I thought I would start a thread on my work at the place i ride at. I have been taking lessons there once a week (on Friday) for about 6mo now. Yesterday before my lesson i was offered to work on Saturdays in order to get a free ride (non lesson). The first thing I did was muck a paddock of a pony named Gemma, who i think is a aged welsh mare, with a girl called Jade. Then Jade brought in a pony for a girl who was booked in to have a lesson, whilst i got all the gear out and grooming tools. I helped the girl, who was about 5, teaching her how to unrug and rug her pony, grooming, where to stand and also how to tack up her pony. She was very focued and did very well!! I then helped clean the paddocks with another girl, Nat. I mucked another paddock alone and took all the heavy rugs off the horses, just leaving their cotton ones on.
Around 12pm I brought in Pepe ( the horse I am riding in my avatar ) and got him ready for his lesson with a teenage girl, then went and helped a girl who was volunteering, with one of the ponys (welsh cob). She was scared of him but trying to be brave, I held him as she followed my instructions of how to untack him, and how to lift the saddle from his back with her stirrups ran up.
All was going well, until she was finding his rug (which someone had dumped amongst all the others) and he spooked and broke free from the twine i had safety tied his lead rope to, luckily was able to grab his rope and calm him down..... where he prompty went to sleep :wink:. Got the girl to rug him, and taught her how to do the leg straps up properly, with some encouragment she pushed through her fears and got him rugged .Took him back to his paddock.
Walked a girl (10?) around to cool her horse out (she was being led as she isnt confident right now, otherwise would have been able to go off on her own to cool him out) which went well, we had a chat and she told me about how she had lessons every two weeks and had friends with horses and how she loved the horse she was riding. She was shy, but we had fun - im generally shy too, except around horses .
My payment was meant to be a free ride (a bonus really, got to spend the whole day at a place i love, helping out!), but instead the lady who owns the place has offered me a free private lesson in exchange for the work i did for her today and has offered for me to be paid to help the instructors with the kids lessons :-o so happy!!
Will be blogging every Saturday!
Around 12pm I brought in Pepe ( the horse I am riding in my avatar ) and got him ready for his lesson with a teenage girl, then went and helped a girl who was volunteering, with one of the ponys (welsh cob). She was scared of him but trying to be brave, I held him as she followed my instructions of how to untack him, and how to lift the saddle from his back with her stirrups ran up.
All was going well, until she was finding his rug (which someone had dumped amongst all the others) and he spooked and broke free from the twine i had safety tied his lead rope to, luckily was able to grab his rope and calm him down..... where he prompty went to sleep :wink:. Got the girl to rug him, and taught her how to do the leg straps up properly, with some encouragment she pushed through her fears and got him rugged .Took him back to his paddock.
Walked a girl (10?) around to cool her horse out (she was being led as she isnt confident right now, otherwise would have been able to go off on her own to cool him out) which went well, we had a chat and she told me about how she had lessons every two weeks and had friends with horses and how she loved the horse she was riding. She was shy, but we had fun - im generally shy too, except around horses .
My payment was meant to be a free ride (a bonus really, got to spend the whole day at a place i love, helping out!), but instead the lady who owns the place has offered me a free private lesson in exchange for the work i did for her today and has offered for me to be paid to help the instructors with the kids lessons :-o so happy!!
Will be blogging every Saturday!