A habit is defined as an automatic response to something. Developing the right habits in our students is one of the goals of good riding instructors. Even though repetition can be boring, riding instructors should embrace repetition because correct repetition develops good habits. According to Ann M. Graybiel in this MIT News article http://news.mit.edu/1999/habits “. . […]
Teaching
Posts about teaching, teaching helps, lesson ideas for instructors
I ask new students a lot of questions and since I love foundation teaching, I usually start my inquisition with the leg. Almost 100% of the time, a new student will answer with, “a straight line from the heel to the hip. . . “ etc. and they stop. I wait. After a few beats, I’ll say,“How […]
There are two basic types of riding students; the ones who have riding experience and the ones who do not. When I make the commitment to teach a student in either category, I have a system of questions based on tell me what you know that come up according to the timing of teaching. On […]
It is just as important to balance your lesson horse as it is to teach balance to riders. And even though balance for individual horses can be directly related to their conformation, some points are universally true. Point #1 The horse’s head and neck are his balancers. He raises his head and neck in order […]
Teaching good balance while riding horses is essential for students developing an independent seat and finesse in communication with the horse. At an elementary level, developing good balance has a direct relationship to staying on the horse. Rider balance is effected by rider conformation, the physical condition of their body and their mental condition. Some people […]
When is a rider ready to canter? A reader commented that students she was teaching at summer camp were pushy about wanting to canter and were unable to assess their own riding ability. Camp is different Camp lessons are different than private stable riding lessons in several ways. The kids have a deadline in camp once camp is over […]
If you have followed The Riding Instructor for any length of time, by now you know that I’m a huge advocate for beginners, their instructors and the foundation that is laid in riding lessons. The beginner rider is where we can establish a strong foundation of basics. It’s to these basics that the building blocks […]
I make no bones about being an advocate for instructors of beginning riders. It’s because I firmly believe that you can lay so good a foundation for your students, that they will not forget it, no matter what style or level of riding they become enamored with. And investing the extra time to lay a […]
The action of taking small rocks form one spot to the next causes students to exercise multiple skills. I call this “The Rocks Game”. Set Up is Simple Place 5 or 6 rocks (you can choose the number of rocks you like best), that are about the size of a golf ball, on the top […]
One of the things I remember most vividly about my Dad was his desire to earn a pilot’s license so he could fly the Cessna 150 and 172 fixed wing planes. When I was in high school I used to sneak to the air port to watch him practice take offs and landings with his […]
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