Teaching youngsters is much like working with a young horse. They are a fairly blank slate and are naturally curious. Most children who are passionate about horses are usually eager to learn and willing to give almost anything a whirl. This bravery around horses lets them advance their riding and horsemanship quickly. The key is setting them up for success by imparting some basic safety precautions and handling techniques.
Groundwork Skills
Young people should be taught grooming, leading, handling, learning from which side to lead, not standing on the offside when leading a horse, how to walk around them from behind, etc. If they are big enough, they should learn how to pick up a leg and clean out hooves properly. Make sure that they also know how to take care of their horses once they are finished riding. That may include bathing, brushing, oiling hooves, feeding carrots, putting the fly masks back in place, and making sure the stall/paddock doors are shut properly. This is a perfect time to teach the children responsibility. Fun comes with work, and they need to know that the horse’s well-being comes first.
Round Penning
Starting youngsters in the round pen with walk/trot lessons is the way to go. The round pen keeps them safer and does not require much steering, so they can concentrate on balance and other things without having to worry about making the horse go where they want it to go. Once they learn to stop, turn, and control the horse, they will then graduate to the “big” arena. In the arena, they should first ride in a virtual round pen where they will have to ride the same way they did in the round pen but without rails. Once they achieve this maneuver, they will be ready to ride with other young riders.
One Rein Stop
This maneuver is when the rider pulls one rein, and the horse bends his head and neck around to the side. The horse’s nose should be able to touch the rider’s boot, and the horse should come to a complete stop. This needs to be taught and practiced regularly on both sides at the walk, the trot, and eventually the canter. The one rein stop is basically like the emergency brake on the car. It’s the go-to move if things get out of control such as if the horse spooks, runs off, or a rein breaks, etc. When a young rider knows he or she can stop a horse quickly and easily, it instills confidence and allows them to feel safe in the saddle.
Build Confidence
To build confidence, a child needs to be advancing without skipping steps in their horsemanship. For instance, if a child is comfortable walking but not trotting, have the child trot halfway around the pen and then come back to a walk; then walk a few laps and then trot another half lap. Gradually have the rider trot the horse a bit longer each time. Once they are good in the pen, they can work on the trot in the arena. Another way to build a young person’s confidence is to have them cross obstacles. Choose easy obstacles to begin with such as wooden rails. Advance to crossing a folded tarp; then unfold it to make the obstacle bigger. This is a good way to practice for the unknown while in a fairly predictable environment.
Keep It Interesting
If most youngsters had their way, they would probably want to jump six foot fences or race around barrels on their second lesson. Obviously, they need a good riding foundation before they reach those stages. However, they also need to have some fun and enjoy riding, or they will lose interest in riding. Try to begin with warm-up exercises; then move onto the more technical parts of riding and training. Finally, lean toward the fun things they enjoy at the end of the lesson. This is a great way to leave things on a good note and have young riders looking forward to the next lesson time.
Attainable Goals
Most children probably will not be too interested in hearing that if they practice hard, it will pay off in five or ten years. They need to have goals they feel they can reach in the near future. Practicing and training for even the smallest horse show gives a young rider something for which to strive. Setting small training goals and having mini competitions can do the same thing. Set up a small obstacle course and time or score the young riders as they complete the course. Then see if they can shave off a few seconds the next time they complete the course. This type of practice also helps reveal their strengths and areas in which they need to work.
Variety of School Horses
It is very common to see riders of all ages who look good on one horse but awkward on any other horse. When a person is young, it is much easier for them to get an overall feel for horses so take advantage of that. The more horses a young rider can work with and ride (providing the horses are safe), the better they will become. They will easily develop a feel for horses and that is very hard to acquire later in life.
Life Lessons
Learning to ride a horse is one of the greatest opportunities one can have in life. It teaches personal responsibility and how to deal with the ups and downs that life has to offer. Learning how to lose graciously when competing is as important as knowing how to be humble and handle success in the arena as well as in the arena of life. In the world in which we now live, instant gratification is unfortunately part of the equation. Learning that winning does not come easily, working harder to improve, and accepting personal responsibility are the best lessons that a child can learn.
Flexible Lesson Plan
Every child is different, and some children like to ride for hours while some lose interest in twenty minutes. Attention spans are different for each child, and it is necessary to learn to read your young riders. If they are bored and want to stop riding, then call it a day. Some youngsters acquire skills more readily than others and have more natural athletic abilities. Being patient with the rate of learning is important.
Experiment
Although it might be tempting to keep everything very structured, young people need a chance to try different things with their horses and horsemanship. Trying a variety of equine events, riding with friends, performing skills to music, and just having time to play around with their horses will help children develop passion which is why we are all in this in the first place.
There are many factors to consider when coaching youngsters and the above are just some I consider the most important. I hope this gives you some ideas when it comes to teaching children about horses. Keep it safe and keep it fun!
