- Check the space and the kit.
- Get your child's attention first.
- Show it from two sides.
- Say one thing only.
- End on one that works.
Put the phone down where you can see it. Tap Next with your thumb, or use the arrow keys.
Is the space marked?
A hobby horse or a broom; shoes or cones as arena letters on a rectangle; low poles on shoes.
Three minutes to get warm.
Easy jogging on the spot, then arms and legs. How to warm up well is explained at workonfitness.com.
- Walk round the rectangle with the hobby horse: a steady stride. Trot: a light, bouncy jog. Canter: a skipping rhythm.
- Ride a circle the same size all round, then cross the arena corner to corner to change direction.
- Ride a serpentine: three loops across the arena.
- Come straight to a pole and cross it in the middle.
Show it once from the front and once from the side, slowly. Then let your child try.
- Ride each gait round the rectangle.
- Draw a figure card (a circle, a change of rein across the diagonal, a serpentine) and ride it while the others watch the line.
- Ride over the low poles in the middle.
How much: 3 figures and 1 pole round
Aim for the middle
Pole round
The rules
Choose the line, cross each pole in the middle, no knock-downs, show-jumping style.
- Lay 5 low poles round the arena, numbered with paper
- Walk the course first to choose the line
- Trot or canter the course in order
- 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
- Win
- The highest score left after one round each; ties ride again.
- 10
- 16
- 20
3 figures ridden in a row without leaving the line.
End on one that works. If it was hard today, finish with the easier version.
Well played.
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