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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
 
Location: Oklahoma | My niece got to ride my gelding yesterday and I'm overall pretty happy with how it went (I wasn't her first time to ever ride, but her first time to work on doing it properly and with some direction). The ol' guy was really patient (with the exception of being a little buddy sour to the one I was on) with her and she had a good time. She wants to keep riding and I'm more than willing to keep helping her, but I have a few questions to make things go a little more smoothly next time.
How do I help her keep her hands low and quiet? I think everyone has a little of high handiness when first starting and she's willing to listen, but for the sake of not frustrating my gelding (who is pretty light mouthed), should I just have her ride in a halter until she learns to balance with her body and not rely on her hands? I trust that he's not going to do anything stupid with her and if he does then we're in a closed arena. I want to her to be able to learn how to sit down and talk with her body before going straight to the face... and to be a little easier when she does need to use the reins.
Is there a way to know what size fenders to buy? She's in my regular ones that came with the Triple Creek, but I think she could stand to go up a few more notches... and they're just not there without having to shave some of the fender down and I'm not willing to do that. I see that you can buy 8", 10", 12" on ebay, but I don't want to buy any that are too short and too long. I'd say that she's around 5'1"-5'3" tall.
Any suggestions for an economical injectable joint supplement? He just had his hocks and right stifle done in late February, but I wouldn't mind putting him on something to help him out even more to keep comfortable and prevent any issues he might start giving her from pain. Should I be looking into Pentosan? Not wanting to spend around the Adequan/Legend range.
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
 
Location: Texas | I think the halter thing sounds like a good idea! If you have a round pen you can lunge the horse and have the rider with their hands on their hips and reins attached to the halter for only if they need them.. Idk if this is a popular way to do things, but I spent many, many hours riding like that when I was into hunter/jumper and dressage... The barn also had the 2nd biggest outdoor arena in texas and it was like the same as a racetrack all the way around and they used to give me a horse and a bareback pad with no stirrups and tell me to trot 5 times in both directions. It was brutal, but it worked lol |
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  Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
 
Location: CTX | If you want to improve her seat, I would put her on a lunge line, and remove the reins.... She will need to balance herself with her body. If you want to go all the way, take away her stirrups too....
This is how I learned to ride (yes it was English, but same thing) And gives a quiet independent hand/seat.
Now if you don't want that I know a friend of mine will put rubber bands between bit and reins with some of her students. This will at least make it comfertable for your boy, and your niece still has the reins, and maybe feel a little more comfortable.
I use lubrisyn for joints, if I can I try to avoid injections in the joints. |
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Formerly Horse
Posts: 4552
Location: TEXAS | Polyglycan IV |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 915
Location: SE KS | Buddy Stirrups?
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 Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Riding without any reins makes it a lot harder to balance. Even if you're riding with loose reins and not pulling, unless you've developed an independent seat and balance you will rely on and use your hands to balance.
I have all my students ride on the lungeline and leading (for sharp turns) without reins and without stirrups. I have them ride with their arms out, and up to the sky. Also, have them look at the sky with their arms out as head position impacts balance as well. Also riding with their eyes closed.
Another exercise is posting without stirrups, reins at a walk. Then also riding bareback and making turns without gripping at all with their legs - that gives them a chance to isolate and work on their seat and develop balance.
Edited by Fairweather 2015-05-28 12:24 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 1898
| Round pen or line and take her reins away. It is very hard for people to learn not to balance on their reins if they are readily there. We naturally use our arms and hands to catch ourselves.
8" fenders are going to be way to small. My 3 year old daughter rides those. I think however, 10, 12 and 13 inch I believe will also be to small for her as they are considered youth. |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | Thank you all for suggestions!! I don't have a round pen set up, but I can definitely work on lunging them in the arena.. and we can do it without stirrups! I was really impressed with her ability to stay seated and keep her heels down, so hopefully the other things will come as naturally to her. She's too big for Buddy Stirrups, but she needs just a couple of more inches less in the fenders and it would be a perfect fit. She can somewhat keep her feet in the stirrups, but when I told her use the balls of her feet to balance I could tell that she was struggling.
FW: Could you explain to me posting at the walk? I never had any lessons in riding when I started out and I've never heard of this... but interested! We did do a little bit of trotting and she had her rhythm down once, but then she couldn't really get it back. I kept telling her that the more she got used to it she wouldn't want to do it wrong... but it's easier said than done. I can show her all day long how to post, but if I can't put it into terms she will understand then I'm not really doing her any good.
I am thinking about seeing if she would want to tag along with me when I start doing some English lessons because it's only going to be better for her if she's hearing things from a more qualified instructor and might not make her feel so behind in her riding if we're doing something together from scratch. |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | cyount2009 - 2015-05-28 12:35 PM Round pen or line and take her reins away. It is very hard for people to learn not to balance on their reins if they are readily there. We naturally use our arms and hands to catch ourselves. 8" fenders are going to be way to small. My 3 year old daughter rides those. I think however, 10, 12 and 13 inch I believe will also be to small for her as they are considered youth.
Let me see if I can get a picture of her stirrups uploaded...
I have an old Billy Cook with a broken/cracked tree that I wanted to replace the tree in, but I'm thinking I could take the fenders from that saddle and put them on the saddle she's using & shave them as needed since I won't be using that saddle. For some reason that thought didn't come to me until just now! haha |
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Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Longneck - 2015-05-28 12:40 PM Thank you all for suggestions!! I don't have a round pen set up, but I can definitely work on lunging them in the arena.. and we can do it without stirrups! I was really impressed with her ability to stay seated and keep her heels down, so hopefully the other things will come as naturally to her. She's too big for Buddy Stirrups, but she needs just a couple of more inches less in the fenders and it would be a perfect fit. She can somewhat keep her feet in the stirrups, but when I told her use the balls of her feet to balance I could tell that she was struggling. FW: Could you explain to me posting at the walk? I never had any lessons in riding when I started out and I've never heard of this... but interested! We did do a little bit of trotting and she had her rhythm down once, but then she couldn't really get it back. I kept telling her that the more she got used to it she wouldn't want to do it wrong... but it's easier said than done. I can show her all day long how to post, but if I can't put it into terms she will understand then I'm not really doing her any good. I am thinking about seeing if she would want to tag along with me when I start doing some English lessons because it's only going to be better for her if she's hearing things from a more qualified instructor and might not make her feel so behind in her riding if we're doing something together from scratch. With posting you "rise and fall with the leg on the wall."
Posting at a walk is the EXACT same thing except for instead of letting the horse bounce you up when the outside leg comes up, you lift yourself up in time with that outside leg.
It's a great little exercise to teach timing and where the horse's feet are, and to let riders get the idea and feel of posting at a much slower pace. Plus, it helps strengthen the leg and work on balance.
Edited by Fairweather 2015-05-28 12:50 PM
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | Fairweather - 2015-05-28 12:49 PM Longneck - 2015-05-28 12:40 PM Thank you all for suggestions!! I don't have a round pen set up, but I can definitely work on lunging them in the arena.. and we can do it without stirrups! I was really impressed with her ability to stay seated and keep her heels down, so hopefully the other things will come as naturally to her. She's too big for Buddy Stirrups, but she needs just a couple of more inches less in the fenders and it would be a perfect fit. She can somewhat keep her feet in the stirrups, but when I told her use the balls of her feet to balance I could tell that she was struggling. FW: Could you explain to me posting at the walk? I never had any lessons in riding when I started out and I've never heard of this... but interested! We did do a little bit of trotting and she had her rhythm down once, but then she couldn't really get it back. I kept telling her that the more she got used to it she wouldn't want to do it wrong... but it's easier said than done. I can show her all day long how to post, but if I can't put it into terms she will understand then I'm not really doing her any good. I am thinking about seeing if she would want to tag along with me when I start doing some English lessons because it's only going to be better for her if she's hearing things from a more qualified instructor and might not make her feel so behind in her riding if we're doing something together from scratch. With posting you "rise and fall with the leg on the wall."
Posting at a walk is the EXACT same thing except for instead of letting the horse bounce you up when the outside leg comes up, you lift yourself up in time with that outside leg.
It's a great little exercise to teach timing and where the horse's feet are, and to let riders get the idea and feel of posting at a much slower pace. Plus, it helps strengthen the leg and work on balance.
Thanks! We can definitely do that together! |
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Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
Location: Texas | I say the stirrups being too long will do nothing but help her right now... Wait until they want her to have her own saddle. It will take about 3-6 months atleast for her to get a pretty good foundation and balance and by then she should know if she is serious or not. |
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Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
Location: Texas | outrundaizy - 2015-05-28 2:19 PM I say the stirrups being too long will do nothing but help her right now... Wait until they want her to have her own saddle. It will take about 3-6 months atleast for her to get a pretty good foundation and balance and by then she should know if she is serious or not.
and if she's pretty young she will probably be growing and grow into them in a couple months |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | Check out a book called 'Centered Riding' by Sally Swift. She's got the best examples to use when you're trying to teach someone to ride correctly. Some of my favorites were to tell someone, "Imagine you're a spruce tree, roots growing down and branches growing up". "Your legs should lay against the horse like a wet dishrag, contact but no pressure." She's an English instructor, but so much of it applies to all disciplines. It's just a cool book. |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | MS2011 - 2015-05-28 2:33 PM Check out a book called 'Centered Riding' by Sally Swift. She's got the best examples to use when you're trying to teach someone to ride correctly. Some of my favorites were to tell someone, "Imagine you're a spruce tree, roots growing down and branches growing up". "Your legs should lay against the horse like a wet dishrag, contact but no pressure." She's an English instructor, but so much of it applies to all disciplines. It's just a cool book.
Thanks, I'll look into it! I would love for her to get lessons, but I know that her parents aren't going to be that dedicated to it until she proves that this isn't just a phase/summer activity.
Madie, she's 13 (almost 14) & not quite growing so fast anymore. I was really suprised how the 15" Triple Creek didn't swallow her whole! I was going to let her sit in my 14.5" Double J, but wasn't comfortable with her climbing on my gelding because he's not as trustworthy as the roan she's going to be riding. It's a tad bit big, but not big that it's hindering her at this point. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | Throwing this out there without reading all the comments.. I'm 5'4 and use youth fenders, not sure on the actual length of them but i was having the same problem your niece is. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 239
| No riding suggestions, but I've been using IM glucosamine on my retired mare with joint issues, she has knee issues but isn't being rode hard - my friend is learning to ride on her - seems to keep her pretty comfortable and is very affordable. I do 10 cc a month I believe it is about $11 a shot |
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