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Post by spanna on Sept 10, 2009 19:54:30 GMT
Does anyone have any tips on how to describe to a first ridden rider how to get a pony on the bit ? I am finding it the hardest thing to descibe to a six year old.
Help Please !!
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Post by joanne81 on Sept 10, 2009 20:03:30 GMT
i think as long as the child has a good idea of holding a nice contact and using there legs to encourage the pony forward, it will all come in good time. i know myself how difficult it is to teach a six year old as my wee boy is six and has started his first riddens.
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Post by sophielloyd on Sept 11, 2009 11:37:55 GMT
my mum used to tell me to do 1,2,1,2,1,2 with my reins if you know what i mean, this always helped me!! Good luck
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Post by spanna on Sept 11, 2009 19:02:30 GMT
Thanks i will give that a try !
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Post by cassie30 on Oct 10, 2009 11:01:06 GMT
If you can get on the pony and ride him or her in walk and have little jockey walk at the side of you, get them to watch what you are doing, it worked for us, explain everything as you go along. sorry if im being thick, but what does 1,2,1,2,1,2 mean? is that like a sawing action?
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Post by sageandonion on Oct 10, 2009 15:44:06 GMT
I certainly don't understand the 1-2-1-2 so don't know how a 6 year old would understand. Yes to me it sounds saw tennis fashion so please don't get children to do that it is bad enough with adults.
Riding a horse 'on the bit' means creating impulsion from the hocks, working softly through the entire back, rounding and lifting so that the horse naturally drops its nose.
It is absolutely physically and mentally impossible for a 6 year old to work a pony from behind so just concentrate on having a happy child and happy, healthy pony and forget all thoughts of on the bit.
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Post by cassie30 on Oct 10, 2009 16:23:05 GMT
ooooh then thats awful and is not a way to teach a child, please dont do the 1,2 1,2 1,2 thing cant stand to see it! good on you sageandonion your comment is brill, happy kids and ponies first please, not one with a dead mouth from see sawing!
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Post by tuppence on Oct 10, 2009 16:39:54 GMT
Any alternating action of the the hands is likely to cause an unsteady head in the pony.
The postion of the head and neck is only a result of the correct working of the rest of the body. For the long term term benefit of your child's riding you are going to need to accept your FR will be "On the aids" rather then "On the bit". Even on the aids will be a major goal for such a young child.
The oldies on this forum are lucky enough to have ridden at a time when a nice mannerly pony, that had good conformation could be up the line in a FR class. I don't think that is the case anymore. I think if I had a child, I would be tempted to miss out FR and the next class and only show again when the child could handle a sharper pony.
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halfpass
Happy to help....a lot
Return of the Dame
Posts: 12,964
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Post by halfpass on Oct 10, 2009 16:46:51 GMT
I think that what this person is asking is how the little rider knows when the ponies head is tucked in, the way we do it is let the pony stand relaxed and get the rider to look at the ponies neck and it is quite flat and narrow, then using your hand just tuck the ponies head in and the neck will get fatter.
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Post by sarah00000 on Oct 10, 2009 17:00:23 GMT
Never even taught my boys to ride on the bit in FR. They did pefectly well, on a very well mannered pony, with good conformation, who went from their very immature aids, in whatever direction they asked, at whatever speed they asked.
Taught immediately aged 9, on next step up pony.
Unless jockey has the physical body strength to ride with seat and legs, to ride the pony forward into a contact - how can they ride on the bit?
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Post by carys on Oct 10, 2009 17:38:54 GMT
In reference to the original question: With the children I teach I concentrate on teaching them how to turn circles and corners using both legs and both reins. As long as the pony has no underlying issues and a certain amount of training, the rider can keep an even contact in both reins, and starts to use both legs to turn then the pony's tend to offer some softness. I use cones in the corners and on the four points of a circle to give reference points to ride to. I also use poles along an inside track of the school to help with straightness if this is an issue. I am not teaching the children to 'get it on the bit' but rather to start to understand straightness, realise each contact and each leg have a job to do, start to comprehend why you cant just pull on the rein to stop and kick to go, and to realise from a young age the problems associated with pulling against the pony, or holding too much in one rein or moving one contact then the other (see-sawing). By using poles and other distractions you are taking the emphasis off the child having to overly correct the pony. You may not get a perfect outline straight away but at least you are educating both the rider and the pony for the future. Also I find alot of people don't talk to their riders- but just tell them what to do. Ask questions. Is your pony easy to ride in a straight line? Is he pulling against one rein more then the other? You gain vital information in knowing what to do next with each rider. Some of my riders, some as young as four never fail to amaze me in how perceptive they are . They are far too young to understand roundness and correct way of going but you can 'set them up' to carry on their education at an older age and they are still having fun and learning.
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Post by JessicaT on Oct 10, 2009 17:47:24 GMT
Well put carys,thats how i taught my daughters, now the youngest is twelve she understands the correct feel, she had a fr section a that just went in an outline, probably because we never bothered if it was or wasnt.
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Post by tuppence on Oct 10, 2009 17:59:21 GMT
I think that what this person is asking is how the little rider knows when the ponies head is tucked in, the way we do it is let the pony stand relaxed and get the rider to look at the ponies neck and it is quite flat and narrow, then using your hand just tuck the ponies head in and the neck will get fatter. Is knowing only when the head is tucked in, really helpful in the long term? I think that at FR and 12h the best you can do is teach the child to ride forward into a receiving contact (that will probably give you a pony that is on the bit and at least will do no damage to the pony or the child). "On the bit" is not the be all and end all of riding horses . A German Riding master, whose name I can't remember, said "For the ignorant, the art of riding beginings in the horses' neck and also ends there"
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Post by sageandonion on Oct 15, 2009 17:01:33 GMT
tuppence I love that saying, I shall store it away and use it as necessary declaring, of course, I made it up.
Funnily enough, I know an awful lot of ignorant people.
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Post by sarah00000 on Oct 15, 2009 17:25:40 GMT
My little lad Jamie, who is just 8, just learnt how to ride his pony "on the bit" by accident!!
He was showjumping her, so he had her going really forward from behind and she was feeling fresh. When I asked him if he could do that, without the jumps he said he didnt think so, but off they went.
Bless his little cotton socks. No sawing with the reins, no hands like drawreins, sitting up tall, hands up and still. Very proud mummy moment! Have to see if he can do it next time without the jumps there! Might be a different matter LOL
Never mind, he announced he has given up dressage for the winter, to concentrate on his jumping and hunting..........bless him!
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Post by hopeteam on Oct 15, 2009 18:42:04 GMT
My Mum used to tell me, keep quite a loose rein so your not tugging, but just do a banana squeeze (just a little feel) in the outside hand! You can even sing the bananas in pyjamas song if your feeling enthusiastic ;D
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Post by tabbyx on Nov 12, 2009 20:22:54 GMT
my mum and sister taught me to do 1,2,1,2,1,2 but just squeezing my fingers not whole hand or sawing at the pony's mouth. i picked it up quite quickly but i'd always ridden of the lead in walk and trot since i was 4! th pony was only 5 at the time but she was so trustworthy, she even took me throught my show once in the school on her own!
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Post by connieclaire on Nov 17, 2009 14:56:11 GMT
There are lots of useful comments above but if you really want your child to learn how to get on the bit IMO one of the main things to remember (if you are an adult that rides I am sure you will understand) is this will be variably difficult for the rider depending on how well schooled and how balanced and supple the pony is.
I have ridden so many different ponies and horses and some are supple and go like a dream and others need many dedicated hours of schooling for suppleness and softness in the mouth.
I would suggest that without knowing how easily the pony goes you may be asking alot of the child and if the pony is stiff and the child is trying it is likely to all get stiff and wooden and child ends up learning bad techniques.
Whilst I hate seeing over sized people on ponies it may be worth getting a good rider on pony to see how it reacts to correct aids. I know many call it setting up the pony but if the pony doesnt respond to light iads how will the child be able to learn or get the pony to respond to the aids? If the pony can be responsive the child should hopefully find things easier.
I hope this makes sense
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