RachelEvent
7th Jul 2004, 01:46 PM
Hello everyone!
You may remember a few weeks ago that I posted about an instructor training course I was attending via my pony club. Anyway, I've been to the first session (3 and a half hours!) which was a theoretical session, talking about safety, dealing with brattish children, brattish mums, tack checks etc. We had a talk from the minimus instructor who teaches the littleuns, including various ways of phrasing things so it was fun and game-like. She also told us about the special equipment that she uses for the training games and how to encourage the various characters in the group, bring out the quiet children and satisfy the noisier know-it-alls. We spent a while building polework excercises in the outdoor school, and discussed how to create excercises which could cater for varying standards of rider at the same time.
Anyway, the next session of the course, next week, is practical teaching :eek: Talk about throwing us in at the deep end! As there are many of us, and only four rides, at this pony club working rally, we will each be teaching, in pairs for around 10 to twenty minutes. First we all watch the minimus instructor teaching the littlies, and then we do it ourselves with the older rides. I elected to work with the oldest ride, which will mainly be 8 to 12 year olds, although likely to be of very varying abilities. For the 15 minutes that I have to work in, I am teaching about 'Circles and Turns' - anyway, our homework is to write a lesson plan for next week, with a variety of excercises, suitable and beneficial for all. So I'd like to run this by you:
Exercise One: Riding alternating Squares and Circles using blocks.
Have ride on the right rein in walk, closed order. Blocks are placed as shown in diagram. Starting at X, first ride a square shape, going between the blocks and the corners of the school. Emphasise straightness on the sides of the square, and preparation and balance on the corners. Next time when reaching X, ride a circle, keeping outside of the blocks, but making sure to hit the points of the school at A, just after K, at X and just before F. Alternate between circles and squares each time you hit X. Change the rein.
Teaching Notes: On straight lines, the leg aids on either side should be the same as should the contact on the reins. To prepare for the turn, use a slight squeeze of the reins to make sure pony is attentive. Aids for the turn are inside leg on the girth (think of it as a big pillar for the pony to turn around), outside leg just behind the girth, steady contact on outside rein, slightly opened inside rein (do not pull!) Outside leg should help prevent the shoulders drifting outwards. Ponies reluctant to bend to the inside can be asked with a more opened rein (think of it as a funnel shape, guiding the pony where to go) and a series of short squeezes (like squeezing water out of a sponge). On a circle the bend should be consistent around the whole perimeter of the shape. Outside hindlegs should follow the track of the outside forelegs (As if the horse is on railway tracks!) a reasonable amount of bend would be shown if you can see your pony’s eyelid.
http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/RachelEvent/ex1.jpg
Exercise Two: Individual 20m Circles.
The ride stay in closed order, in trot, on a 20m circle, left rein. Individually, the lead-file when passing x, turns to the right, and rides a single 20m circle to the right, before re-joining the rear of the ride on the left rein. Allows the teacher to focus on each rider individually to notice any specific problems. If ride appear to be more proficient, could be ridden in canter?
Teaching Notes: The aids and ideal way of going are described above. Emphasise the precise way to ride a circle – that is hitting the track for ONE STRIDE ONLY, at X, just before H, at C and just after M. Explain how accuracy can make the difference between several places in a dressage test.
http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/RachelEvent/ex2.jpg
Exercise Three: Changing the bend during 5m and 10m Loops.
With blocks just to one side of X (as in diagram), to encourage riders to ride accurately, explain the shape of a loop. Have ride on left rein to start, in a more open order, in trot. Riders should be changing the bend of the horse as the direction of bend in the loop changes. Ask riders to focus on the straightness of the horse (horses ears dead central in front of you) whilst riding the short strides. Emphasise preparation of pony before starting loops (as with the squares at the beginning.) Change the rein.
Teaching Notes: The loop should be made of a smooth curve rather than three straight lines. As before, the horse should be on ‘railway tracks’ even though the direction of bend is changing. Explain how riding deeply into the corners is more beneficial, as encourages more stretching bending (comparable to doing stretches before you start PE lessons) When the turning aids are changed, the change must be smooth and clear so as the change of bend is fluent (Dressage judges love fluency, imagine you are doing ballet!). So for the first part of the loop the left rein is slightly open, left leg on the girth, right leg behind the girth. As the direction changes across X, the right rein becomes slightly open, right leg on the girth, left leg behind the girth. Upon returning to the track, the aids swap back again.
http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/RachelEvent/ex3.jpg
-------------------------------------------------
So - what do you think? I haven't really been 10 years old for a while, and I haven't been in proper group lessons (apart from dressage ones, and it's all open order and lateral work etc.) for it must be getting on 4 years. What specific things may be useful for me to say? And most importantly of all, as a pupil, would you find this vaguely interesting?
Thanks very much, sorry it's so long!
Rachel xx
You may remember a few weeks ago that I posted about an instructor training course I was attending via my pony club. Anyway, I've been to the first session (3 and a half hours!) which was a theoretical session, talking about safety, dealing with brattish children, brattish mums, tack checks etc. We had a talk from the minimus instructor who teaches the littleuns, including various ways of phrasing things so it was fun and game-like. She also told us about the special equipment that she uses for the training games and how to encourage the various characters in the group, bring out the quiet children and satisfy the noisier know-it-alls. We spent a while building polework excercises in the outdoor school, and discussed how to create excercises which could cater for varying standards of rider at the same time.
Anyway, the next session of the course, next week, is practical teaching :eek: Talk about throwing us in at the deep end! As there are many of us, and only four rides, at this pony club working rally, we will each be teaching, in pairs for around 10 to twenty minutes. First we all watch the minimus instructor teaching the littlies, and then we do it ourselves with the older rides. I elected to work with the oldest ride, which will mainly be 8 to 12 year olds, although likely to be of very varying abilities. For the 15 minutes that I have to work in, I am teaching about 'Circles and Turns' - anyway, our homework is to write a lesson plan for next week, with a variety of excercises, suitable and beneficial for all. So I'd like to run this by you:
Exercise One: Riding alternating Squares and Circles using blocks.
Have ride on the right rein in walk, closed order. Blocks are placed as shown in diagram. Starting at X, first ride a square shape, going between the blocks and the corners of the school. Emphasise straightness on the sides of the square, and preparation and balance on the corners. Next time when reaching X, ride a circle, keeping outside of the blocks, but making sure to hit the points of the school at A, just after K, at X and just before F. Alternate between circles and squares each time you hit X. Change the rein.
Teaching Notes: On straight lines, the leg aids on either side should be the same as should the contact on the reins. To prepare for the turn, use a slight squeeze of the reins to make sure pony is attentive. Aids for the turn are inside leg on the girth (think of it as a big pillar for the pony to turn around), outside leg just behind the girth, steady contact on outside rein, slightly opened inside rein (do not pull!) Outside leg should help prevent the shoulders drifting outwards. Ponies reluctant to bend to the inside can be asked with a more opened rein (think of it as a funnel shape, guiding the pony where to go) and a series of short squeezes (like squeezing water out of a sponge). On a circle the bend should be consistent around the whole perimeter of the shape. Outside hindlegs should follow the track of the outside forelegs (As if the horse is on railway tracks!) a reasonable amount of bend would be shown if you can see your pony’s eyelid.
http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/RachelEvent/ex1.jpg
Exercise Two: Individual 20m Circles.
The ride stay in closed order, in trot, on a 20m circle, left rein. Individually, the lead-file when passing x, turns to the right, and rides a single 20m circle to the right, before re-joining the rear of the ride on the left rein. Allows the teacher to focus on each rider individually to notice any specific problems. If ride appear to be more proficient, could be ridden in canter?
Teaching Notes: The aids and ideal way of going are described above. Emphasise the precise way to ride a circle – that is hitting the track for ONE STRIDE ONLY, at X, just before H, at C and just after M. Explain how accuracy can make the difference between several places in a dressage test.
http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/RachelEvent/ex2.jpg
Exercise Three: Changing the bend during 5m and 10m Loops.
With blocks just to one side of X (as in diagram), to encourage riders to ride accurately, explain the shape of a loop. Have ride on left rein to start, in a more open order, in trot. Riders should be changing the bend of the horse as the direction of bend in the loop changes. Ask riders to focus on the straightness of the horse (horses ears dead central in front of you) whilst riding the short strides. Emphasise preparation of pony before starting loops (as with the squares at the beginning.) Change the rein.
Teaching Notes: The loop should be made of a smooth curve rather than three straight lines. As before, the horse should be on ‘railway tracks’ even though the direction of bend is changing. Explain how riding deeply into the corners is more beneficial, as encourages more stretching bending (comparable to doing stretches before you start PE lessons) When the turning aids are changed, the change must be smooth and clear so as the change of bend is fluent (Dressage judges love fluency, imagine you are doing ballet!). So for the first part of the loop the left rein is slightly open, left leg on the girth, right leg behind the girth. As the direction changes across X, the right rein becomes slightly open, right leg on the girth, left leg behind the girth. Upon returning to the track, the aids swap back again.
http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/RachelEvent/ex3.jpg
-------------------------------------------------
So - what do you think? I haven't really been 10 years old for a while, and I haven't been in proper group lessons (apart from dressage ones, and it's all open order and lateral work etc.) for it must be getting on 4 years. What specific things may be useful for me to say? And most importantly of all, as a pupil, would you find this vaguely interesting?
Thanks very much, sorry it's so long!
Rachel xx