Trainer has been sacked
M and her mother were a bit sheepish when I went and trained them tonight. Between them they just about managed to explain that they wanted to stop lessons with the professional trainer and have me teach her instead. M explained "he's not teaching me how to ride a horse" and "He wants me to bend George using my hands". I could hardly disagree with her, could I ???
Tonight we did walk pirouette - not particularly brilliantly because she has been working on turn on the forehand and he was moving behind instead of in front, but still a useful exercise (though I have told her not to repeat it unless I am there to help). Then some leg yield in walk, and then in trot, which was phenomenally successful and got a grin on everyone's faces.
We finished up with some steering practice - I went and stood in the arena with one arm outstretched and told her to come past me, straight, close enough to touch my hand. She said, thinking it would be fun to play, "can I touch your hand then?" and I replied "NO - your job is to focus on your horse and keep him straight!". This of course made her a)focus and b) steer. It was a great exercise. I moved around to different places and I used one or other arm, she had to spot where I was, which arm, and steer George (which has been a weak area for them both).
I thought up the exercise while having a coffee in MacDonald's on the way to meet them - it was extraordinarily successful - I was chuffed to pieces. As a joke, the last time they turned I put BOTH arms out. We all laughed, then I put one arm down, and she said "no - put your arm out again" so I did - and she turned an eight metre circle around me - quick thinking or what for a 10 year old!!
I've given her Sally Swift's book about Centred Riding to read, and she is getting an enormous amount out of it. I thought she might, she's an "image" learner and it's an "image" book. All in all the pair are making huge, huge progress and I'm happy to carry on for a while as trainer. I've been promised a curry once a month as my reward :-)
C
posted by cptrayes @ 10:14 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Uh, she's going to curry you? *VBWG*
I am presuming it's the kind of curry you eat. *lol*
I am not a good visual learner myself, but I often have to teach that way. I've learned a lot by doing it.
Some suggestions: M can pretend George has paint on his feet and the arena is a big canvas. She can write his name or her name or your name, steering George as if he were a paintbrush. Gets her to focus, concentrate, and learn to steer him in intricate patterns.
To get her to ride accurate circles, stand in the center and have her pretend she is holding a pole attached to you. The circle size varies depending upon how long the invisible pole is.
Another thing that is always fun is a little obstacle course. Ride between poles placed on the ground. Sidestep up alongside a pole across two barrels, standards and knock the pole off. Drop something in a bucket. You can come up with all kinds of little games. Walk partway through a set of poles and then trot out. Trot to a spot and then halt on a mark.
Try to ride a certain number of strides to reach a certain point. (teaches her to lengthen and shorten strides)
M is a very clever young lady to ride that circle around you. What an ingenious solution to the problem you'd posed. And the joke was on you in the end! *G*
I tagged you on my last post on my blog.
That game sounds like a great idea! I may have to give it a try with one of my littler lesson girls that struggles with steering. Jean had some good ideas as well.
Love the painting game Jean. Wonderful steering execise. Thanks!
I was going to comment that M seemed to be visual and you confirmed it. I am a visual learner myself.
So when she does "not " listen to you, make her stop and WATCH you, you can demonstrate, and then you can ask her to visualize what you just told her.
It will stop lots of frustrations from your part and hers.
Happy teaching, I think M is a very lucky girl ^-^
Good one Jean, thankyou, I'll tell her about that :-)
PDP the beauty of the exercise is that you can keep moving and she has to keep concentrating because she doesn't know where you'll be next!
Muriel I have worked hard at making her STOP when things start to go wrong, reset her brain, visualise what she wants to happen, and then start again. She was just ploughing on getting into more confusion. It's working very well for her. Thanks for the compliment :-))
C
even I'd work with a kid for a curry!
Sounds like you have a new career in the offing Caroline!
for someone who didn't want to teach, you're doing very well at it!
Mmmmm. One bright, responsive child with serious riding skill for six months, maybe. And only then if she learns and changes. I couldn't bear the boredom of teaching one rider after another, most of whom will come back next week doing the same wrong things as they were this week.
:-)
C.
Post a Comment
<< Home