Teaching children...

Cadfael&Coffee

Cadfael&Coffee

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As in a fairly mature, serious 10 year old- any suggestions?

She has a new pony and I've been asked to help out, but it's been a long LONG time since ive taught anybody this young!!

Any suggestions/ ways to approach things?

Thanks folks!!

:):):)
 
No great expert here but try and make it fun for her, and keep explanations on her level. Oh and cheer and stuff when she does well.....they love that.
 
Fun and positively. Little 'competitions' (against herself, e.g. PC type games or jumps, whatever she does). Also, ask her... by that age she may have some goals in mind you can help her towards. :-)
 
What level is she at? What are her plans with the new pony? What's the pony like?

Maybe think about fun targets you can set in relation to her current abilities and future aspirations? e.g. if competitive, aim for a competition with what you are teaching, if not, then mastering new skills.

My 9yo niece has been having lessons for about 3 years now and is doing well, but the RS seem to do the same things over and over and she is getting a bit bored now. When she comes over (lives 120 miles away) then I sling her up on my TB on the lunge, or in our small field and we've been working on her seat recently (bouncy SJ canter was a new one for her lol!). I try to get her to 'fix' one thing at once - one week we 'bashed' her grippy knees and heels creeping up, the next time was on the lunge without stirrups (nasty auntie!).

Good luck - have fun and keep it fun :D
 
Yeah that makes sense :):)

How long do u reckon will be long enough? Will an hour be too long?

I was thinking maybe around the half an hour/ 45mins mark to be comfortable for her?

I am a bit of a slave driver so I need to be careful!!! :D:D
 
And she rides reasonably well, but her balance isnt great, and she falls behind the pony's moment a lot, so I want to work on that.

Pony is a 6yo star, forward going but safe, but still needs confidence from the rider, which I need to teach her to give cause at the moment he's not getting it- I.e. He spooks, she totally freezes up and makes it an awful lot worse!!!

she's looking to do local jumping and stuff like that, maybe pony club in the near future.

She's not bad by any means- I'll probably teach her tomorrow and she understands what I'm saying perfectly lol!!! We shall see :)

Any suggestions received with open ears :):):)
 
I find 30 mins for a schooling lesson is more than enough with my 10 year olds. Hacks are more often around the 45 mins level.
I give them a break half way through and do quizzes on points of horse or parts of tack.
 
One of the exercises I did with getting the horse balanced and listening and also the child having fun is traffic lights.
Red - Stop. Amber/Yellow - Walk. Green - Trot (could always add another colour if they're cantering).
The minute I shout, they have to do that pace. The children found it great and would be laughing.

I agree, talk to her and ask if there's anything specific she would like to work on each session and choose one thing rather than trying to fix lots of things. Take a couple of sessions to see how connected she and pony are and then take it from there.
 
fidleyspromise said:
One of the exercises I did with getting the horse balanced and listening and also the child having fun is traffic lights.
Red - Stop. Amber/Yellow - Walk. Green - Trot (could always add another colour if they're cantering).
The minute I shout, they have to do that pace. The children found it great and would be laughing.
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used to do this with the kids in spain as well helped me with my spanish as well we played simon says as well and bending races
 
Do no stirrups work to improve her balance, has to be done imo. Can do exercises without stirrups (legs away, knees up, bicycling etc) then make her use her legs to try leg yield, all without stirrups for 5 mins to start, build it up. It will not be what she wants to do, but she will thank you as she gets older and has a great seat and balance.

Just in walk to start with, if you feel she is good enough can progress to trot but only if safe - you could run alongside to help slow pony/grab child. Don't lunge without stirrups though unless pony is a total saint and she is long-legged - centrifugal force and all that!
 
I teach my niece and a few friends kids and I always start on the lunge so we can concentrate on their riding and i always do basic stop and go, sitting in a good position and holding reins at the correct length.

Then we do turning in onto the circle and then back out and making sure that basic controls are working ok. Then we go on and do rising trot practise in walk and then move onto a few steps of trot (whilst they hold the saddle) or if they are rising and falling in time we would move onto not holding the saddle or if they are a tad more advanced arms out to the side, some steps sitting and some rising.

That normally takes 15 mins then we go and do some fun things like in and out of cones, over poles and stopping between 2 markers or sometims mini dressage tests in walk ie enter at a and left at c, circle right at E etc etc.

The main thing I find is to heap on the praise in bucket loads - it never fails to amaze me how hard kids try to do things right when they know they are going to be told they are doing well.

I also always make the kids 'work' for the ride ie washing buckets, brushing the horse, sweeping or a small amount of other menial tasks but I always let them know they have to do the work to get the ride and they usually love that as much as the riding.
 
Farma said:
The main thing I find is to heap on the praise in bucket loads - it never fails to amaze me how hard kids try to do things right when they know they are going to be told they are doing well.
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This is so important! Also try and make sure you keep an eye on her face and read her body language, kids are great at trying to hide things when they find something difficult but you will learn to read the signs. I can tell in an instant whether my daughter is finding something hard and struggling by the look on her face and they way her shoulders haunch which is when I know it's time to take a step back. At that age it really has to be about learning and fun. Good luck!
 
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