RIDER CURRICULUM
Code of Conduct for Students and Teachers
- Lesson protocol
- Develop a variety of ways to teach the same concept
- Communication skills
- Respect for horse and rider
- Empathy
- Clarity
- Kindness
Position Work
- Analyze and diagnose position issues
- Is your student giving conflicting aids?
Teach Your Students to Be Independent, Effective Riders
- Give “tests” that riders can do at home to evaluate if they’re doing quality work
- Give “reasons why” to help students remember what to do at home
- Test grasp of a concept by asking students to teach you
How To Structure A Lesson
- How to prioritize what to work on
- Chunking
- Warm-ups (Relaxation for both horse and rider, check position, check “gas” and brakes”, check suppleness, check connection)
- Recognize shades of gray
- End every ride on a good note
- Give homework
Different Learning Styles
- Is your student primarily a visual, kinesthetic, or auditory “learner?
- Adapt your approach to suit the learning style of your student
- Use visualization and language to enhance learning
- The importance of repetition
Teaching “Feel”
- Make the leap from left-brained mechanics to right-brained “feel”
- Use “benign antagonism” to develop rider “feel”
Keep It Fun
- Helps with retention
- Increases confidence
- Help your student maintain perspective
- Help your student feel “safe”
Modifying Your Lesson Plan For:
- Older riders
- Horses coming back from an injury
- Different personality types-The Passive Rider, The Aggressive Rider, The Fearful Rider, The Insecure Rider
