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Equestrian · Basic · b5

Hobby-horse arena

At home 10 min 1 to 4 players Yard or lane, park

Ready when: Road sense and stable rules (b3) started.

Start a session

What you are learning

The rhythm of the three gaits (walk, trot, canter), the shapes riders make in an arena (circles, a change of rein across the diagonal, a serpentine), and riding a straight line to the middle of a pole, all on foot with a hobby horse.

Words on this card Pony, Gaits, Diagonal, Rein, Circle, Arena letters, Faults, Hobby horse
Pony
A pony is a small horse, under about 148 cm at the shoulder.
Gaits
The ways a horse moves. Walk is four steady beats; trot is two bouncy beats; canter is a rocking, three-beat skip.
Diagonal
In rising trot, which beat the rider rises on; it is changed when the direction changes.
Rein
Riding round the arena one way is "on the left rein" or "right rein"; a change of rein is changing direction.
Circle
Arena figures. A circle is round, the same size all round; a serpentine is a snake of loops across the arena.
Arena letters
Letters round a riding arena that mark where movements start and finish.
Faults
Penalty points in show jumping, such as 4 for a knocked pole.
Hobby horse
A stick with a toy horse's head, ridden on foot.

Set up

A hobby horse or a broom; shoes or cones as arena letters on a rectangle; low poles on shoes.

Weather: dry weather

The base setup for equestrian

Show it first for the one teaching

  1. Walk round the rectangle with the hobby horse: a steady stride. Trot: a light, bouncy jog. Canter: a skipping rhythm.
  2. Ride a circle the same size all round, then cross the arena corner to corner to change direction.
  3. Ride a serpentine: three loops across the arena.
  4. Come straight to a pole and cross it in the middle.

Your part while they practise

Call the gait or the figure; watch the line.

Step by step

  1. Ride each gait round the rectangle.
  2. Draw a figure card (a circle, a change of rein across the diagonal, a serpentine) and ride it while the others watch the line.
  3. Ride over the low poles in the middle.

How much: 3 figures and 1 pole round 10 min a session 2 days a week

Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.

The game: Pole round

Choose the line, cross each pole in the middle, no knock-downs, show-jumping style.

Who plays: 1 to 4 riders, each against their own best; you judge.

How to play, turn by turn
Turns
  1. Lay 5 low poles round the arena, numbered with paper
  2. Walk the course first to choose the line
  3. Trot or canter the course in order
  4. You count faults
Fair play
A grown-up must canter the whole course.
Points
Each rider starts with 20 points and loses 4 for each pole knocked down, 4 for a stop in front of a pole and 2 for a pole crossed near the end instead of the middle.
Fouls
The round ends
  • Jumping the poles out of order
  • Walking in a trot or canter round
  • Three stops in one round
Winning
The highest score left after one round each; ties ride again.
Stars
  1. 10 points for 1 star
  2. 16 points for 2 stars
  3. 20 points for 3 stars

Easier or harder

Easier

Walk only.

Harder

You ride a figure and the child names it.

What you will see, and what to say

  • the pole is crossed near the end Aim for the middleLook at the centre from the turn.
  • trot and canter look the same Trot bounces, canter skipsShow both side by side.
  • the circle turns into an egg Same size all roundLook round the circle ahead.

Self-check

3

3 figures ridden in a row without leaving the line.

Fitness for this

Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.

This card trains arena figures, the rhythm of the gaits, the line to a pole.

awiseathlete.com/sports/equestrian/equestrian-b5