Raining! I teach horseback riding lessons and don't have covered arena. What should i do for lesson?

Question

I teach horseback riding lessons and when it rains the students (kids and adults) don't want to cancel. The ground is too wet for the horses and my tack will get soaked. What should I do in the barn for the lesson?

I need ideas. Yesterday I taught about nutrition and talked about different popular diets for horses. We talked about grain, different types of hay, how to tell good hay from bad.

What else should I do?? Only other idea I have is saddle fitting. Lesson is one hour long. Ideas please!?!?

Answer 1

Back in the early 1980's I developed a lesson plan for just such occurances (Used to drive the barn owner CRAZY 'cause I was still makin' money.). The owner of the rental horses LOVED it 'cause all her tack got cleaned thoroughly! I would have the kids take out the saddles and bridles of the horses they rode and CLEAN them! As they took them apart (This got FUN), I'd explain what each piece's name was and how it was used in the over all picture.



While you're at it, drag out some old bits too! Toss 'em at the kids and ask them what they are. (I had a LOT of fun with a full cheek double twisted wire snaffle...).

Answer 2

If you have a certain area of ridng you're focusing on like jumping or dressage, why not hold a " seminar " lesson teaching your students about the fundamentals of that style of riding. Share the history of it, how it became popular and discuss some ways they can improve on their current riding skills or get a little bit into detail of what they'll be learning next after they master what they're currently working on. There may be some says where you will just have to cancel. I've had to do that many days..

Answer 3

There are plenty of things you can teach inside the barn. Also try to make things as hands on as possible as you teach. Here are some ideas:



*Horse anatomy

*Tack anatomy

*Basic safety

*Bathing (if its warmer even though its raining, or if you have a heater)

*Different breeds

*Different colors

*Horse conformation

*Equine illnesses

*Bandaging, boots, and wrapping

*Preparing for a show

*Braiding

*Holding a horse for a vet or farrier

*Cleaning a stall

*Clipping

*Taking care of/cleaning tack

*Keeping record books

*Buying/selling horses

*Treating minor injuries

*Blanketing/fitting blankets

*Horse behavior/communication

*Deworming/vaccinations

*Farrier/Shoeing

*Types of bits

*Stable vices

*Floating teeth/determining a horse's age via teeth

*Taking a horse's temperature

*Heart rate/respiration

*Caring for a horse after a hard workout

And if I think of more, I'll add those later



If you have a lounge or something similar you could set up a t.v. and play horse related videos

You could also take a video of them riding during a lesson and play it back to them on a rainy day so that they can critique their own riding, and discuss their strengths and areas needing improvement.

Good luck and have fun with them!

Answer 4

Here are some things my old instructor would teach us when it was raining:



1. horse anatomy

2. feeding

3. how to properly bandage a horse's leg

4. how to properly clean tack

5. how to check a horse's vitals in case they get sick

6. how to braid a horse's mane

7. horse conformation

8. how to identify different types of horse ailments (ie colic, founder)



Hope that helped!

Answer 5

How about the responsibilities that follow owning your first Horse?

Grooming and barn work, as mucking out stalls, and so forth, as Barn Work is

Animal science, hoof care, and the disease's that Horses can get without the proper care?

I remember an old timer once told me. "There are a lot of good Riders, but very few good Horsemen"

Barn work would be good for a learning tool.

Hope this helps.

Joy,

Answer 6

You could teach them the best way to care for all the different types of tack you have, how to pull apart the bridles etc and clean and put them back together. At the same time explaining why there are different types of bridles and saddles etc.



Maybe even show them how to prepare the horses for a show, I know the kids would love plaiting the manes and tails up.

Answer 7

Educate your students on the symptoms of common ailments; colic, laminitis, shipping fever, rain rot, ring worm, etc.



Teach them about correct horse management practices; routine vet work, teeth, vaccines, farrier.



Talk about body clipping styles and techniques, talk about blankets used, weights uses and applications.



Educate them about braiding, styles, techniques, etc.



Educate them on shoeing types and styles



Talk about 'reading' horses' body language. Eager, frightened, attentive, agressive, etc. Talk about ear position, muzzle and neck position. You can draw diagrams or research expressions on various websites.



Educate them on the horse's reproductive and digestive tract. If your students show, educate them on what's legal and illegal; ie: drugs and procedures that will disqualify someone from showing in their chosen discipline.



Describe the different riding disciplines out there. Talk about different bits and their application & effect on horse' mouths. Talk about different saddles and how they effect rider position & sport.



Talk about pasture maintenance, fencing styles & preferences, shelters, bedding differences & preferences



The list is endless...

Answer 8

Well, one thing you could do is when you do have a sunny day for riding, tape the lessons.



During wet days you could sit them down and go through one by one on what they need to improve while watching the clips.



You could also watch educational riding dvds or videos.

Answer 9

Groom

Discuss how they could improve