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Rivermoons · May 6, 2019 11:51 PM

So I’m curious what do most people do on horses to have fun while learning something. I’ve never taken riding lessons, I’ve been in a total of 5 short clinics. So the extent of my ‘fun’ riding is going around barrels or polls. So I’m desperately looking for people who have different experiences than I do and different ideas. Because I’m starting to teach riding lessons to children ages 4-12, and I’m trying to think of different activities we could do that would improve their riding. I also want to have enough of a variety of ideas and activities that my ponies don’t get bored with what they’re doing.
Truthfully I could use some variety in my own riding right now. Im at a loss for what to do and my creativity is not helping me with this one.

Last year we practiced balancing a bean bag on the kids head while walking. Turning, flexing backing up, going over ground polls. Simple things like that, but a person can only do the same thing so many times before getting bored.

Any ideas and activities and patterns are welcome, the more the better. :)

Malaayna2 · May 7, 2019 12:42 AM

Honestly back when I was learning I'd just do heaps of trail rides
We have 40 acres thats super hilly and rocky, so I learnt alot from that
After that I'd suggest a bit of dressage
Learning to sit to the trot with no stirrups and my arms out made my balance almost perfect lol

Looper · May 7, 2019 2:12 AM

Tic Tac Toe Dressage. Pair off students and have one complete a dressage skill in a "box" on the field. Successful completion=their mark on that "box". Other student counters with a different skill in a different box. Unsuccessful completions mean either student has a chance to try that skill in that box again until either student makes a line of boxes across the field whether horizontal, vertical or diagonal.

HORSE. For pairs or small groups of students. Either dressage or jumping. Each student gets to challenge the others with a skill or jump. The other students attempt same skill or jump. Unsuccessful completions result in the unsuccessful student spelling out HORSE or any other word you choose to spell. Student with the fewest letters when word is spelled out for first time wins.

May the odds be ever in your favor ;)

Prickle · May 7, 2019 10:00 AM

No stirrups
bareback
one hand only
jumping
jumping while holding a cup of water, most left wins
grandmas footsteps on horse back
pair/synchronized riding
bareback jumping
extended periods of balanced riding
who can stay standing longest
around the world
touch different parts of the pony
head shoulders knees and toes
learn a dressage test
gymkhana
Shapes: circles, figure of 8, 3/4+ loop serpentine, demi vault, shallow loop
you can create a routine to music
It really depends on the horse, riders and where your riding and whats available to use. Also I learnt to ride in England and I know most people on here are from America which is a different riding style. I also really enjoy equestrian vaulting, but you have to have the right horse for that.

Bandit1119 · May 7, 2019 9:14 PM

When my cousins were riding my horse regularly I had them work on different things focusing on steering and stopping for the younger and more difficult maneuvers for the older one.

Using the dressage letters an old boarder put up in the arena I have the younger ride the alphabet, at first just going by and then later having her stop the horse at the letter and backing him up if they overshoot and working on turning him around to get straight lines between the letters.

The older one we use old class patterns (most printed off horseshowpatterns.com) and have her go through them at a walk then add the trot in (even though she’s like to canter I don’t feel like she is balanced enough and she still struggles to control him at a walk-trot and while he’s a tolerant horse he gets a pissy look when she flops about some times)

We mix and match the patterns and have done equitation, horsemanship, showmanship etc. both ridden and at halter

For trail we don’t have enough poles or pylons to set up a whole course so will set up 2-3 elements and work on different approaches to it or smoothing out the maneuver

Rivermoons · May 8, 2019 1:40 AM

These are great! I love so many of them, I cannot wait to try them. I’m still wanting more please share, I want a huge list to choose from. :)

BreezyCreek · May 12, 2019 4:56 AM

Check out www.lessonsintr.com The blog is geared towards therapeutic riding, but the ideas are incredibly transferable.

SandycreekFarm · May 12, 2019 2:09 PM

Here are some things I've done with my therapeutic riding classes.

Play old children's games like Simon Says, Hot Potato, Musical Cones (i.e. Musical Chairs), Mother May I, the Hokey Pokey. (Can you tell that I was playing games in the 50's?
Hold a Snail Race where the last horse and rider to reach the opposite end of the ring wins.
Create an obstacle trail for the class, to be completed in a set sequence. It might contain poles to walk over or low jumps to cross, two barrels for a figure eight, a dog leg or a narrow zigzag marked out to pass through, a marked out stall to back into, a place marked where the rider must stop with a designated part of the horse even with the marker (head, shoulder, hind quarters, for instance).

Egg and Spoon race, where the eggs can be plastic Easter eggs filled with sand and taped shut.

Go through the pattern for the Bleeding Heart Race--three barrels set up at the end of the ring, the right and left ones farthest away from the start line and the center one set closer. The ride can pass between two cones to start the pattern, ride around the far side of the left or right barrel, the near side of the center barrel, and the far side of the right or left barrel. This makes a heart-shaped path that is open at the bottom, hence the name. This could be done either individually or with the whole class in sequence, leaving space between the riders.

If your horses are well trained and cooperative, you could try having your riders drop the reins or just have loose reins and weave cones steering by using leg, seat and shoulder movements to turn the horses. I have a student that I refuse to give reins to because he can't coordinate his hands to move in two directions at once (or maybe he just can't understand what I'm asking him to do). Anyway, I coach him to point his chest in the direction he wants to make the horse turn. The shift in his shoulders transfers to his seat and cues the horse to turn. I first tried it one morning when his horse was not cooperating with the leader (she's a stubborn mare, sometimes). As he began doing this, I could see Miley become much more cooperative.

FeldingFields · May 13, 2019 5:55 PM

A lot of people mentioned things that I would have with regards to equitation/dressage patterns.

Being able to cool off bareback was always a big treat at barns I've ridden at. Also, if you can cool off/hack out in a field or down paths/trails. My current trainer will often have the kids go through a month of bareback/surcingle only riding once they've gotten the basics down to improve their balance and feel for the horse.

Sometimes group lessons at my current barn with end with races. Sometimes they're fast races, but usually they're walking or trotting only (especially with the kids). It encourages them to learn/practice extended and working walks and trots without penalizing kids on slower school ponies. One fun day my trainer showed up with a giant jar of peppermints. She would balance peppermints on the jump standards, we'd have to ride down, unwrap one, feed it to the horse, and ride back.

Other group lesson activities include follow the leader/drill team, where you have to keep the same amount of distance between the horses as you go along.

HTRanch · May 14, 2019 5:00 PM

I've heard of people doing challenges like No-stirrup November. There are a list of challenges tht have to be completed with no stirrups for beginners, intermediate, and advanced. I'm a lists person, so doing a challenge like that where I can see a list of skills and check off the ones I have mastered is really motivating!

When I work at summer camps, we show the campers a few initial obstacles to get their imaginations going (cavalettis, bridges, tarps, or cones) and then let them make up their own obstacle course each day. The fact that they designed the course themselves keeps them excited. On the last day of camp, they design a final obstacle course and the campers spend extra time grooming and getting their horses all gussied up. The parents come to pick up their child 30-45 minutes early and we have a mini show where the campers show off what they have learned.

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