Happy New Year! At the end of every year my barn does year end self & supervisor evaluations and goal reviewing and setting. I really like the format, because the self-evaluation helps me see where I need work and helps me decide what new goals to set. Since it’s the New Year, I’m going to … Continue reading
Overwhelmed with Instructor Training
Happy New Year! I haven’t posted lately because we’ve been so busy with traveling, but also because there’s so many things I want to post I don’t know where to start! However, the other day a reader emailed me asking for advice about feeling overwhelmed by the instructor training process of leaning to teach a … Continue reading
Secret Santa
Here is an idea for your riders for the holidays… (Photo stolen from Shelby of our tack room’s gift stash) Secret Santa! Have your riders play Secret Santa with the horses! One week ask them if they would like to participate in a Secret Santa gift exchange with the horses. If they do, they draw a name … Continue reading
Unbalanced Collapsed Side
Here is a list of techniques that may help a rider who is unbalanced with a collapsed side. It comes from the Facebook Riding Instructors’ Forum conversation about an elderly rider who has trouble keeping her balance on turns, sits to one side, and is very timid. Tips for an Unbalanced Collapsed Side Rider Investigate A … Continue reading
Goals & Objectives
A while back a reader asked me to post about goals and objectives, and I never did, so I’m sorry dear reader! It’s a bit belated but here you go. This is the handout I made for our Instructors In Training based on several handouts I already had. Hope this helps! Goals & Objectives Therapeutic … Continue reading
Thanksgiving Turkey Activities
Happy Thanksgiving! I’ve had turkeys and feathers on the mind…so I googled turkey activities and came up with some Thanksgiving turkey activity ideas for therapeutic horseback riding lessons! Leaf & Circle Turkeys Rider collects leaves and brown circles from around the arena. Discuss the color of each leaf and the shape and size of the circles. … Continue reading
A Few Links – Honoring Veterans
On Veterans Day I came across some fun articles about different ways horse people honor their Veterans. Maybe you can do some of these at your center next year! ~ Teach your horse to bow in honor of a veteran ~ The backward boot is often seen in parades to honor fallen soldiers, could you … Continue reading
Veterans Program Business Plan
This is an example business plan outline for a veterans program. At the 2013 PATH Intl Veterans Conference, once of the seminars really highlighted the importance of having a business plan. Because the more thoroughly you think through the plan, the more likely you are to succeed. There’s so many different versions of business plans … Continue reading
Veterans Program Tips
Here are some notes about running a Veterans therapeutic horseback riding program, mostly from the first PATH Intl Veterans Workshop at Bravehearts in 2013 that I attended. Again, not comprehensive, just ideas that really struck me. Hope they help! PROGRAM IDEAS They tend to arrive early Create a Canteen area to hang out Create a … Continue reading
Instructing Veterans in Therapeutic Riding
Today’s post is about working with and instructing Veterans in the setting of Therapeutic Riding / Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT). This is a compilation of notes I have taken the past few years. This is NOT comprehensive, just helpful, hopefully! Veterans’ Experiences To work with veterans, you need to know where they are … Continue reading