Article, Coaching, Improve Your Riding

Three Exercises for Better Hands

This article is in relation to our Youtube series ” Improve Your Riding” and the video with the same name as the article. The Youtube series is by our own horse trainer and coach Alicia Harper.

In the video she outlines three exercises that can help you achieve quieter, softer and more steady hands. You can view the full video here: Three Exercises to Better Hands

Carrying the Crop

correct hand position in horseback riding

The first exercise is carrying your crop as seen in the photo with the crop resting between your thumb and forefinger in each hand.

The crop makes the rider aware of the hands and alerts them to uneveness which can be a result of a dropped shoulder or the bad habit of dropping a hand.

When the rider drops the hand, the balance of the horse is off and it is almost next to impossible for the horse to travel true and straight.

Crossed Reins

In this exercise she explains that she has the rider actually cross the reins underneath the horses neck so that the opposite rein is in the riders hand (left rein is in right hand and vice versa).

Alicia explains she then has the riders ride around the outside of the ring for a couple of trips and you would be surprised at home many riders struggle with this. Many have a hard time steering. Keep in mind these are intermediate riders not particularly beginners.

The exercise itself forces the riders to be aware of which rein they are actually pulling and the result is very evident. When the correct rein is pulled the horse travels straight and when it is not – the horse does not.

Another thing that this exercise actually shows is riders who rely too much on their reins. An balanced and educated rider will use their legs along with their reins therefore, the transition to the crossed reins will be smoother with the rider who uses less rein. If you think that you might be relying on your reins too much – this is the exercise for you!

Bridged Reins

If you aren’t familiar with bridged reins, pop on over to “How to Hold Your Western Reins” and check out Bridged Reins. In this exercise, we aren’t only going to hold them bridged but we are going to hold the bridge in one hand.

How this exercise works in awareness. Alicia has the riders ride around the school and if the horse tends to fall to the inside and the rider pulls the bridged reins towards the outside and expects the horse to go to the outside but infact, with the bridged reins it pulls the horse to the inside as the riders hands move to the outside.

Instead of using the reins and getting the opposite effect, we should have the rider open the outside rein enough that the horse feels it can move towards the outside but not enough that it pulls the inside rein and makes it the dominant rein. This exercise makes it obviously to the rider what they are doing and what its effect has on the horse – it just does it in the extreme. The rider may not actually pull the horse completely to the inside in every day riding but with the same motions that the rider would normally make this exercise does.

If you are interested in improving your hand position and understanding check out the full video over on Youtube.

Uncategorized

Kids Horse Camp – March Break

Team of riders riding at Hylee Training in prince george

Spring Break Camp this year is from March 17th – March 20th 9 AM to 3 PM.

Everyone participants do theory including horse first aid, lunging, horse behavior, and much more. Riders ride each day in a group riding lesson in either English or Western.

Riders do not need to have experience but should be between 7 and 14 years old. They must come with lunch, a water bottle, boots with a small heel and long pants. Girls should bring a hair tie for when riding. Everything else will be provided.

Cost is $200 = GST for the 4 days. Contact us to book. Spaces usually fill up fast and we usually have a waiting list. We take a maximum of 10 kids.

Kids usually come back from camp with a love for horses, some new friends and a good base of understanding of horses and are comfortable enough on a horse to go on a trail ride at one of our local trail ride places.

Camp s another unique venue for growth, for your kids allowing them to become independent and self-confident, while socializing and making new friends, and even learning new skills.

conformation side shot warmblood gelding for sale
News

SOLD: Tofino – 6 yr old Warmblood

Tofino is a sweatheart of a gelding standing at 16.2h you wouldn’t know it with his puppy dog personality. Tofino is brave on the ground and easy to work with. Lunges like a dream and works off the voice easily.

Undersaddle Tofino is easy to navigate, responsive and has his flying changes. He has been jumped up to 2’6″ and done a couple of schooling shows.

The one negative I can think about Tofino is his injury, he has previously injured his SI and at the time it was realized in April 2017 it was injected.  We have had him for the past year and have simply used monthly massage treatments to manage and he has not had one off step.

Has been used in lesson string but would like riders that are a bit more brave then what we have here at this time.

  • UTD Feet, Tetanus
  • Does not require shoes
  • Currently in group paddock situation
  • Does well in pasture
  • Does not require grain on 24/7 hay
  • Has previously been used in lessons for intermediate riders

Asking 2000 obo

Contact

Alicia Harper alicia@hyleetraining.com 604-771-7433

Video coming shortly.


đź‘‹

riding lessons jumping for kids and amateurs
Article

The True Cost of Riding Lessons

Ever wonder why riding lessons are expensive? Here’s why.

For this article, we will assume that you are taking lessons in B.C. at a facility with lesson horses, an indoor riding arena and a coach with some level of certification.

The rent for the facility of course is a major expense. The cost can average from 1000 a month to 3000 a month depending on size, location and the number of stalls. Those lesson horses need to be fed at least twice a day, labour is approximate $12 per hour at our facility it takes about 4 hours to do chores. They need farrier which averages about $300 per month for 10 lesson horses, $50 per month for worming, and $200 per month on the vet. The facility will always need maintenance which could include mending fences, replacing mats, re-footing the arena and basically everything a horse could destroy. The tack you use for your lesson horse needs to be maintained. We average approx. $100 per month on tack and $500 on maintenance.
We are now at approx. $4500

There are now administration fees which will include power (hydro), phone, booking systems, websites etc, which will probably end up around $250 per month. Add on top of that insurance which will range from $250 – $400 a month depending on the level of coverage.
And we haven’t even paid the coach yet.

With approx. $5000 a month in overhead in monthly operating expenses, now must find money to purchase lesson horses because they do get old, broken or tired from being a lesson horse.

One coach coaching full time could coach 40 hours a week on average. Let’s assume that coach has 40 students riding in private lessons and the lessons are $60 each. 4 weeks in a month X 40 X 60, that’s 9600. You are probably thinking – that’s lots of money right, we`ve only spent $5,000.

So, that coach brought in $9600 but most of the people paid with a credit card – 3% goes back to the credit card company. That is $300. Now we are down to $9300 and we have $5000 in operating costs, which leaves us with $4300 to feed the horses, shoot – we haven’t done that yet. Each non-working horse eats an average bale of a hay every three days. That’s 10 bales a month and with the current hay prices of quality local hay (we are talking best of the best here since our horses are working horses) $15 per bale. Each horse is going to cost us $150 a month to feed hay to. That’s $1500 for all ten. But they haven’t gotten any grain which will be $200 a month. This number is low with $1700 to feed the 10 lesson horses.

That coach needs to maintain certification which means upgrading attending clinics and continuing their education and trust me you want a coach who does! Let’s give that coach approx. $100 a month to do that. Now we have $2500 left.

Now most coaches will have a truck and trailer which they need to insure. A good guess would be approx. $200 a month to insure, perhaps another $300 in fuel. Now we are down to $2000.

$2000 per month for working 40 hours a week teaching, probably a few feeding horses, fixing fences, and booking appointments and scheduling. Just to give an estimate I spend on average 15 hours per week – booking, fixing, cleaning and I don’t even clean stalls! If I were the average coach I would be making $10 an hour. That is less than minimum wage.

Now this article`s purpose wasn’t meant to tell you how poor your coach is, however to show people that coach`s mostly do this job for the love of it. Not for the money – people at McDonalds are making more money! Also, take note – there are coaches out there making a pretty penny but also coaches who must take another job just to afford to be a coach. No matter where your coach falls in between. Thank him or her – they are doing it for the love it!