teaching stopping to a child

[EmmasMummy]

Ok, so DD had all of a sudden done a wants to groom, sweep up, ride. All because I made her this seat saver as she says she would pretend she was tired as saddle was too hard!

She still doesn't want to venture out of the school, and I'm still leading her but at a distance of about 4 to 5 ft But she is happily and I'd say gleefully riding Despite the pony rather spectacularly bolting and broncing her off.

She isn't wanting to trot him much tho so we are doing lots of letter to letter and cones (sshe loves weaving the cones). But we are having stopping issues. Pony won't stop unless I stop. DD doesn't pull back sharply, which is good, she just says woah and takes a bigger contact and leans back a little. But he won't stop and I'm at a loss how to teach him, as I can't ride him. And until he is stopping there is no way I am happy with her off the lead any time soon ( not that it would be).

Any tips? ? And also for more things to do with them. Currently anything games is off limits as he is scared of the jump wings, barrels and the mounting blocks and crops canes anything stuck shaped. And balls...

 

[Tern]

Long rain him with the lunge lines acting as reins?

 

[Tnavas]

How old is the rider?

Does she have a contact that will relay her request.

Check the reins before you ask her to halt. You can give her an idea as to how much effect her hands have by having her stop moving her hands with the horses head. If she has a contact the pony should slow.

Tell her to firstly check her rein lengths and that she is sitting correctly in the saddle, then tell her to sit tall let her legs be long, close the leg against the pony's sides and close her fingers firmly around the reins and to stop moving her hands. She also needs to think halt as well, hard to get a little person to understand the power of positive thinking.

As she gets to the reins part you halt the pony from your end, say nothing to t,he pony. A butterfly lead is probably the best thing to use as you can attach it to the bit, which will emphasise your daughters instructions.

It's hard for little people to understand that the aid given must be the same every time. So if you call them out, starting with "Prepare to Halt," followed by the above instructions both pony and rider will begin to understand and work together

 

[FfionWinnie]

Reading between the lines I'm wondering if this pony is suitable for your daughter? How old is she?

 

[EmmasMummy]

How old is the rider?

Does she have a contact that will relay her request.

Check the reins before you ask her to halt. You can give her an idea as to how much effect her hands have by having her stop moving her hands with the horses head. If she has a contact the pony should slow.

Tell her to firstly check her rein lengths and that she is sitting correctly in the saddle, then tell her to sit tall let her legs be long, close the leg against the pony's sides and close her fingers firmly around the reins and to stop moving her hands. She also needs to think halt as well, hard to get a little person to understand the power of positive thinking.

As she gets to the reins part you halt the pony from your end, say nothing to t,he pony. A butterfly lead is probably the best thing to use as you can attach it to the bit, which will emphasise your daughters instructions.

It's hard for little people to understand that the aid given must be the same every time. So if you call them out, starting with "Prepare to Halt," followed by the above instructions both pony and rider will begin to understand and work together

Thanks. I will try that. is a butterfly lead a bit like a stallion chain? I have something that came with our old Shetland. Clips on to the bit then 2 chains come down to a ring.

 

[EmmasMummy]

Reading between the lines I'm wondering if this pony is suitable for your daughter? How old is she?

Most probably not but we are just going to have to get on with it. I've suggested to her that we sell him or swapswap.him for something she can plod about on herself but she is a damp she wants him. He was a companion for my cob and had him 5 years and she is really attached to him. DD is 6 in June and pony is 7 in may

 

[EmmasMummy]

Tnavas. I meant to say As well. Yes she has a contact. I got the webbing ring with the stoppers so she knows where her contact iseach side. They are knotted so that they are a fair contact when she picks them up and we have discussed communication with the pony and why you don't pull back. For moving off I've told her to think of it as having a massive ball between her legs and to give him a squeeze till he moves off or changeds up and not a kick like she has seen folk to as a kick will make him pop. Turning I have her doing "princess" turns, so to get her to move her arm out and open the rein rather than move back.
If I can put a princess spin on it she laps it up.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Life is a lot more enjoyable with a safe pony. For you both. At 6 she isn't going to understand that unless she experiences it. My daughter is 6 on Sunday and is able to ride her pony anywhere off the lead rein and ride out with me hacking (which frees me up to do what I like too). Just a thought.

 

[EmmasMummy]

Reading between the lines I'm wondering if this pony is suitable for your daughter? How old is she?

Sorry I am on my phone and its deleted a part of what I was typing.

they were going great guns until my friend said just to let her off the lead rein. They will figure it out and they were doing well just having a wee potter about until he spotted the cat. Followed said cat up the bank, DD dropped the reins and he decided to decent the bank into an electric fence which zapped him and he took off in trot then canter then trot again and DD decided she wasn't going to be able to stop him so she jumped off onto the bank. She was more annoyed I didn't run to stop him so I had to explain that would only have made him faster. Had he not been zapped by the fence she would have been fine. So this is why we are back to almost square one, and currently rebuilding some trust and making sure everything in as 100% as it can be before she gets off the lead rein again.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Sorry I am on my phone and its deleted a part of what I was typing.

they were going great guns until my friend said just to let her off the lead rein. They will figure it out and they were doing well just having a wee potter about until he spotted the cat. Followed said cat up the bank, DD dropped the reins and he decided to decent the bank into an electric fence which zapped him and he took off in trot then canter then trot again and DD decided she wasn't going to be able to stop him so she jumped off onto the bank. She was more annoyed I didn't run to stop him so I had to explain that would only have made him faster. Had he not been zapped by the fence she would have been fine. So this is why we are back to almost square one, and currently rebuilding some trust and making sure everything in as 100% as it can be before she gets off the lead rein again.

Ah heck ok that puts a different perspective on it!

 

[be positive]

Does the pony lunge well as that would be the best step between leading and her going off, if he is good and sensible it will be easier for you than walking, be a safety net for your daughter, I would certainly want the stop properly in place either from her aids or your voice and also her happily trotting before she goes off lead otherwise you are heading towards another incident that may take away what little confidence she has.
Don't listen to the well meaning friends, how do a young green pony and equally young child learn to work it out they have no experience of what to when things go wrong, take everything slowly, as you are, they will learn at their own pace, better being a bit cautious than risking your daughter getting hurt, if you can lunge her on board you can do so much to prepare her for being off, obviously you cannot prevent everything that may happen but you can get the two of them working together doing loads of confidence building this way.

 

[pennyturner]

I find it's useful to focus on the seat, rather than the rein. We have a Shetland who's quite forward, but responsive. As he picks up speed, the novice child will lean forward as they take a hold on the reins, which tells Bruin to go faster, and there's usually some shrieking and panicking. However, the moment they learn to put their weight in the saddle and ask properly he immediately slows.

I always tell them that my lunch is under the back of their saddle, and to slow down they must 'squash my sandwiches'.

 

[honetpot]

Has the only ever been on lead rein , or not been ridden off for a long time? I would get a light rider to refresh him, he is trying to be a good boy and take his cues from you, which is what a good LR pony does.
We had an outgrown A who was broken to drive, so when on the road he was walking about 150cms from the curb, the next time he was ridden on the rode he wanted to be in the same place. He got out the other month and trotted down the road as if there was a cart behind him.
If your daughter loves the pony she will forgive him anything and I would not try to replace him until she is ready herself to move on. My youngest daughter broke her arm twice falling off her pony, so ended up very nervous, selling her pony who was not a naughty pony would have really upset her, everything took longer but she got there in the end.

 

[EmmasMummy]

Ah heck ok that puts a different perspective on it!

She actually took it pretty well. She was more upset that pony was going to hurt himself as she got up and was shouting on him to please stop, and crying at me to get him (I have explained to her that you cannot just run over and grab them, I had to get him to come to me - you can tell I used to come off a lot).
And she did get right back on him there and then but refused to hold the reins and I had to walk her round. I could see she was tense though and her heels were creeping up so we did one circuit of him then being an angel and then called it a day.

That was about 2 weeks ago.

She really love him to bits and wants to ride him. We dont have an aim as such, she doesnt know about shows etc yet so she isn't itching to get doing stuff. She just likes it as its time I get with her without her wee bro hassling her. haha.

 

[EmmasMummy]

I find it's useful to focus on the seat, rather than the rein. We have a Shetland who's quite forward, but responsive. As he picks up speed, the novice child will lean forward as they take a hold on the reins, which tells Bruin to go faster, and there's usually some shrieking and panicking. However, the moment they learn to put their weight in the saddle and ask properly he immediately slows.

I always tell them that my lunch is under the back of their saddle, and to slow down they must 'squash my sandwiches'.

I like that one! Might try that.

DD is lucky in that she has what I lacked, a naturally good seat. She is straight with heels down - and if pony skits she sort of like, sits into it and plants her arse in the saddle. And she doesn't bounce in trot, or grip with her legs (her friend did that and we discovered that pony most definitely does not like to be kicked or have heels really dug into him)

She likes youtube as well and as children are masters of imitation it seems I will see what I can find on there. She is all for doing things properly!

 

[FfionWinnie]

I would do lots of long reining with him, I used to long rein my daughter on our Shetland so she was off the lead rein but I was in control.

 

[EmmasMummy]

Has the only ever been on lead rein , or not been ridden off for a long time? I would get a light rider to refresh him, he is trying to be a good boy and take his cues from you, which is what a good LR pony does.
We had an outgrown A who was broken to drive, so when on the road he was walking about 150cms from the curb, the next time he was ridden on the rode he wanted to be in the same place. He got out the other month and trotted down the road as if there was a cart behind him.
If your daughter loves the pony she will forgive him anything and I would not try to replace him until she is ready herself to move on. My youngest daughter broke her arm twice falling off her pony, so ended up very nervous, selling her pony who was not a naughty pony would have really upset her, everything took longer but she got there in the end.

I am trying to find a light rider. Have been for a month now but they seem to be non existent up here. My friend who to my eye is very small weighed in at 9 stone last night. She is still like a size 8 so its all muscle really. Going to see if she fancies a sit on him .

With me he has only ever been on the lead (despite the incident I posted about above). But he has been ridden off the lead by the person who backed him.

DD is away for the summer in NZ for 5 weeks so might send him back to where he was backed for a bit more schooling, if they are free.

 

[EmmasMummy]

I would do lots of long reining with him, I used to long rein my daughter on our Shetland so she was off the lead rein but I was in control.

I am going to try. We did it before and he isn't hugely keen on it - keeps spinning round to look at me. But I know he will do it as that's what they did to back him.

That said, last time I did it was with a straight bar in, I have now got him the same bit he wore to be backed and he is a lot happier in the mouth (Magic Bit) so he may behave. I haven't actually tried it for about 3 weeks.

 

[smja]

TBH I'd be teaching the pony voice commands. If pony stops on the voice, then your daughter can practice giving the aids at the same time as voice, then over time phase out the voice.

 

[Tnavas]

Has the only ever been on lead rein , or not been ridden off for a long time? I would get a light rider to refresh him, he is trying to be a good boy and take his cues from you, which is what a good LR pony does.

A good Lead Rein pony takes its cues from the rider - not the handler who is there for emergencies only, to steady a wobbly child or to take over if the pony gets a fright.



Here in NZ The Royal Agricultural Society (County Show level in UK) put a minimum age on Lead Rein riders of 4yrs - because they were fed up of seeing really tiny kids wobbling around on top of ponies totally controlled by the leader. The lead is attached to the noseband and may only be held in the left hand, making the right hand free to grab a wobbly child. the child has to show that they are controlling the pony to some degree, they are also expected to be able to rise to the trot too.

The childs safety must come first, but the idea of a good lead rein pony is that it co-operates with its rider to teach them how to ride.

Your honest Lead Rein pony should eventually become the child's First Ridden off the Lead Rein.

 

[gnubee]

How good is the pony in a free schooling situation? If you can get him to a position where he will stand, turn etc on the ground for you, then you can teach your daughter ground work with him to the point where she should be able to stop him off a voice aid. If she can't stop him, can she tight turn him? In a safe environment like the school, if she can turn him in a 5m circle that may be as good as stopping for your safety purposes as it will keep them in position to give you time to get there. Not ideal but could give you a stop-gap whilst you sort out the stopping.
Finally, if you put them on a long rein, can she get him going with you stood still and then stop him? If so, yo may have less yrouble with the stopping once they are off the lead rein as the horse will just be listening to her rather than following you.

 

[EmmasMummy]

How good is the pony in a free schooling situation? If you can get him to a position where he will stand, turn etc on the ground for you, then you can teach your daughter ground work with him to the point where she should be able to stop him off a voice aid. If she can't stop him, can she tight turn him? In a safe environment like the school, if she can turn him in a 5m circle that may be as good as stopping for your safety purposes as it will keep them in position to give you time to get there. Not ideal but could give you a stop-gap whilst you sort out the stopping.
Finally, if you put them on a long rein, can she get him going with you stood still and then stop him? If so, yo may have less yrouble with the stopping once they are off the lead rein as the horse will just be listening to her rather than following you.

The school isnt safe for freeschooling, as its banked then a fence - which top rung is electric.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Hasn't this pony only just been broken in?

 

[EmmasMummy]

Hasn't this pony only just been broken in?

Yes, he hwas backed in Jan- Feb, which is why someone referenced him being green before. And why I was really hesitant to let her off the lead rein, but a friend who learnt on a green pony herself said she would be fine.

Unfortunately there appear to be no light weight riders or children who are more experienced who want a free pony to ride so we are having to do the best we can.

 

[ozpoz]

I think you have to teach the pony first to mirror what you are doing, with repetition and rewards, when he does it correctly. Don't let her off yet - neither pony nor child sound ready for this. Time spent with the pony, lunging and long reining will get him where you want to be. Keep a lunge rein attached when she is in the school and gradually let it out, once you are confident you have the pony's attention - and you must keep his attention.
He has to learn to follow your voice and body language at all times - he's not naughty, just a youngster, and cannot be expected to know how to be a first ridden pony yet.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Can your daughter learn the basics first on a schoolmaster type pony? A dozen or so lessons at a good RS would be a great help.

 

[Gloi]

Do lots of long reining with the pony for a start.

 

[Tnavas]

I would do lots of long reining with him, I used to long rein my daughter on our Shetland so she was off the lead rein but I was in control.

This is a seriously dangerous thing to do. If the pony gets a fright and spins around - and they do - you could end up with a seriously injured/frightened rider.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

TBH I'd be teaching the pony voice commands. If pony stops on the voice, then your daughter can practice giving the aids at the same time as voice, then over time phase out the voice.

This is something i always did with every one i backed and schooled on.

Pertinently, all small ponies were also taught the word STOP which was only employed down the line if things were going awry.
Watching my daughter then aged around 5 riding off lead on a recently gelded section a, he was bowling on a little too much, so the 'and walk ' was employed by rider and myself.
Didnt work, so under my guidance, daughter managed to keep her cool and said loudly: Clint, stop!
To her suprise and his, he promptly halted, she nearly tipped off but calm was restored.

It will often work if you train them to it