EXERCISES FOR THE RIDER AT THE HALT AND WALK

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1 EXERCISES FOR THE RIDER AT THE HALT AND WALK Instructor Club/Center Region Year Topic: Perform exercises for the rider at the halt and walk Class Size: 2-6 Arena Size Needed: At least a small dressage ring, enclosed Certification Level: D-2 Time: 20 min Objective: D-2 Riding: Perform balancing and suppling exercise for rider at walk and halt and discuss 1 or 2 reasons for doing this Equipment Needed: horse handlers References: USPC D Manual, 2 nd Edition, pp Safety Concerns: Calm experienced pony, confident student with no prior scary incident Safety Check: Medical armband/bracelet. Before riding: bridle fit/safety, girth tight/stitching, leathers stitching/bars, helmet fit/approved, horse boots fit/attachments. For a more complete list refer to the USPC D Manual, 2 nd Edition, p. 27 and , Pony Club Safety Book, and Pony Club Horse Management Handbook Lesson Procedure 1. Introduction of Self/Students Hello, my name is and I am member from Pony Club or Riding Center. Let s go around the room and you can tell me you name, certification, and your horse s name. Allow the students to do this and give each one a name tag. ( Do Safety check) 2. Verbalize Objective of Lesson Today we are going to learn about balancing and suppling exercises for you, the rider." 3. Ask Prior Knowledge of Topic Has anyone ever done exercises while on your pony? What ones did you do? How did you feel about those?

2 4. Demonstration/Discussion: We do lot of exercises and movements to improve your pony, but do you know why you would do some too? (Accept any ideas). They help warm up your muscles and make them stronger and more supple so you won t get as sore. They will also help your balance, confidence, and control of your hands and legs. They are fun. They will make you a better rider! They will help improve your position. It is a good idea to do a new exercise at the halt first so your pony can slowly get used to it. Later you can do exercises at the walk, and eventually maybe at the trot and canter! It is also a good idea when you are first starting to have someone hold your pony at the halt and also lead your pony when you walk. Two other safety things you should do have to do with your reins and stirrups. Does anyone know what those might be? ONE - When your feet are out of the stirrups during some exercises, you can cross your stirrups in front of the saddle to keep them out of your way so they won t bump against your pony s sides. This is especially important at the trot and canter. If you pull the stirrup leather buckle out about 6 inches from the stirrup bar, you can fold the stirrup leathers flat as you cross them over. Let me show you (Demonstrate with someone. See diagram below). TWO - When you do exercises with your hands off the reins, tie a knot in the end of the reins to make them shorter so they will lie on the pony s neck where you can reach them. This also keeps them from hanging too low where your pony could step on them. 5. Application of the activity: Now that we have talked about why we do exercises so let s go ahead and do a few at the halt. Foot Circles: These keep your ankles supple and help keep your heels down. With both feet out of stirrups, draw circles in the air with your toes. Circle both feet one way. Make ten circles. Now make ten circles in the other direction. (See diagram below) Ankle Stretches: These also keep your ankles supple and help keep your heels down. Point your toes down toward the ground, and then point them up as high as you can. Repeat 10 times. (See diagram below) Leg Swings: These relax your knees and loosen the muscles in your lower legs. Drop your stirrups, swing one leg forward and the other leg back, from below your knees. Then swing the other leg forward and back. Let your toes hang down to relax your legs. Be careful not to kick your pony. Poll and croup touches: These are good for suppleness and for confidence. Try to keep your legs in position even though your upper body and arms move. Who remembers where the pole is? (between ears) With your feet in your stirrups, reach forward with one hand as far as you can along your pony s mane, and try to touch his poll. Don t touch his ears as he may not like it. Your other arm stays behind you. Then sit up. Be sure to sit deep and tall in the saddle. Now stretch one arm up over your head. Lean back, reach around behind you, and pat your pony as far back on his croup as you can reach, near his tail. Your other arm stays in front of you. Now

3 sit up without using your hands to pull yourself up. Remember to sit deep and tall in the saddle. (Do that a few times, with different hands. Watch that their legs stay in place. See diagram below.) Now that we have mastered these at the halt, let s try some at the walk. So would everyone go to the rail and track making sure that we keep our distance and keep our ponies on the rail. Let s start with toe circles. While keeping your pony walking let s do ten circles one direction and then ten the other direction with our toes. While we are doing these, who can tell why we do these? (keep your ankles supple and help keep your heels down.) Great work. Now let s do poll and croup. Everyone touch the poll; now touch the croup. Who remembers why we do this one? (suppleness and confidence.) Let s do it again and remember to keep your leg in a good position. Touch the poll and now the croup. One more time. Great. 6. Additional Ideas if time allows: Ask for suggestions for exercises as they may have different ones they have done. Simon Says and they have to touch body parts while at the halt, or walk 7. Conclusion: Everyone come into the center and line up facing me. Who can tell me why we do these exercises? (Warm up your muscles, more supple, better balance, more confidence, more control, improve position, better rider and fun). Let s go around the group and each one of you tell me an exercise, what it is for, and how to do it. Keep practicing at home remembering to tie up your reins and maybe have someone hold your horse why you do it. Thank you. Photo permission USPC from Susan Harris

5 The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. The Kentucky Horse Park, 4041 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY / (PONY) Fax 859/ Copying permitted for internal use by and for members and volunteers of The United States Pony Clubs only.

Contents. DUPLICATION PROHIBITED by copyright holder. copyright Wendy Murdoch and Trafalgar Square Books

Contents. DUPLICATION PROHIBITED by copyright holder. copyright Wendy Murdoch and Trafalgar Square Books Contents Introduction 1 Names for the Different Seats and Riding Positions 5 Working on the Exercise Ball 6 Guidelines to Learning 6 How to Use the Fixes 10 Section 1: Lower Back and Pelvis 13 Introduction