Looking for a book on the topic of teaching horseback riding lessons

[4hooves&featheredfriends]

Great topic- I have been teaching for 6 yrs and have ridden for over 20 years, I take training and teaching very seriously....

I imagine when it is stated that the rider is not given the reins it means= the reins are available to the rider but that they are not allowed to hold them yet. The rider, regardless of what level, should always have access to the reins so that in the event of a mishap the rider/student has control over the horse. The reins should never be taken over the horse's neck when a rider is on top- this could prove very dangerous. I use the velcro straps of the saddle pad to hold the reins secure while lungeing a rider and the rider can always grab the reins.

Insurance coverage is extremely important although I have several instructor friends that do not chose to have insurance. I wouldn't think of teaching without it. Even the most well-trained horse can have a moment of fight or flight response. Also check with your state, as some states do require a certification, Massachusetts is one state that has licensing.

Best wishes.

 

[TajMahalChickens]

I imagine when it is stated that the rider is not given the reins it means= the reins are available to the rider but that they are not allowed to hold them yet. The rider, regardless of what level, should always have access to the reins so that in the event of a mishap the rider/student has control over the horse. The reins should never be taken over the horse's neck when a rider is on top- this could prove very dangerous. I use the velcro straps of the saddle pad to hold the reins secure while lungeing a rider and the rider can always grab the reins.

Good point - I have lunged both ways (with a halter and with a halter and bridle) and now I will always lunge with a bridle and halter. Usually I tie the reins to the horn when I lunge her. Is that considered acceptable?

About lunging with a bridle, could you tell me how you do it using a shank (curb) bit? I have seen several ways and I am wondering which is the best/safest.​

 

[RiverOtter]

4hooves&featheredfriends :

I imagine when it is stated that the rider is not given the reins it means= the reins are available to the rider but that they are not allowed to hold them yet. The rider, regardless of what level, should always have access to the reins so that in the event of a mishap the rider/student has control over the horse.

Actually, when I give lessons to children (and some adults) no reins means no reins. As in, the horse has on a halter or cavesson and I have the lead rope or lunge line.
If I do my job right, there will be no mishap.
In the case of the horse stumbling or sucking a bee up it's nose, the last thing I need is a very inexperienced rider leaning forward (unbalancing) to snatch at the reins. There is no way that will help the situation.

When a rider advances to having the reins, the first few rides means LOTS of work for me as I jog next to the horse (sometimes backward) ready to grab the bridle in case of emergency. lol - helps me keep my girlish figure.

When I need a more advanced rider to work on their seat, I have a lead line, the reins stay on the neck and they either hold their arms straight out to the side or crossed and holding their shoulders. This is as much so I can see the first tiny hint of grab-for-the-reins as to help them with their balance.

I feel that one of the Most Important Things a rider can learn is to NOT use the reins for balance. Even riders that many would consider advanced make this mistake.
Watch film of people coming off. Notice how often the rider hauls on the reins, the heels come up and the rider goes over the shoulder. Sometimes if you slow the film you can actually see them practically haul themselves off by the reins, or have such a death grip that the horse tosses it's head - not even maliciously, just for balance - and flings the rider off.
People who don't ride with their hands nearly always go off to the side - a much safer way to fall.

Speaking of falling - that's one thing I always teach my young riders. Tuck your heads and roll children! We go onto nice soft ground, like an arena, and do shoulder rolls. Then, if I don't have a broke-to-death pony who will put up with that sort of thing, I saddle a barrel or a board fence (I hold the saddle steady then) and have them practice falling. Tuck your head and roll!!​

 

[welsummerchicks]

You might consider teaching them to land on their feet, which is safer.

I think some instructors have kids keep reins near to hand, and I think in most situations that's safer. There are ways to teach not to rely on the reins, and still have the reins, or have them close to hand.

how to longe in a curb bridle - it is not recommended. There is too much that can catch on the shanks of the bridle. A bit with no shanks can be used safely - referred to as a snaffle or sometimes called a colt bit. A pelham, curb or other shanked bit is too easy to catch things on, no matter how things are set.

If the reins are tied to the horn, they can get caught on things and come loose easily. The usual way is to knot the reins and set them on the horse's neck, or tie them to a strand of mane if they tend to start slipping off too much to one side. It is safer to use side reins for a longe lesson - they don't slip about and can be adjusted to length.

The safest way to longe is with a longeing caveson over the bridle. Inexpensive ones are available and are safer than a halter, which can twist around.

 

[RiverOtter]

Quote:
Yes, I teach emergency dismounts and have them practice at a walk and trot when they're advanced enough. But generally for older children. For the very young I teach falling first. I've taught kids from 5 on up (including girlscouts by the dozen) and never had one get hurt. Just my opinion, but SO much better when a 7 yo feels themselves going off and relaxes and rolls off the side (because we've practiced) then when they grab desperately for the reins and try to haul themselves back in the saddle or are squirming about trying to keep their feet. I've seen kids hit the ground way too awkwardly and even get stepped on by the horse.
But of course the best way for any instructor to do things is they way that they and their students are comfortable with.

An interesting aside. I was taught do do things the way the US Equestrian Team does things and they do things the European way. At least at the time I learned (lol, more years ago then I like to admit).
They have riders doing things we think of as rather advanced long before they get reins. They will have little kids on a pony being ponied by an adult rider on a horse over little bitty jumps. Seriously, they have kids canter and jump before they give them reins.

As the old saying goes "There are a thousand paths to any destination"

 

[welsummerchicks]

Those who teach children with only a halter on the horse/no reins, etc. might want to read up on how court cases for injuries go, or even, how accident reports sound, with that equipment. As much as anyone may feel they can control a horse with a halter alone or as much as they feel children need to learn to not balance on the reins, they should read up on how court cases with that sort of equipment go. Not well.

I'll say this and duck and run, but most of the riding lesson problems I see are because someone is far, far too worried about the horse's mouth - to the point that they give a kid equipment he couldn't possibly control or stop the animal with - and often even the instructor can't stop the pony with from the ground. The first concern should be safety. The pony should be one that's just sensitive enough, and isn't bothered by bouncing bumbling beginners. The equipment should be chosen for safety, not for refined horsemanship.

My own feeling is that having reins at hand is safer, and having the horse in a bridle is absolutely necessary, when longeing. I've taught students where I had a bridle on the horse and still couldn't stop the horse! So I want everything I possibly can have, to allow me control, in case something goes wrong, and as the plumber in 'Moonstruck' said, 'It's fine til something goes wrong...and something always goes wrong'.

As far as kids 'balancing on the reins', one has to 'balance' correct horsemanship against safety.

To top it off, I really feel most of those kids who are 'balancing off the reins' are doing so not because they like to, but because the ponies are so poorly schooled and so disobedient that they can't carry out the instructor's commands any other way. I think kids do that because they get overwhelmed and frustrated. Otherwise they would sit there and enjoy the scenery.

The instructor yells, 'turn, turn!' and 'don't pull! don't pull!' and the poor kid is like, 'HUH?' It's too complicated and it's not something they're physically able to do or understand.

What I prefer (but rarely got or saw when teaching smaller kids) was an appropriate pony - a kind of auto-pilot furry couch with a just sensitive enough mouth, that would shuffle along in not too fast a rhythm, with narry a jiggle transmitted to the rider, and the kid would relax, sit down and ride without feeling overwhelming frustration.

INSTEAD, what I usually saw was 'tiddlywinks', that is, all th kids are mounted on very inappropriate animals, far to strong and active and big moving animals, struggling, and overmounted, can't even steer, one falls off, and like magic, they all fall off.

I am convinced that small children have definite physical limitations, and can only do so much. That's one reason I like longeing, but I also realize that the centrifugal force causes many weak little kids to slip right off the outside, and I don't want them to get in the habit of hanging off one side of the horse, even if they don't come off. So in their case, I do so love those little 'Auto Pilot Ponies'.

That's not to say I haven't seen eight year old children riding on a contact and teaching their fat ponies pirouettes or jumping over 2'6'' poles bareback with a halter. Some kids do. Most don't. I think the trick in it all is keeping the kid from having any terrifying experiences (appropriate animal and equipment, safety first) and just letting them feel the motions of the horse, and they'll gradually get used to it and start taking over more control of what the animal does.

Kids also seem to learn an awful lot from watching other kids just a scoche above their level, ride, that's why sometimes, the mother with the pony at home and one child is put in a tough position. Of course there comes the day when the answer to any command from mother is, 'You're wrong, you don't know what you're talking about', but that's a WHOLE 'nother story!

Check out this kid, she's six, not perfect, but she's SIX!:

no helmet, but otherwise very cute:

 

[TajMahalChickens]

Quote:
So, IF I let her have access to the reins, how can I do that, if lunging with a shank bit is not recommended?

Speaking of falling - that's one thing I always teach my young riders. Tuck your heads and roll children! We go onto nice soft ground, like an arena, and do shoulder rolls. Then, if I don't have a broke-to-death pony who will put up with that sort of thing, I saddle a barrel or a board fence (I hold the saddle steady then) and have them practice falling. Tuck your head and roll!!

Ok, so from this section and things that other have said, I am convinced that I need to teach her how to fall. But I'm still a little worried about her safety. She is learning on a 15 hand Tennessee Walking horse who is the most gentle and easy going horse. But that is a long way to the ground! An how can I be sure that she is not going to be stepped on?​

 

[RiverOtter]

I've seen people use a longeing caveson with bit extensions like this one, but never used one myself (and not sure I would with a shanked bit - I'd still be too afraid of shanks catching)
http://www.dressage-ext.com/ProductDetail.asp?KEY=2231

Will the horse not respond to an unshanked bit?
Ok, how I do it personally is they are either on a longeing caveson with no bridle or a halter under a bridle with a lunge line attached to the O ring - not the side.
I don't do a lot of circles. I tend to have them go along the side of the arena with me from 1 to 15 feet away (If I think they may come off I'll be where I can catch them if they're under about 11 or 12) I will walk (or jog) alongside. We will also do half circles and serpentines. A lesson is very active for me - lol, I am more tired then horse or rider when we are done.

And I hope I didn't give the impression that I make people ride without reins forever. This is for the first few lessons. I want to see them able to walk and trot without grabbing leather. Sometimes this takes one lesson, sometimes several. It is also something we will go back to periodically to practice balance and good seat. (this is when the halter under the bridle comes in) We will do things like "drop reins and put your arms out and post over the poles" and balance games.
Though I must say that under a certain age, the horse always has a halter and line on it. My 6 yo or yours - they are just not coordinated enough yet to do 3 things at once if they get stressed at all.

LOL, just to open another can of worms once I have them riding well - I take away stirrups for a few lessons.

Yup, take'em right off the saddle

 

[Jasmine1998]

I also agree with the insurance part & having them sign a liability waiver. I have been doing insurance for a long time & can tell you that your regular homeowners insurance policy will in no way, shape or form cover you for liability that arises from you giving horseback riding lessons. You need to have a special policy for that.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Oh that is so true about the insurance. Even with a written, signed waiver, one is not protected if one really is considered to be negligent, like the woman who trained bridleless, and a student got killed. She was adjudged negligent in that particular situation(and even as a 'Land of the Free and Home of the Brave' type, I could see that the judgement was legit in that situation).

This is really cute:

And here's a great little riding lesson, Icelandic style:

Taking away stirrups...it depends. With some students, it gets them bracing, pulling their knees up, and more frantic and clutchy on the reins, but most of all, not relaxed. It also depends on if the horse is smooth or too bouncy. If the horse is bouncy the poor child is going to be having a heart attack. He might brace himself more if the stirrups are available, but usually, people brace less if they feel a little 'stuck in' to start with.

Taking away reins...again, the legal and safety issues. I'm not sure if taking reins away, even just for the first few lessons, if I would. I never have. Most students seem to feel less terrified if they feel they could get at the reins if they had to.

I don't think using a bit extension makes a curb bit any safer. I was a little surprised after years of riding in a curb bit or pelham to see one of the top dressage instructors in the US SCREAM when a kid's horse reached around to rub its face on the kid's foot. Most of us who've been around for a while have heard or see people catch the curb shank on something - anything - the horse rubbing his face on a jump, a fence rail, the kid's foot, the next horse, worst of all, the stirrup....I don't like to see kids have them as they don't watch what they're doing.

"So, IF I let her have access to the reins, how can I do that, if lunging with a shank bit is not recommended?"

I don't understand the question, I guess. I wouldn't put a kid on a horse that couldn't be ridden in a snaffle(ring) bit. I wouldn't want a beginner to have a curb bit, ever, of any kind. It's too easy for them to drop the reins and the horse step on them, or the kid loses his balance and yanks the mouth and the horse suffers.

Unless a curb is needed to control the animal, then I'm asking myself 'why do I have this kid on this horse???'

I'd tie the reins up on the neck, into a strand of mane to keep them still, if they're tending to lop off to one side.

You can have her reins attached to a bit without shanks and longe her.

For what it's worth, if I had to use a halter, I'd put it over the bride, not under it. But I'd rather have a caveson, if I could. Failing that, I might be able to longe a well trained longe horse off the snaffle bit.

Some folks, what they do is longe in a snaffle (ring bit) and then if the little one is going to ride out, say, on a lead line, give her a little curb bit so she can pull the pony's head up if it grazes. Alternately, if she's riding a strong little pony she keep her snaffle bit, and can have a grazing rein on the pony so it can't get its head jammed down forever in the grass.

Depends some on what the problem is with the pony - stopping it, or keeping it from grazing, or turning it. Turning - snaffle. Stopping, curb. Grazing, snaffle and grass rein.