Excerpt
Taken from Chapter Three – The Questions to Ask
Finding the right training barn and instructor for your child is important. Take some time to check out a variety of barns. Watch a lesson with children of the same age as your child. Talk with the barn manager and instructor. Have a look around. What is your gut reaction to the place?
• Does the barn look safe, clean and tidy? • Is it well organized? • Is there a pleasant atmosphere around the barn? • What does the schooling/lesson area look like? • Is it dry and dusty with inadequate or unsafe fencing? • Is it tidy and safe? • Do the children at the barn appear to be enjoying themselves? • Does the instructor seem pleasant and happy? • At the same time is there a structured learning program in place? • Are the children helping each other and working as a team?
What experience has the instructor had with children of a similar age? Tell the trainer about your child. For example, why they want to ride and what sort of temperament they have. A shy child will probably withdraw if taught by a rough loud instructor. On the other hand, an instructor who is unable to set boundaries will quickly lose the rider’s respect which can lead to the child becoming complacent with their pony and getting hurt. Ask the instructor if there is a viewing gallery or somewhere safe to observe lessons. If your child is a boy, does the instructor have experience with boys? Does the instructor understand children’s individuality? Are there other boys in the program? Little boys will probably not want to spend as much time grooming as little girls do, but perhaps they may like to ‘help’ get their pony ready to ride. Little girls will happily groom and ‘care’ for their pony, often spending time just hanging out with the pony.
How does the barn introduce children to riding? Small children can start with half hour private lessons in order to be safe and have individual attention. A half hour lesson is both mentally and physically sufficient for young children. Starting children in groups being led by older children may be less expensive than private lessons, but this is not always safe. In a group lesson it is hard to give each child sufficient attention. A nervous child can become intimidated in a group and give up riding because they feel unable to control their pony and think the other children are all so much better. Slight position faults are overlooked and quickly become habits that are hard to correct at a later stage. As any of you who ride know, once you have developed a certain way of riding, it feels right. It takes a great deal of effort to make positional changes at a later stage. For example, if you have been taught to grip with your knees and push yourself up and down in trot it is hard to relax and allow the horse to do the work of throwing you up while you simply control the rise.
What sort of children’s programs does the barn offer? If the barn has a lesson program ask how the program is structured. Perhaps they have certificates or awards that children receive as they progress through the levels. Perhaps the barn has a ‘Pony Club’ that may be affiliated to the United States Pony Club. The United States Pony Club was established in 1928 and organises numerous educational rallies and activities for young people who want to learn about ponies and riding.
Some barns offer summer riding camp programs or stable management courses. Find out if the barn offers a camp that could be suitable for your child. Before leaving your child, make sure they are settled and happy. Observe what supervision is in place, by whom and how the program is planned and operated. Find out if the instructor can set up a program for your child and if they offer any type of written evaluations or recommendations on how to progress.
Where does the lesson take place? Lessons can take place anywhere that is safe and secure. The ‘lesson’ can be on a short trail ride. There will be lots of interesting things to observe and plenty of opportunities for the instructor to teach while on a trail ride. Some children may want to start their lesson in an enclosed schooling arena. Perhaps they will begin on a lunge line or in a round pen. Wherever the lesson is given, the child must feel safe. Any pony used for teaching novice riders must be quiet and easily controlled. It is good if the pony will respond to voice aids. The lesson should take place in an arena which is large enough for the rider to riding on his or her own – but not so large that they are intimidated by the size. The arena should have a well-sprung gate that must be kept closed at all times. If the pony gets too quick or the child falls off, the pony will be contained in a safe area.
The riding arena should be as flat as possible with no unnecessary equipment lying around that could injure a person or pony. The footing should be well maintained. Look for an arena that has been levelled and offers a nice springy surface for the pony to work on that is neither too deep nor too hard. Avoid arenas that are either too wet or too dusty. When it comes to jumping arenas the area should be big enough to allow jumps to be positioned where the rider can ride a nice easy line into the fence. Additional jumps, poles and cups should be stored safely out of the way.
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