What is the method for teaching deaf riders in a riding lesson?

PinkFairy

PinkFairy

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As title, just wondered how RDA lessons worked, how different they are to a lesson in a non RDA school? I am hard of hearing and find it very difficult in riding lessons to understand instructions as I rely totally on lip reading. I have enquired at a few schools but none so far have bothered to reply to me in answer to my questions. I've ridden since I was 11, (am 25 now), but have had almost 5 years out of the saddle due to poor health which still restricts me, but I miss horses and riding immensely and would love to start again sometime, health permitting. But I have never had a lesson specifically for disabled riders so always wondered how they work for deaf riders?
 
Following this as I am also hard of hearing/partially deaf. If you can hear to some extent then I would imagine some sort of microphone that feeds the sound into a headphone on your riding hat or something? If totally deaf, not too sure! I always hated lessons when I was young as I could never hear what the instructor was saying and was always getting shouted at for getting it wrong! And too shy to explain that I couldn't hear them!
 
When I was at college (attended Hadlow and got a first diploma in horse care) I was told I couldn't ride unless I wore hearing aids for every lesson. They didn't help much but I think what did help was being in a group, seeing what my friends were doing and following their lead! I did struggle through lessons but I somehow did manage. But now I'm older, probably a bit deafer and can't wear aids as I am prone to ear infections when I wear them. I know some people use a radio aid but they aren't suitable for everyone. I wondered if any instructors ever used large placards which a rider could read from but I imagine that would take some effort to both read and ride at the same time!

I was also the same, being told off for mistakes but not understanding where I went wrong. When I left college I shared a horse up til I got married and it was lovely to be able to just hack and use the school if I wanted but as I had difficulty in lessons I just stuck to hacking. I am happy to just hack out on a future loan but I'd like to do lessons to gain confidence after nearly 5 years away and to sharpen my capabilities as a rider. So hoping there is an easier way for deaf riders to learn. I also had to stop and start at college, which meant we all got told what to do then come back to centre line for next instruction.

I don't know if RDA schools have a particular way to teach deaf riders. Hopefully someone could advise.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Well done both of you!!

Please don't be discouraged......... I have a Deaf friend and although she doesn't currently ride I am full of admiration for her and the amazing person she is.

I would be inclined to contact the Riding for the Disabled association and see if they can recommend an instructor in your area.

Good luck!
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Thank you for the reply. 😊

I did a search for RDA schools near me and I emailed the schools that came up and asked if they could help me by explaining how their lessons worked and I never got replies. So from there I thought I may as well look into a share or loan and see if the owner would be willing for me to have lessons with a freelance instructor but I feel cheeky doing or asking that so I thought I'd ask again on here to see if anyone could shed any light. It's frustrating because I genuinely would like to do lessons, gain my confidence and try and pick up where I left off. I am not a total novice but for me to feel safe and confident on a loan, I'd rather do some lessons first.

I wonder if there are freelance instructors who teach deaf riders?
 
Velvet82 said:
I don't know if might help, but I found this on a forum:
http://www.newrider.com/community/threads/deaf-rider.120037/
I asked my husband, as his brother rode at the RDA but he said he didn't have lessons, just rode round with a person on the ground.
I really hope you find a school to help. Good luck :)
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Thanks for the reply. �� I will check out that link.

I see, that could be helpful. I don't know if all schools adopt that method though. With a freelance instructor I suppose it may be easier to adapt a lesson to suit my physical needs so I may think again with regards to loaning. I just feel a bit cheeky asking if I could do lessons on someone else's horse, even if I would be paying for it. ��
 
That link is very helpful, thank you. It's interesting and actually quite lovely to see how some instructors have helped adapt their lessons to accommodate a deaf rider. I may try again with the schools. Riding lessons have gotten very expensive since I last had one! Being deaf and self conscious of getting things wrong etc I would be happier in a private lesson and one of the schools I looked at had them priced at £62 for an hours lesson. :shock:
 
PinkFairy said:
As title, just wondered how RDA lessons worked, how different they are to a lesson in a non RDA school? I have enquired at a few schools but none so far have bothered to reply to me in answer to my questions. I've ridden since I was 11, (am 25 now), but have had almost 5 years out of the saddle due to poor health which still restricts me, but I miss horses and riding immensely and would love to start again sometime, health permitting. But I have never had a lesson specifically for disabled riders so always wondered how they work for deaf riders?
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Hi. Generally speaking RDA lessons work with at least one helper to each horse/rider. In that respect a class lesson could work for you if your specific helper(s) relayed any class instructions to you.

I'm wondering what questions you asked of the riding schools because someone here may be able to answer them.

Do you mean that 5 years ago you had lessons? And how did they work for you?
 
PinkFairy said:
That link is very helpful, thank you. I would be happier in a private lesson and one of the schools I looked at had them priced at £62 for an hours lesson. :shock:
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Aw I'm glad it helped :)
Woah, £62?!! That's crazy! I hope you find one that's cheaper but still helpful!
 
I'm not a riding instructor, but I am a teacher and both my current and previous school had HI provision for their respective regions. I'm not fluent in BSL but I know enough so that in conjunction with lip reading/ mini whiteboards etc students and I can still communicate if their signer is late/ held up.

I'd imagine with a decent regular instructor, particularly in a private lesson, you could very quickly develop some key signs, possibly modified from regular BSL so as to be more easily visible from a distance (for my A level Physics HI student we made up signs fairly regularly as BSL doesn't include many high level physics terms like neutrino or quark!). Also would something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RF-Wirele...649?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cdde2b3c1 be helpful? Not too expensive and then the instructor has a way to signal to you to look at them or to carry out a pre agreed action (leg on, more inside rein here etc)?
 
It shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to develop some sort of whole-arm semaphore for the most common instructions (trot on, canter, come back to walk, change the rein etc), then pull you into the middle to talk through more detailed stuff so you can lipread. I don't have a hearing problem, but my instructor will often stop us and get us into the middle of the school to explain something technical. A lot will depend on the instructor positioning themselves so you can see them, but horsey people are all about positioning and body language, so that's not a big problem.
 
When I was volunteering with RDA, the lessons were *at least* one-one-one. More if the person required a side-walker or two (obviously, you would not; that was for people with mobility and/or balance issues). I don't see how deafness would be an issue with the RDA group I was at. You'd just develop a system, hand signals, placards, whatever suited, and work it out.
 
I had several deaf friends growing up at the riding school who all took part in class lessons with varying levels of deafness (non-RDA). The instructors always made sure they walked towards the deaf rider and waved to get their attention, and once they had the attention they would walk alongside as close as possible so the riders could lipread, and always asked "did you understand?" with a thumbs up, waiting for a nod before walking away. That along with pulling them in to the middle to discuss things further meant that they never felt left out and didn't miss anything - and one of them has been working for the Met police as a groom for many years now so certainly had no problem learning. I think you just need to find the right instructor for you, maybe have private lessons rather than group, and discuss the best ways to learn before you start, whether that is stopping every so often to discuss in detail or developing a form of sign language as you go, or probably a combination of both. Much of my riding lessons have involved the instructor demonstrating moves from the ground anyway!
As for loaning/sharing in order to have lessons, many people would probably be quite happy or even prefer you to ride their horse always under supervision, so don't be afraid to ask!! I certainly wouldn't object to a sharer taking lessons if I had a suitable horse.
 
I also teach HI pupils, as a food tech teacher. I would suspect that an indoor school would be easier than a outside school, windy conditions harder. Maybe try a radio aid but being able to see the instructor, pull in for instructions or getting them to stand close might work. You might find somewhere with an induction loop, although the school one is hopeless as poor child gets the oven drone in her ear!
 
An interesting thread: it's an issue I've never really thought about. Generally speaking, in a private riding lesson, I would expect to get a great deal of immediate feedback and corrections while I'm riding an exercise or a figure. How might one do that with a HI person? Or would the pattern have to be different, i.e. the student does the exercise without comment, and then stops to collect feedback, and then tries again?

I'm sure a teacher and student would quickly come up with a few gestures for standard issues that the student is working on.
 
spookypony said:
An interesting thread: it's an issue I've never really thought about. Generally speaking, in a private riding lesson, I would expect to get a great deal of immediate feedback and corrections while I'm riding an exercise or a figure. How might one do that with a HI person?
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I don't know about your instructors but I have always had instructors who "do" what they are describing at the time, and use very visual demonstrations and body language to get their message across anyway - I can't imagine anyone having trouble understanding what they were asking even when they couldn't hear (most of us have probably struggled to hear our instructors at one time or another, but I have never struggled to understand their physical instructions).
 
My local riding school is 30 for half hour group lesson so 62 for an hour private lesson does not seem unreasonable. Lessons are expensive no doubt about that. No need to feel cheeky for wanting lessons on a share horse, most people I know would much prefer a rusty rider turn up saying they intend having lessons than turn up saying they are hugely experienced before heaving themselves into the saddle wobbling round in trot, nearly falling off at the canter and stating they are not keen on school work and will go out for a gallop next time! You would be snapped up. The most problems with sharers come from unreliability and not caring enough to do things properly. Wanting lessons shows dedication to learning so I would judge a sharer wanting lessons as having the right mindset to be a decent sharer.
 
PinkFairy said:
Thanks for the reply. �� I will check out that link.

I see, that could be helpful. I don't know if all schools adopt that method though. With a freelance instructor I suppose it may be easier to adapt a lesson to suit my physical needs so I may think again with regards to loaning. I just feel a bit cheeky asking if I could do lessons on someone else's horse, even if I would be paying for it. ��
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I had sharers for my mare, and was more than happy for them to have lessons on her - it was only going to help her as well as them. I think as long as the owner is happy with the instructor you're using (they might prefer you to use their own) most would see it as a positive not you being cheeky!
 
I have a deaf brother, and totally understand the reliance on lip reading, or people speaking clearly to you (it is amazing how many people forget, and will try and have a conversation side on, or with their backs turned whilst busy doing something). Most people who know him, know his requirements, and those that don't, are soon willing to adapt their communication once they realise.

I use to also help with a deaf girl at my old riding school and livery yard. It was a non RDA yard, but they were just good with people. She was young with major confidence issues, and they did a lot of one on one (and sometimes two instructors to one) to build her confidence. Lots of stopping, giving feedback, getting to know her gestures, as well as incorporating their own to ensure she fully understood what was asked of her, or what she needed to do.

As a side note, I have always been taught by instructors (including those above), who will actively show or mimic what they want you to do, therefore giving plenty of visual, as well as verbal cues.

Don't give up your search or rule out non RDA yards. Any that are worthwhile will take the time to get to know you, find out your individual requirements, and will be able to develop a way of teaching and learning that is suitable to you. Have a call around and take a friend or family member to support if required.

As for sharing, I am sure that any owner would love a share that wants to improve and learn. Depending on the set up, they may actually even encourage or want you to have lessons as your regular agreement. The main thing is reliability and commitment, and it sounds as if you are very willing to offer both of those things.

Good luck in your search!
 
hi i think you need to look at radio aid transmitters, where one person wears the transmitter, ie your instructor and you have to have a compatible hearing aid. but it should work,
 
Hi everyone, thanks so much for the replies.

My previous share had a freelance instructor come out and so she was happy for me to have lessons but unfortunately I didn't get to as the first few times the owner wanted to have lessons and have me watch and then when I got married, the owner went through some personal difficulties and moved yards so I stopped sharing the horse. I may see if I can look into both situations and see what would work for me.

My last lesson was 5 years ago, it didn't go well and to be honest I didn't go back. It was at a school I knew fairly well as I did work experience there (which was terrible as well!), it was a stressful lesson, I had a horse that was refusing to budge beyond a ploddy trot and an instructor that just got frustrated and shouted at me. The way the school was laid out meant that everyone coming in to reception could see and hear the lesson and were able to watch and I found it even more stressful. There aren't many schools near me, I would probably have better chances of finding a suitable share.

I don't wear aids so a radio aid would not work for me. If an instructor were to ask me how best to teach or help me, I'd suggest giving me something to do then letting me get on with it and then let me come back to them for feedback, the issue with that is not being able to correct me as I'm going so I could spend however long doing something but not doing it right. Placards could help. My instructors at college used various hand signals alongside yelling at me, lol. I suppose working with a freelance instructor could mean I would be able to try different techniques with them to see what worked.

What are the going rates for freelance instructors?
 
hi not meaning to pry, but do you have an residual hearing?
PM if you wish. the set up can be run through a smart phone with a headphone, you just have it in one ear
 
Sologirl said:
Following this as I am also hard of hearing/partially deaf. If you can hear to some extent then I would imagine some sort of microphone that feeds the sound into a headphone on your riding hat or something?
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I haven't read all the replies, but at my last yard the YO's coach used a setup like this. Not because the YO was hard of hearing, the coach just preferred doing it that way so she wasn't always shouting. I gathered from them when I asked about it that it was fairly common with freelance coaches these days? This was a dressage coach, not sure if that makes any difference. It might well be worth contacting some to see if they already have the gear if this would be an option for you?
 
I don't teach, but I used to help out at a RS with a couple of deaf pupils. Depending on rider's skill level, I either ran alongside (we worked out a system where I would turn around and jog backwards whilst repeating instructor's words clearly so she could lip read) or they would do an exercise and come back for feedback. We even did a couple of yard shows using the first system, with the judge's permission.

There were some obvious hand signals e.g. thumbs up for good, and the pupils would periodically look at the instructor whilst riding the exercises.
 
The headset one is interesting but as I can't use a phone I wonder if I would not be able to use the headset?

I think it would be better to turn in to the centre line to get the next instruction or feedback but hand signals whilst riding is good to encourage the rider they are doing the right thing.

I may just need to try various things and see what works.
 
An interesting thread...

I am partially deaf and never got on with my hearing aid when riding so have always ridden without it. I lip read more than people realise and have problems focussing on a conversation when there's a lot of background noise, eg in a large group of people all talking at once.

The main problems I have are to do with my dressage. I cannot always hear the bell/horn which I have got round by talking to judges at the start of a test to ask them to beep the horn/ring the bell when I'm by them (I don't think they believe me when I say that the pony won't care!) or if I have somebody with me they will raise a hand in the air when the bell goes. So far no judge has been 'off' with me for asking this fortunately.

The same happens in a warmup... I can't always hear other riders talking to me, and neither do I tend to hear the stewards calling me so I make sure I always let them know I may not hear them and let them know I'm not being rude if I don't respond!

Regarding lessons with my regular instructor he will wait for me to be close to him to tell me something, and knows that if I'm a distance away I may not hear. Usually I'll hear that he's speaking but cannot focus on the words themselves. Another instructor I have uses one of the two-way radios and it's brilliant, to the point that I'd really like to invest in one for general use.
 
I teach for my local RDA group and have a couple of riders who are deaf, from minor loss of hearing to complete loss. I use a mixture of sign language, lip reading, makaton (which has a whole section on horse riding!) and hand signals. I also try and do more one on one with those as it makes it easier than being in a group situation. If it is in a group I make sure the rider is accompanied by an attentive 'good' volunteer.

Whereabouts are you as am sure there would be an RDA group suitable for you :smile3:
 
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