Exercises for a novice+nervous rider to do at a walk

[Daffy Dilly]

Mum has finally decided she wants to ride Daffy. So tomorrow morning, she's going to have a go on him in the school. She hasn't ridden for about 7 years, and as the reason she stopped was down to confidence, she is going to be nervous.

So we'll stick to walking, and a bit of trotting if she wants. Because it's something I'm currently working on, I'll get her riding into the corners properly. Stirrupless, round the world etc are out, so I need some suggestions.

I'll try walk-halt transitions, and possibly some turn on the forehand to get him listening to her leg. Any other suggestions? We have cones and poles, but no jumping. ;)

[Maddison's girl]

I always find snaking in and out of the cones good. Usually the rider is so busy concentrating on going in and out of the cones they forget they are nervous :)

you will have to let us know how she gets on.

[Grace O'Malley]

Circles of different sizes and figure 8's. Changing direction across the diagonal, through the middle, etc. Can she do leg-yielding? She could do that from the quarter line out to the rail, or on a spiral in and out. Also serpentines. One-rein stops... Get a big swinging walk going and let the reins out to the buckle.

I do a lot of schooling the walk :D

[Cool Rider]

You could make a maze out of the trotting poles and then try and work your way out :D

[Pink's lady]

Usually the rider is so busy concentrating on going in and out of the cones they forget they are nervous

Absolutly the way to go - give them something else to concentrate on.

Practise things you'd do with kids - feet in and out of stirrups, touch the ears and tail with both hands, knees up to touch etc.

Don't push her if she says no - you'll just ruin the trust she has in you as well as riding confidence. But so suggest actions in a manner of fact tone, no 'would you like to' or 'do you feel ok to' - all that does is turn the attention onto her nerves. Simple things like 'and at a your going to trot, walking again at F' or 'right, feet out of stirrups and swing them back and forth'. Have a list in your head of easy but confidence building tasks that do not require her to feel out of control (so no cantering or trotting around for ages)

And remember that after so long out of the saddle 20mins will be plenty

[dilaika]

ground poles, posting at the walk. Maybe put her on a lunge and have her touch her head, ankles, swing her arms different ways, etc.

[Skib]

I learned to ride in my sixties, so I wish your Mum well.
My teacher teaches almost everything in walk - and starts on the lunge.
One way to get your Mum comfortable on a horse again is to take over control of the steering and speed yourself.
And teach your mum stuff they probably didnt teach when she first learned to ride. Like how to sit on the horse, feel the movement of the hind legs through her seat bones, both with and without stirrups. Dont make her feel that what she learned is wrong, rather that you are adding extra knowledge.

My teacher always said her objective in lunge lessons was to make me safe when I hack. And it does make you less likely to comne off if the horse spooks. If your mother is nervous, she will benefit from doing a lot on the lunge, including eventually trot (sitting, both with and without stirrups, rising and forward seat). It will improve her seat and make her secure. I am not sure exactly how, but it may be to do with being taught to sit upright.

Look at Centred Riding by Sally Swift which has a similar approach. Or if you can find the recent article by Julian Marczak on lunge lessons.

Once your Mum is comfy about riding and relaxed you can allow her off the lunge for the last five minutes.
I remember the first time I was allowed off the lunge, I was bareback and the mare walked over to the corner of the school and I thought, this isnt fair, she has all the cards, but after a few moments totally stuck, I persuaded her to turn and go back to the centre of the school. May be there is a lesson there that old lady riders dont need force to get their own way with a horse.

[Daffy Dilly]

Well she had her "lesson" today. She was very nervous when it came to getting on, but once we'd walked one lap of the arena she relaxed a bit.

I'd put a cone just inside of the track in each corner, he likes to cut his corners, and this is the one thing I think we need consistancy with. I also felt that it gave mum a bit of an aim - using her leg (and a bit of rein) to get him around the outside of the cone. I was walking around with them, just talking her through things, like when to apply your leg to turn and such things.

We had four cones down the middle, which we weaved in and out of. She managed that on her own, well with me a couple of metres away. She was still nervous, so I stayed close. I noticed her using her outside rein to steer him out, and because this is a bad habit I am trying to correct myself, I pulled her up for it, but ignored things like turned out toes and slightly upwards heels.

He dropped his head down a few times for her, and although he didn't stay like that, it showed that she still had the beginnings of getting an outline. Obviously her leg muscles wont be up to much, and we'll be working on that and her seat in particular once she's more confident.

She rode around at walk for 10minutes before she got a sore bum (and my saddle has a gel seat!) and then I got on so I could show her how a more experienced (albeit not brilliant) rider did the same things she was doing. I explained how when I was doing something new, I exaggerate it, such as using my inside rein to turn his head, as I find it to be the easiest way to make these things habit. Refinement can come later.

I also explained the ideal position to her, pointing out that it was difficult to achieve in my saddle because of where the stirrup bars are positioned (and why they are positioned there), but that we can still have a good secure position and the basics of how to achieve that.

Sorry, bit long, but I think she did really well. And we'll try some transitions next time. :D

[Skib]

To be honest I wouldnt use cones till your Mum feels really safe in the saddle.
Falling off onto a cone can hurt. They can crack and cut you deep enough to need stitches. It is an accident that no one thinks of, until it happens or you know someone it happened to.

[Daffy Dilly]

I have plenty of reasons why we didn't lunge, and why she's more likely to fall off when lunging, but because I'm tired I'll cover them all with; last time she saw him being lunged, he was throwing in bucks and cantering instead of trotting.

[Nimbus65]

Turns and transitions. Try 3-loop serpentines, changes of bend, walking over poles, transitions w/ turns (we did this w/ cones so I'd have to transition seveal times around the apex of the curve the cone made . . . halt, walk, halt, walk, halt, etc. teaching half halts). Also, how about teaching her to leg yield and having her leg yield in and out of a circle in walk?

N