Teaching To Ride?

Hey,

Has anyone here taught a friend to ride, My best friend wants me to teah her to ride on my carm TB gelding Chinga who is very good with begginers. I have taught 2 people to ride but not from complete begginers. One could get a good trot and the other one could nearly canter a horse.

I'm worried that if I instuct her she will get angry at me. So just let me know what your experiances teaching a friend to ride were like? And had your friend been a complete begginer?

Just tell her that you might have to be firm, and not to get made at you. Just teach her at the walk and trot at first, and then move her on. Don't push her to far to fast

If you are afraid of her getting angry at you, than perhaps she should learn from someone else. I don't mean that in any way harsh, but the relationship between an instructor and student is different than that of two best friends. She may not like you, as a friend, telling her what to do and correcting her mistakes. She also may think, that because you are her friend, she doesn't have to listen to everything you say, even though you are giving her the right instructions. This could put some strain on your friendship. Maybe she could get lessons from another instructor and then when she gets some experience, you two could ride together for fun.

Sorry if I'm way off... she may not be like this at all. It could end up working great... as long as you are patient and take things slow.

Good luck!

I teach beginners - little kids. Yeah, sometimes they get mad at me, "I don't like sitting like this." or "This is too hard." or "Why do I have to put up all my own tack?"

Like Jubilee said, the relationship between a teacher and student is different, and professional. She may think that you're just being bossy, or that you think you're better than she is, and that's not good for a friendship.

However, if you still plan on teaching her, I ALWAYS start my students on the ground. They need to know all the equipment, the parts of the horse, how to walk and behave around a horse, how to lead, how to groom, and how to tack up. THEN they can get in the saddle. My kiddos know how to do everything by themselves before they can ride - that way I don't have to babysit them at the barn. I feel comfortable cleaning stalls or getting feed ready while they groom and tack up, because I know they know how.

Depending on the age of your friend, she's probably going to think she can just jump on and start running - all my students think that. She might get mad at you when you tell her she needs to MASTER her seat, legs, cues, turns, stops, and back ups at the WALK before she ever thinks about trotting, let alone anything faster. My students always pout when I tell them that. But it's important.

I hope this has been helpful. If you decide to teach her anyway, you can PM me anytime for tips on working with beginners. I don't teach anything past the trot; I pass them on to a different instructor for that. I just lay a good solid foundation of riding for them.

Good luck.

None of my friends are horse people, so I wouldn't know.
I've given lessons to little kids a couple times, though. I just did the basic lunge lessons at a walk. I worked on their position, walking, halting, etc.

See, I disagree with the thing between the instructer and student. My teacher is my really good friend too! If you wouldn't be comfertable going out and having fun with them, why learn from them?

I am friends with my students, but it's important to maintain a teacher/student relationship for respect purposes and for the benefit of the student. If the relationship becomes too "friendly" students often feel that they are exempt from listening to their instructor, and that's never good.

Just what I've found from personal experience.

Oh, that's never happened with me and my trainer,

If she is a complete beginner I would teach her about the horse first.. how to lead properly and about the tack how to saddle, how to clean the feet how to brush them.. all the basics.. that is so important before one can learn to ride... and if she isn't already get her close with the horse... Knowing a horse is a huge deal when riding and respect comes into play... other than that I see no reason not to teach her.. just let her know that it isnt going to be all fun and games and you may argue but if she wants to learn that badly than she will need to listen to the person who knows the horse.. you...

I talked to her about it and we made up a rule: What happens with the horse stays with the horse. Unless of course it is a seriouse injury. I also forgot to mention one thing. I "assist" in instructing the little kids at my riding who are begginers. I correct their seat and help them understand horses. I also explain rules and courses to them. She will hopefully be having her first lesson with Chinga next Saturday. Any idea's on a lesson plan for half an hour would be great. Keeping in mind that we can hopefully get her in the saddle (walking around on a lunge line or lead rope)

She has had some riding experiance at my riding camp I went to she trotted/walked around the arena.