Fun barn/theory lessons

[zahena]

We have no covered arena at our barn and as always in unpredictable Texas weather, it looks like it might rain tonight. Of course, on Tuesdays, the nights I teach! We sorta all make a joke of it now.

I'm looking for some fun and engaging theory ideas. We usually have one "barn lesson" per session and I'm always struggling with things for the kids to do. I have holed them up and made them watch videos, but with tweens, its a bit painful.

We've done show grooming before, I've also taught them a "halter" class (yes, I used to show halter) but am struggling for funner ideas. We did do a bridle race where they had to pull apart bridles and put them back together.

Thoughts?

[KateKat]

You're a nice instructor...I always had to clean tack on rainy days! :o\

[AdultAmmy]

You're a nice instructor...I always had to clean tack on rainy days! :o\

haha ditto

Or during the summer she'd say "hell you're not gonna melt! Get tacked up and be in the ring in 10 minutes!"

[zahena]

I've actually made them ride before through the rain and when they protest I just scream "It'll stop!" Sometimes it does and sometimes..... Well, sometimes it doesn't! But in Texas it will deluge for like 20 minutes and then be clear.

I could make them clean since they seem befuddled lately on the proper way to clean tack. Hmmm......

I have another day I call "butt cold" day. As in it's so cold I can't see my butt out in it! LOL! But when you teach for 3-6 hours it's a hard call. Freeze, or be stuck inside with a bunch of screeching teens. I can't even begin to describe the respect I have for school teachers!!!!

[eventchic33]

Pin the parts on the pony!!! or sticky tape anyway. It's a lesson in parts of the horse and can be tied in to how the parts are used, strengths/weakness etc.

[Brown Horse]

Have you done any stable management lessons? Such as teaching them about horsemanship?
Teach them how to check a horses TPR. Have a conformation or anatomy lesson. Have a bit lesson. Or a lesson about different injuries like bowed tendons, suspensory injuries and how to treat them, recognizing navicular, etc. Uh...how to detect lameness. Anything along those lines...
These may not be "fun" like a race or game, but they are important in becoming a well-rounded horse person :)

[zahena]

See, Brown Horse, this is where I get hosed at our barn. We're a Pony Club barn so we have those theories and the person who REALLY learns a ton is me! LOL! I'd be like huh, I never knew you could try this that way.... I thought about coming up with a written "quiz" and seeing how they do. My groups tonight have either a) not been in pony club at all or are b) Pony Club C level.

I do enjoy the confirmation part though that's where they are weak!

[twopoints]

Just sent you a PM.

[Brown Horse]

See, Brown Horse, this is where I get hosed at our barn. We're a Pony Club barn so we have those theories and the person who REALLY learns a ton is me! LOL! I'd be like huh, I never knew you could try this that way.... I thought about coming up with a written "quiz" and seeing how they do. My groups tonight have either a) not been in pony club at all or are b) Pony Club C level.

I do enjoy the confirmation part though that's where they are weak!

Ah, okay, I see. I figured you'd already thought of those things, anyway. Heck, I'd just make them ride, lol. We ride in the rain unless we see lightning or it's raining SO hard that we're blind or it's just dangerous.

[zahena]

We did ride in the rain last night! I kept saying "Okay, let's go in" and then it would stop. So we would ride. then it would pour. Then stop. Effing Texas! LOL!!!

By the time the night was over I was SOAKED, the horses were soaked and the girls were laughing like crazy! But they got both. They got to ride AND then clean tack! :lol:

[jetsmom]

You can get a clicker and have the kids clicker train each other. They use a made up word, then try to get the other kid to perform a task. It teached them to time aids, and recognize the slightest response. (Many times when teaching a horse something, like dropping the head with poll pressure, or turn on the forehand, they don't reward with relaxing the cue at the first sign of "try". So for a turn on the forehand, they would relax/reward when they feel the weight shift, then ask again. That way the horse understands it is heading in the right direction. Or to "back up" they don't necessarily try to get 3 steps back the first time.)

Teach to braid manes and tails, pull manes, clip.

Play "Jeopardy" with horse stuff. Anatomy, parts of the bridle, MPH of gaits, footfall sequence of gaits, terminology (medical, riding related).

[pony grandma]

Make them ride and call it practice for Rolex someday :lol:

Design jump courses for indoor fun, a chalkboard, on paper - teach them what the jump distances mean, how they present difficulites that they have to learn to ride. Design the jumps and the courses for different ride reasons and discuss how different sizes/types of horses have to be ridden over them. If you have a large enough area the kids can stride them off, set a distance for them to learn what their personal stride is and how to count it. Teach the difference between a hunter course, a jumper course and an eq course.

Analyze horse/rider photos for horse conformation, jump styles, rider eq. etc.

[iridehorses]

horseless horseshow!!! ha, call me crazy, but i feel like it helps me with my distances

[zahena]

I just printed off some of what HunterMom suggested and I want to know....where is the answer key?!

I do have a stick horse that clops and whinies! They could do that! It's been steadily raining since Tuesday evening so we're doing theory tomorrow. I have a ton of fun little stuff for them to do so hopefully it keeps them occupied and out of my hair!