Okay first of all, I don't make money, I give my younger siblings lessons on my friends mare. (Who is fine with this). My parents don't have money for lessons for them, and their only chance to ride is with me...Over summer my two sisters implied that they wanted to learn how to jump. So I told them it would take a long time but I could try. One is 16, the other is 14. I'm stuck in a few places trying to help them out, and thought I would ask here. They ride 1-2 times per week every other week. (Their father doesn't let me take them on his week)
ROUND PEN : I started with 3 months of lunge lining the walk, sitting/posting trot, canter, two point and other balance exercises. Once they were confident doing that I put on a halter and they merely got used to reins in their hands, and understanding the concept of loose reins vs. contact and keeping still hands. One they were good with that I moved them onto the bridle at a walk, working on using leg to make a circle bigger or smaller, stopping with their seat. Once that was mastered it was done at a trot.
About 5 months later I moved them into the arena working on serpentines and refining everything.
I don't know if these are time things or if I could be doing exercises to help. Now the issues I am having with them is :
-Falling forward/backwards every change of speed. If the horse slows down they fall forward, if it speeds up they fall back onto their seats.
-Using leg and keep posting. (They sit when ever they use leg)
-Speeding up! This one is hard, the mare they ride has their number. She is awesome horse and does very well with them, but sometimes they can not get her to go. They spend 4+ minutes trying to get her into a trot when she is in a mood, and then sometimes the canter is impossible. Half the time I end up getting on and giving her a bit of schooling before having them get back on. I know they don't flap around with their legs or hold with their heels, she just knows that they don't have the know how to force her into it. After they've been riding and I get on, even I have a hard time convincing her to break into the gait nicely without giving her a smack with a crop. If I don't use a crop and she is in this mood it takes a lot of preparation, collection and umph to get her to just break into it. Now the issue I'm dealing with is I don't want my sisters carrying a crop right now, but having them do endless circles with NO response from the horse is starting to drive ME crazy. So do I let them carry a crop and give a shoulder tap (which is all the mare needs) or do I continue to have them try and have me school the horse halfway through their lesson?
I'm also ready to start working on stirrupless work to help them balance without stirrups, which they do pretty decent already from random bareback rides.
Any other exercise that anyone can think of that would be fun and help beginners learn something useful?
ROUND PEN : I started with 3 months of lunge lining the walk, sitting/posting trot, canter, two point and other balance exercises. Once they were confident doing that I put on a halter and they merely got used to reins in their hands, and understanding the concept of loose reins vs. contact and keeping still hands. One they were good with that I moved them onto the bridle at a walk, working on using leg to make a circle bigger or smaller, stopping with their seat. Once that was mastered it was done at a trot.
About 5 months later I moved them into the arena working on serpentines and refining everything.
I don't know if these are time things or if I could be doing exercises to help. Now the issues I am having with them is :
-Falling forward/backwards every change of speed. If the horse slows down they fall forward, if it speeds up they fall back onto their seats.
-Using leg and keep posting. (They sit when ever they use leg)
-Speeding up! This one is hard, the mare they ride has their number. She is awesome horse and does very well with them, but sometimes they can not get her to go. They spend 4+ minutes trying to get her into a trot when she is in a mood, and then sometimes the canter is impossible. Half the time I end up getting on and giving her a bit of schooling before having them get back on. I know they don't flap around with their legs or hold with their heels, she just knows that they don't have the know how to force her into it. After they've been riding and I get on, even I have a hard time convincing her to break into the gait nicely without giving her a smack with a crop. If I don't use a crop and she is in this mood it takes a lot of preparation, collection and umph to get her to just break into it. Now the issue I'm dealing with is I don't want my sisters carrying a crop right now, but having them do endless circles with NO response from the horse is starting to drive ME crazy. So do I let them carry a crop and give a shoulder tap (which is all the mare needs) or do I continue to have them try and have me school the horse halfway through their lesson?
I'm also ready to start working on stirrupless work to help them balance without stirrups, which they do pretty decent already from random bareback rides.
Any other exercise that anyone can think of that would be fun and help beginners learn something useful?