Tips For Kids

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claireelizabeth

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Has anyone got any good suggestions on how I can put some fun into riding for my Daughter. She has a lesson once a week which she enjoys and rides with a friend sometimes which again is good and she enjoys hacking but when we are a bit short of time and just rides in the field it is a bit well....miserable for them!!!!!

I start to hear myself becoming one of those horrible horsey Mums and she gets the hump!!!! We could just avoid this situation but I'm sure we just need to find the right thing to do. The fields aren't ideal for schooling as they aren't very flat, I thought maybe some games?

At the moment it's just like homework for them and really they should be enjoying it not feeling it's a chore!!!
 
Does she have regular access to a pony (not sure whether its her pony she rides with friends?)? Could she join the pony club? Or go to a riding centre that does pony club? That way she could start training for tests and stuff, which she might find gives her inspiration of things to do when riding in the field, maybe..

Or is she to young?
 
Riding bareback.

Handy pony course - things like bending poles, dismounting, lowering a pole, leading pony over and remounting, collect a mug from a fence post and place it on another post etc.

Desensitisation to spooky objects - umbrellas, balloons, flags, walking over a tarpaulin etc.

Place two ground poles a long way apart and trot and canter over them, counting the strides between, then see if she can do fewer strides between, and then more strides between.
 
She has her own pony and we do go to pony club although not completly got to grips with it yet, my Daughter is 8 and she walks, trots and canters independently and can manage small jumps although still a novice.

It's just those once maybe twice a week , usually after school sessions where we only have time to ride in the field that she stuggles with :-)
 
Do gymkana games...bending, flag races etc you can buy the equitment from thse big saddlery shops or just make your own.
Plus its great way of letting of steam and having a giggle and improves your balance etc.

Treasure hunt.

Dressage test....make your own markers and you can be the judge, if she does well, she gets some goodies!

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In that case I'd recommend doing lots of no stirrup work. I was at a rally recently and we were asked to do no stirrup work and I was shocked at how few people could/would ride without stirrups. It's good fun and improves riding position.
If you can get hold of some cones and water tray type thing you could make them ride over scary things and then walk through narrow cones. It's fun and helps with stearing and accuracy.
 
Kids are my speciality
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All sorts of games, even picking up a set of keys off one cone, and placing it one the next, then seeing how fast they can do it!
Play tag, maybe with you on foot, gets you very, very fit too!
Lots of cones are good, to teach them to ride circles, help with steering, bending races, etc.
If you have a set of dressage markers, you can make them play "Supermarket sweep". You get the child to ride around them to ride around the track, and then say for example, go find some Eggs, and they ride to E, and put them in their invisible basket! Brillaint for teaching changes of rein and accuray and steering!
Have got lots and lots more ideas if needed
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!!
 
if only you'd posted this a few days eariler, i was in hampshire
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Mind you, i'm not qualified in any way, just see great joy in teaching the younger ones a thing or two!
Probably jealous that in my old age of 19, im not allowed to play games like that anymore
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Of course you can still play! Our riding club appears to specialise in the 30-60 year old age bracket and we have loads of games that we play
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You haven't met my horses
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I presently have a very sharp 5 year old eventer, and i think if i did any of my ideas, id be very quickly on the floor. Not that im not normally on the floor anyway!!
 
We used to play cushion polo. You need 2 goals (used oil drums) at each end of your "pitch" and 2 or 4 players. Use an old cushion and you get a goal if you can place the cushion on the drum before the other player gets it off you. Great fun!

Teaches 1 handed riding / steering, canter control, balance etc
 
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