How much "knowledge" do you pass on to Children?

[Titania]

I have a few lesson students and it looks like I'm going to help run some camps this year for young horse lovers, 4h and Girl Scouts. How much and when do people describe the finer points of horsemanship?

My instruction manuals all say that kids (12-16 year olds) cannot understand complex thoughts. When is too young to start talking about "feel"? and Seat and leg pressure?

I have one student that i started off talking about seat and natural aids and she is MUCH more refined a year later than my other students that still revert back to quick, jaunting movements. My thought is to describe these things over and over to them, that even if they don't get them now, eventually it will all fall into place.

thoughts?

[red]

I think that kids are far more advanced and able to grasp reality and feel then we would think..the horse is a great healer, look at all of the handicapped riding programs, where the kids excell, or open up, as they do with dolphins...when they ride, they become one, maybe for the first time, with another spirit...When you present horsemanship not as something that you DO, but something that you ARE...and how the horse knows just how you feel...then wonderful things can happen..the horse becomes the teacher..just the concept that the horse is a thinking feeling animal, will be a new idea to some..you never know until you try..you have to teach mechanics, as well, but I would bet more little minds would expand and rise to the occasion than you would guess..All of us, at that age, (and this age!!) are lookin, searching for a place to fit, and for something to believe in....wouldn't it be an amazing thing if 30 little girls ....30 years form now...tell "I started down this path, when I was 12, I had a camp teacher that helped me understand..and believe. GREAT opportunity for you...your students and the future generations of horses that these kids interact with...

love,
red

[Titania]

it's true, and i guess even if they don't understand completely now they will someday when they hear the words again. What started this thought in my head was hearing a old song that I had "misinterpreted" as a youngster, and when I heard it again i found so much more meaning in it than I ever did. I liked the song when i was a kid, and now I love the song. So i guess it's going to be that way for the kids i teach. They are going to hear the song over and over, and It may just have to mean one thing to them for now, and as they continue their horse knowledge hopefully the song will continue to have new meaning.

This little lesson student I have now (she's 10) that I started this way, has no more exceptional concept of her aids than other kids her age, but I do find her chatting with our pony asking the pony "would you like to turn to the Left?" and saying "whoa, thank you." It's adorable and our pony is lick,chewing the whole time. i've started just letting them go in the round pen and only interjecting everyonce in a while...i think what I'm seeing is actually the pony teaching her....Possible? :)

[lmullen]

When I was younger, I was wrangler at a kids ranch for 10 yrs +.
From 60-70 kids, 7-12 years old, for two weeks at a time, 12 weeks a year. I guess the average would be around 3900+. Of course some were returns...and I did it less frequently for longer than the 10 years.
What I do wish now is that I could share the greater knowledge I've gathered since then.
The best student I had was totally blind. She'd concentrate more.
One is now a well known trainer and clinician.
Only had 2 kids hurt in all that time. A branch hit one in the eye, hurt but not damaged. One horse fell in the mud, broken humerus bone. Guardian angels, surely.
Also a well seasoned bunch of solid ranch horses.
Brings back good memories. Thanks.

[FrancaV]

They are going to hear the song over and over, and It may just have to mean one thing to them for now, and as they continue their horse knowledge hopefully the song will continue to have new meaning.
I agree. I don't think there's any such thing as "too young" to start hearing this good stuff. I think even really young kids pick things up faster than people my age, LOL. I wish "feel" were a part of Pony Club training....

This little lesson student I have now (she's 10) that I started this way, has no more exceptional concept of her aids than other kids her age, but I do find her chatting with our pony asking the pony "would you like to turn to the Left?" and saying "whoa, thank you." It's adorable and our pony is lick,chewing the whole time. i've started just letting them go in the round pen and only interjecting everyonce in a while...i think what I'm seeing is actually the pony teaching her....Possible? :)Probable! I love that ... I bet she turns into a great little rider.

[Titania]

Thanks for the help in direction! Good horses are definetly the foundation, and keeping them happy with beginners i find to be a real challenge.

it's so intimidating feeling like I know nothing and yet i have to teach all of these children. A few years ago when i was sure I KNEW everything i needed to know about horses it was much easier :) Now that I've realized how little I acutally know, it's much more daunting. Some of my best experiences with horses were as a camp kid - I'm just hoping to start them off with the same love I had.

if anyone has any ideas for exercises that would be good for children, but still promote "feel" I would appreciate it.

One I heard of was - Kid line up at the start line and advance across the arean to the finish. the person that can get their horse to move and stop with the least amount of movement wins. if they make a big movement, or the horse doesn't start or stop properly they get sent back to start.

Another was having riders blind folded, being lead by ground walkers around a lettered arena and the kids who are blind folded have to guess where they are in the arena or what direction they are facing.

Another one we play is the instructor is a "dummy" and the kids have to help the "dummy" tack up the horse with out touching or pointing.


Thoughts on these and other games?

[Slydn]

I think if you can get a young person to realize that their actions has an effect and to recognize the change (good or bad), is a huge thing. I work with 4H kids and when they get that concept the rest falls into place.
The neat thing is they start think and seeing how they can affect their world, and it gives them a sense of control over their lives not just their horse world.
Good luck and enjoy kids in that age group are fun and can be shaped and influenced to do great things.
Slydn

[Hank Hill]

Around here its common for kids to be started horseback very young. Some as young as 2years of age. Parents tend to prssure them to ride. From what I can see usually the result is the kid ends up getting scared, looses interest in horses, can hardly wait till he can be old enough to move to town.
I have two kids. Ones 5, the other is 2. So far I havnt let either ride. Im not sure when I will introduce them to it.
Im thinking its something they really have o want to do or they will never be any good at it.
Part of me doesnt think its right that a kid can start on a nice horse.
My thinking is when they get old enough they should have to start their own colts. That way when they do get older, experienced and finally get their horses going good that they will appreciate it. But im not sure on this.
One of my friends is a pretty good team roper. He got started at it pretty late in life. To late to get to the top. But he worked hard at it and ended up being about as good as anybody around here.
Anyway he got his kid started around 5 years of age. Started him on gentle broke horses. Kept him riding in arenas where its pretty safe. Coached him from day one. Kid never got into a wreck or scared. His kid is about 12 or 13 now and this year he is the top Team Roper in North America for his age.
The kid has a darn good start and could go pro if he keeps at it. If Arnie wouldnt have helped him he wouldnt have a chance at going pro in the future. So I dont know which way is the best. I know there are a lot of kids riding better horses than they deserve and dont appreciate. Thats what concerns me about making things to easy for them.

[Rena]

it's so intimidating feeling like I know nothing and yet i have to teach all of these children. A few years ago when i was sure I KNEW everything i needed to know about horses it was much easier :) Now that I've realized how little I acutally know, it's much more daunting.

Oh I can relate LOL! Yes, been there .. it does get easier. To answer your original question, in my experience with children as young as 3 -5, "feel" and "seat" are much easier to teach than the whole coordination it takes with rein and leg aids, as they are taught, for instance, in classical dressage.

I like to take the tots on trails, if at all possible. Trails are an easy, non-boring way to practice balance, esp. on hills.

It might depend if you teach on your own horses, or if you teach on horses owned by a barn. I am lucky when I can use my own herd-- when I know exactly wich horse has done what, and I know the horses know what to expect. Yes, my horses help me teach, they know when kids are involved.

A detour: when I started, age 9, everyone had to do 5 days a week on the longe, for about 3 months. A test, ride a small obstacle course like they do for young horses, horse is sent on a course around the ring, on the bareback pad with hands up was required to graduate to reins & stirrups.

The idea was to have a real solid seat before allowing the kids to actually use reins. Well, me ... I'd never have any clients if I did it that way LOL