have lessons as soon as they are confident and balanced enough, as if they get a bad position from the start it will be hard to alter them.,
The kids round here start pony club nights at that age, and they are very keen on mucking out, you can even get tiny shavings forks for them.

 

[ridersince2002]

hands up like your holding an ice-cream, hold the reins nice and softly like youve got a baby bird on the end of them (baby bird being horses mouth- sont sqash the bird/dont jab the horses mouth). Toes pointing at the horses ears= toes not sticking out+ heels down
if you look at the floor then thats where you'll end up.
most 8 year olds with grasp the concept of a shoulder-hip-heel line, however might need you to manipulate where their lower leg should be- many dont realise how far foward or back it is!
LOOK UP!
hold onto the saddle if you need to, or grab a chunk of mane.
rising trot- say up down for them and teach them to 'rise and fall with the outside wall' (outside leg goes foward= up), then go on to saying 1, 2 when they have established their rising so that they can independantly pick the correct diagonal- correct them if they are wrong.

tell them that the horse is alot bigger and stronger than them, so if it starts being stubborn then they arent going to hurt it by kicking it harder!!

 

[Shantara]

All I can say is patience I had several teachers when I was around that age and I honestly couldn't learn from the ones that had no patience for kids (obviously used to teaching the adults, or stroppy teenagers who would rather be chatting!).

 

[sandi_84]

One of my favourite prases from my yard about holding reins correctly is "imagine you are holding two cups of tea, if you tilt your hands sideways you spill your tea!"
A good bit of advice I read on here about keeping heels down was that sometimes saying push/keep your heels down doesn't always work but saying point your toes to the sky instead might help.
I find that a lot of the younger/ less experienced kids at the yard hardly move their legs when you tell them to kick on even when you explain that the pony won't get hurt or mad at them for being a bit stronger with their legs so it sometimes helps to show them by manipulating their lower leg to explain what you mean by "kick".
Praise lots for doing something right or even just slightly better and obviously try not to get frustrated if they don't seem to get it sometimes a different way of explaining is all that's needed for something to click for them. I always admire our RI's for their ability to adapt their teaching method quickly and if I ever end up teaching I'd like to be as adaptable as they are.
To find a correct position for lower legs our RI's have the kids do a balancing game (holding on to the saddle until they are secure enough to let go and not pull on the pony's mouth) where they try to stand in their stirrups and find the balance for a half circuit/full circuit of the school then make it harder by making it a bit of a competition to see who can stand the tallest. Once they have the balance they are asked to keep their legs where they are, bend the knees and sit, and explain this is where your leg should be - shoulder/hip/heel line etc.
They seem to love games like round the world and doing the scissors at the end of lessons too. Oh and a hug and a pat for the ponios after a lesson always goes down well too

 

[Chestnuttymare]

My advice is to get an instructor. I gave my son lessons and found it so difficult. I found it easier, more fun and less fraught to play pony club games with him rather than actual lessons. They listen better to an instructor too I think.