Relief coaching at an RDA session.

I was asked to go and instruct at an RDA session the other day at a group because the normal instructor was not able to take the session that day. This was ideal as they have a trainee instructor called Jackie with this session, I was able to to go over various things with her,allowing her to gain some experience in taking an RDA session,as we are working towards her being assessed to take this session on her own.

Because the session is held at a riding school there was a lesson going on before we could get into the arena,we didn't have any time to really set up the arena with much equipment,there was 4 blue jumping blocks in there so we put them in a straight line down one side allowing about 5 paces between them.

The blocks were used in the following ways.

The riders were first asked to walk by them and stop at each block.
Then they were asked to count to a number while they were standing still before walking on.
Then the riders were asked to weave in and out of the blocks.
To add to the weaving between the blocks,the riders were asked to stop by each block making sure they stopped to the left of one block and to the right of the next block.
Adapting this further the riders were asked to count to a number when they were stopped.

I then got Jackie to think up another way of using the blocks for the next two riders.
She came up with the idea of putting the four block to make a large square, the riders were asked to walk around the outside of the square.
Then they were asked to stop by each block.
Jackie then got them to count while they were stopping at the blocks.
Another Idea using  this Jackie came up with was to get the riders to do a circle around the block then walk to the next block and do a circle around that one and so on.
Adapting this exercise the riders were asked to do a circle around a block then walk to the next block and halt beside it ( counting to a number can be added if so wished) then walking to next block and doing a circle around that block,then halting at the next one.
The above can be changed to do a circle around 2 blocks and halt at the third one.
The riders could be asked to stop at each block and then asked a horse care question before walking on to the next block.

All the riders did some good steering and really seem to enjoy their riding today, interacting well with their helpers and Jackie came up with some good lesson ideas.

Last rides at Chard RDA Ilton's ride.

The last riding sessions of the Chard RDA at Ilton have been very busy for all the riders. They have all been working very hard on riding independently in both walk and trot.

     

  We were very lucky to have had several girls from the local pony club coming to volunteer at RDA as they are working towards gaining their bronze Duke of Edinburgh award. They have been really good working with the riders and helping them to improve their riding skills. I have been getting them to plan how the equipment could be laid out in the arena as it was good to get their input and ideas.

  They did a good design with poles one session, they used 8 poles and placed the poles in the shape of a cross using 2 poles together so the riders had to walk between them, 2 sets were placed on the centre line and 2 sets placed along the middle, there was lots of different options with this that I could do.

The riders have been doing quite a bit off the lead rein, walking through poles and around the blocks, they have been trotting off the lead rein as well, I only let them trot down the long side, although they had to trot at a letter and walk at another letter, I wanted them to practice being accurate. They are all trotting much better and not holding on to the handle that's attached to the saddle, which means their balance is getting better.

We had chard's other ride from Crewkerne join us for one ride, we had a competition for the riders in which we did an obstacle course, three of my riders rode with three of the other ride, then we swapped riders and the rest rode. While the riders rode the others waiting did a quiz that I had made up for them, there was also some nibbles to be eaten, all the riders did well, they all got rosettes at the end of it and had a lovely time. 

   The riders from the other ride were presented with their grade 1 and 2  riding and horse care proficiency test certificates, as I had gone to their riding sessions during the summer and tested them for the grades.

The riders showing off their awards after the competition held between the riders from the Ilton and Crewkerne riders.
 Below are the riders from the Crewkerne section showing off their certificates.

 

We had a good last ride of the year, all the riders rode well and did some good steering around the arena and through the poles and blocks, they also rode off the lead rein for a lot of the session, I was pleased as they were starting to really be aware of the other riders in the arena by slowing down or stopping so they didn't crash into each other.
 

    I couldn't believe that this was the last riding session of the year as it seemed to have gone very quickly. After the ride we all went across to the local pub and had a meal, I had scampi and chips which was really nice, I wasn't allowed to pay for my meal by the parents of the riders, they wanted to treat me to say thank you for coming and teaching the riders, it's the little things like this which shows that it's all well worth while and that it is appreciated.





 

Forde Abbey's last rides of the year.

Now that the evenings are dark as the clocks have changed my RDA sessions at Forde Abbey,for the chard RDA group have finished for the summer.

We were very lucky as the last couple of riding sessions were able to go ahead as the weather stayed dry, in spite of the forecast saying that it might rain.

I had all four riders for one of the sessions,so again I had the girls for the first half hour, followed by the boys for the second half hour. We were working on balance and steering again, the helpers encouraged the riders to use their reins to steer the ponies around some cones which were placed along the long sides in the arena. Asking them to steer around these cones and getting the ponies to stop beside them ment they where not holding on to the front of the saddle, I made up an obstacle course using what was in the arena.

  They started one side of the arena and had to steer through the row of cones, next they had to turn and walk up the middle, through the ' tunnel ' ( poles on the ground) making sure they lent forwarded so as not to hit their head on the roof of the tunnel, next they had to steer around a 'roundabout ', then they had to collect a bean bag and carry it up to me. As we had no bucket the riders had to stop their ponies and place the bean bag on top of my head, this is one advantage to being small, everyone had a chuckle about this and some helpers even said it was good for the deportment, it wasn't easy attempting to keep the bean bag on the head, when it wasn't placed right on the top.(I think a photo was taken of this, which I bet will be placed in the chard RDA newsletter.)

 After this the riders had to trot down to the end. 

 The last session of the year, we only had two of the riders as the other two couldn't come, so the riders were able to have a longer session, we did more work on steering and stopping and walking on.

They both wanted to do another obstacle course, so this time, they started by steering through a row of cones then they had to collect a ring from one pole and place it on the next pole, then they had to stand between two buckets and take out a toy from one bucket swap it into the other hand,still making sure they were holding the reins and then place it in the other bucket, then they had to walk the pony around a 'roundabout', walk through a 'tunnel' and over a 'bridge' ( both made up of two poles on the ground.) then they had to trot down the long side.

    We also did some races, these were, bending up and back through the cones, taking a bean bag up to a bucket and placing it in there, walking up and trotting back. Walking up the the other end carrying a bean bag and with the bean bag in one hand put it around their back and into the other hand and bring it around to the front, then walk back.

While we were doing this the toys were naughty and got out of their bag and went around edge of the arena, so the riders and helpers had to go and hunt for them and see how many they could find.

 When they had got them all they brought them back, then counted them to see who had found the most.