Instructors, jump in! Student needs...

[cyberbay]

... to develop everything to become decent rider, and I am in need of non-lunge exercises to help her get there.

She's been riding for 2 years, a 30-min. once-a-weeker, middle-schooler. She's always had real flaws in her position -- no real balance, no seat development really coming along, stiff, and markedly collapsed to the right. She's been a dedicated 30-min/week rider, 'tho, and she is very interested and parents very supportive. So, she is now leasing a 'real' horse that requires 'real' riding.

I have every expectation that she will rise to the occasion, but I need exercises to address her lack of natural talent. She definitely improves during the lesson, but the first 15 min. re-reveal the weaknesses that the school-horse program, and her small amount of time to ride each week, had no resources to fix. The good news is that we can fix them now.

Primarily, suggestions for being more relaxed in the hip (which is going to let her be less arched in the lower back, less crazy with the arms, and sit better)? Thanks much!

[Maya01]

Get her dressage training on a schoolmaster by a reputable dressage trainer...basically you want her to be able to execute a 1st level dressage test with accuracy.

No matter what the discipline every rider should be trained in classical dressage once in their lifetime if they want to do well :winkgrin:

[GGsuperpony]

If you have a bombproof, extra safe lunge horse - do some vaulting exercises! You don't need the whole get-up, just bareback and maybe a neck strap made out of an old rein.

Try the around-the-world one (one leg over, sitting sideways, other leg over, sitting backwards, and so on) and maybe the one where you get on your knees and hold your arms out shoulder level. Both of those seem like they would show you how to use your body on the horse, and the knee one gets you really accustomed to staying in rhythm/moving with the horse since bouncing around = sliding off! I'd try these first at the halt and then at the walk, of course.

I really think it's a good foundation plus kids often think it's fun. My introduction to riding was vaulting for three years. (I was desperate to ride from the time I could walk, but the only place nearby that would work with five- to eight-year-olds was a serious dressage barn who started the tiny kids on vaulting.) As soon as I turned eight, local hunter trainer would take me and so off I went. I wanted to JUMP. :yes:

I credit vaulting to this day with everything that is good about my seat and with the reason I've never had a serious fall - it teaches you how to land, since everything you do vaulting ends up with you on the ground. Hopefully on your feet! (Not always, though!)

[nlk]

While vaulting is wonderful I should be able to think of some off the line.

I would like to know why you think she can fix them on a "real" horse and not a schoolie? I understand the horse might not have as much pep but often riders are the better for it because the are challenged by a horse who decides to do what they want to do despite the rider and they ignore the faults.

For someone who rides 30 mins a week, I don't expect to much, even after two years. For a rider to truly progress they need 2+ sessions a week. The reason being they do spend half the first lesson remembering everything they did a week ago. ( perhaps that's why she's going to do better with the leased horse because she can ride more?)

Can you tell me where her weak points are?

For a rider who pinches the knee and stands on toes I like to have the stand in their stirrups first walk then trot. in order for them to do this properly they will need to fix their leg to the proper position for balance and support. You can adjust the leg first (heels down, light knee, calf on.) and then when she falls forward she was up on her toes and knees and when she falls back her lower leg slid forward.

Usually if you can fix the leg 90% of your problems are fixed.

for relaxing through the hip Ihave them feel the motion of the horse. At the siting trot they need to Open and close their hips with the trot as the horse pushes forward you sink down and open as they gather for the next stride their back comes up and the riders hip should close, you need to sit on a horse and try it out your self while thinking that.

[Brooke]

Well the first thing I see is 30 min. once a week...not much time to develop a natural feel. And sometimes I think that we over analyze and talk too much (not saying that's what you're doing) but when I see a stiff rider, I think not enough time in the saddle just getting a feel and too much instruction on putting them in the right position. I always worked on the leg and base of support first, then tried to keep the mind busy with turns and serpentines and halts and circles. I found that the kids would begin to relax into the horse balance would improve and then I could continue to work on the finer points of position.

[Joyrider]

Having a bunch of once a weekers in our lesson program who cannot follow the horse's motion well - we have them ride bareback when we can. Of course you must have a great horse who knows "whoa" and is more of a kick a long type than a goer.. Also teach the kid a flying dismount bareback and that will allay their fears about falling. Start slow with walk and halt exercises and then perhaps lead or run beside the horse to practice some slow Western jog. If you had a saint of a horse, take them (you walking) on a little "trail" ride around the property hopefully with some small hills and changes of terrain. While they are enjoing the scenery, they will be "letting go" in their hips and following with their seat without even realizing it. If the kid has access to the horse 4-5 times per week now, perhaps make 1 day per week bareback day. Also, you can try gymkana games. Often the kids get so excited about the game (like barrel racing or pole bending) that they start to naturally follow the horse's gait again without even realizing it.
Good luck!

[EventMore]

Have her try to change her diagonal by rising two beats instead of sitting. When this is easy expand it: have her rise two, sit two, rise two, sit two, etc. Then rise two sit one, then mix it up and change the pattern every few strides.

Once this is easy have her post to the canter too.

Another idea (different) is to unbuckle her reins, cross them over the horse's neck, and buckle them together under his neck. There will be a loop around his neck with the buckle on the bottom. Have her hold the branches that go to his mouth. This way her hand will stay in front of her body and will be still. If she looses her balance and falls back the loop around the horse's neck will protect his mouth.

[mrsbradbury]

When you take her off the line, keep things in a small space.

Set up some markers, and have her walk a figure 8 around them, teach her the rein aids, and have her experiment with pushing the horse over off her leg. I don't fret if the bend is funny, or the horse isn't quite straight during this, I just want them to play with the aids.

If she is stiff, I would try staying away from the canter for a couple of weeks, and really get her confident at the walk and trot. Have her post with her fingers around the martigale strap (so what if she leans too far forward for 10 minutes), so her learns to open and close her elbows.

Flip her hands around and have her ride with a driving rein, in the thumb out the pinky. It will really show her how the horse is moving his head.

Take ker stirrups away at the walk, and have her hug the horse, pull her legs up, lift her toe, point it down.

The key is to get her moving around up there at the walk so she can get more fluid, then you can start to tweak everything back in line again.


Go slow, and break it down in small pieces. I find that these rigid, no balance kids love to learn about the beats of the gait, make her count them out load, and other components that deal with the biomechanics of the horse.

It sounds like this horse might have some cool things to offer. Teach each thing in a pyramid like pattern. Teach the "leg yield", teach "bend" and things like that. As she grows and her sensitivity matures you can correct it.

Good luck.

[2DaPoint]

Brooke has it right. 30 minutes is barely enough time to develop a decent lesson, much less once a week!!
Lots of walking "Swing and Sway" to get her to loosen her lower back and follow.
Lots of two point (the proper kind, that is.... with hip closed so that the seat is basically exactly over the spot where it would be if seated, the heel down and knee relaxed away from the saddle, arms in front of the body for balance) to develop the correct "balast" that a good lower leg position gives.
And slowly but surely, lots of work without stirrups..... and bareback, too!

Now that this rider has a horse availabe to her through the lease, more saddle time should see a lot of the problems well on their way outa there!

I was told by numerous instructors over the years that I didn't really have natural talent, but my attitude made up for everything. They all said they would take attitude over aptitude any time, because those are riders who stick with it and take it seriously.
--- They also make the best instructors later on.---

Be honest with this kid and her parents, and make sure they know you are on their side. Things will move swiftly from there.
KD

[AppendixQHLover]

I was the same way as your student. I was not a natural rider at all. I had instructors tell me at camps that I should find a new sport. I loved horses more than I cared what they said..

That being said I worked real hard at making myself a better rider. One thing that helped me was actually off the horse..Riding a bike. Riding a bike requires you to have equal weight distribution on both sides of the bike. You put more weight on one side than the other you will fall off.

My diagonal was one thing that was tough for years to *get*. Now I can feel it but was put on a lunge line blind folded and made to feel it. It worked now I can feel it and don't have to look.

[shawneeAcres]

I use a variety of things to help position, when possible I lunge for about 10 minutes before lesson doing exercises without reins/stirrups to loosen rider up etc. When riding off lunge I do "stand in stirrups" where rider brings hips forward, stands UP (not two point) with heel down, this gets leg in perfect position because otherwise you fall forward or back, I also use "up up dowon" exercise where rider stays up two beats in posting trott and then down one, helps balance, timing and strength, I have rider alternate between full seat, half seat and two point while trotting. I also like to have rider do two point and posting trot with one haip on hip, other on reins, later on with both hands on hips. Sitting trot work as well. Lots of things you can do to help riders position

[cyberbay]

Thanks for all the replies... they're a help. Yep, 30 min. is barely anything. The school-horse time was perfectly productive, but what I think I was trying to convey was that that atmosphere (I'm now directing my own riding program (tiny, but growing! ;->) of our former barn gave very little sense of what horses can/will do. I don't even think these riders know horses can spook. The school-horse people had a very structured (you could call it limited) experience, which is fine for a certain type of rider and good for the very early lessons, but I honestly found it misleading. So, between the 30-min/week with the occasion hour lesson and this limited atmosphere, the riders are a little untested.

Anyhow, this particular young rider needs to be in control of her body more. She definitely improves during the lesson, and now I am thinking of putting her back on the 'easier' horse for awhile. And I will ask her about getting on her bike and mimicing the riding position while on it -- ie, NO sway back or arms flying around.

We do lots of 2 point, with an emphasis of getting right into the balance; trotting with arms out to side, above head, on hip; transitions, transitions in 2point; transitions with arms out to side; school figures(this was pretty cute to watch); changing direction; practising the sitting trot by increasing the beats between posting; riding a dressage test. Most of the above can be done in 30min., too, kinda...


Anything else you think of? Thanks again.

[horsestablereview]

I'd say let her ride bareback for awhile and really get her to learn what the horse's back feels like. It's tough when you only have her for such a short time. But bareback is a great way to improve balance. Work on having her lift one knee then the other. Anything that you can think of to teach her that all her body parts can work independently of everything else.

Since she is motivated but comes out infrequently, perhaps you could suggest her doing some yoga at home. It's a great way for people to gain better control on their body and doesn't require a commute anywhere. Even if she could do 10-20 minutes of yoga 3-5 times a week, it would be really helpful. Riding a bike can also help develop riding-like muscles and will also help with balance.

And if they're really willing to break the bank, there's always that RideMaster (http://www.geeksugar.com/1615285)! Just kidding.

Good luck.

[AppendixQHLover]

I love riding bareback. I can feel my horse starting to work and when he uses his back muscles. I also can feel which muscles tense when he is upset.