When I first started teaching, I spent a lot of time making new lesson plans every week for my riders. Now that it’s been a few years, I still take time to lesson plan every week but it goes faster because the lesson plans stay very similar. This got me thinking about the importance of … Continue reading
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Extending and Shortening the Walk (again!)
I really like teaching extending and shortening the walk. I like to teach it soon after the basics (how to balance, halt, walk on, and steer your horse) because I think it gives beginners a needed sense of more minute control of their horse and a feel for what is a normal speed for their … Continue reading
Lengthening and Shortening Lesson Plan and Evaluation
Yesterday I attended a seminar at the 2015 PATH Intl Conference by Marny Mansfield and Emily Wygod of Endeavor Horsemanship called “Step Up the Approach” about stepping up your approach to instructing. They had this great handout of an example lesson plan, with a video of the instructor teaching the lesson, and then we discussed it. With … Continue reading
Trot down center line to Halt at X
This was a fun simple lesson I taught the other day, that I want to share with you, as well as a little breakthrough. This rider is independent enough to get her horse ready and mount on her own, but consistently gets in the arena late and takes half the lesson to settle in to … Continue reading
Outside Rein & Diamond Pattern
An instructor at our barn set up the diamond pattern yesterday and this is what I did with it! Lesson Plan for Outside Rein Aid using the Diamond Pattern Arena Setup: 4 cones or poles set in diamond shape Lesson Plan Safety Check Mount Safety Check Warm ups Lower body: ride no stirrups 1 lap … Continue reading
The Lesson Plan – Detailed
This is an extended version of The Lesson Plan – Basic. Long time followers may recognize this, as they all used to be lumped together, but I’ve split them up! Now the Basic version is just the template, and the Detailed version has the explanation. Enjoy! In the beginning I was really confused about lesson planning. … Continue reading
Bending at the Walk: Lesson Plan for Group with Physical Disabilities
I am excited to share that the instructors at the Advanced Workshop I attended at Heartland Therapeutic Riding have agreed to let me post their lesson plans! This one is from Courtney Mellor, equine manager at Heartland, who did this as a practice mock advanced level lesson, and received feedback from the instructor/evaluator Sandy Webster, as well as … Continue reading
Stride Lengthening at the Walk: Lesson Plan for Group with Physical Disabilities
I am excited to share that the instructors at the Advanced Workshop I attended at Heartland Therapeutic Riding have agreed to let me post their lesson plans! This one is from Martia Wassman, program director of Ride On St. Louis, Inc., who did this as a practice mock advanced level lesson, and received feedback from the instructor/evaluator Sandy … Continue reading
Leg Yield: Lesson Plan for Group with Physical Disabilities
I am excited to share that the instructors at the Advanced Workshop I attended at Heartland Therapeutic Riding have agreed to let me post their lesson plans! This one is from Sandy Webster of Gaits of Change, our phenomenal workshop instructor, who made this lesson plan and then taught it to riders as an example of an … Continue reading
Mini Lesson Plans
Some instructors write detailed lesson plans. Some instructors have it all in their heads. I started out with the former, and have refined it to a shortened version I keep in my pocket all day. It’s super helpful when you have lots of students, and then you can mark notes on the paper to remember … Continue reading