kids riding coach Archives

Hylee Training News – July 2020

July 7, 2020July 7, 2020 aliciaharper

Hey Everyone,

I hope everyone is staying dry in this wet weather we have been having:) I know we have been working hard at keeping everything here dry. We do have a bit of news here to share with you this month.

Hunter Show

While we just couldn’t get the numbers for over fences show and the flat show was too wet . Assuming its going to dry out a little bit for August – we have decided to go ahead and schedule a schooling show for Aug 2nd which is a Sunday.

Aug 2, 2020 Schooling Show Details

The schooling show is really meant as an entry show. It’s specifically designed for those who are new to showing or getting back into showing .There is also a division for walk/trot and walk/jog for both kids and adults. We have hired a Learner Judge who will be coming with her mentor. This will be an educational opportunity for everyone. You can find the class list here. The entry fee is $20 per division. Lesson students who need a lesson horse will be charged $25 horse rental fee.

Lesson Horses

Obviously, we have limited lesson horses, therefore, the sooner you sign up the better. As a result, of our entries being limited to 30 maximum early sign up is best. Sign up can be made by messaging the page, Alicia, or letting us during your regular lesson time.

Dress Requirements

English riders will be required to wear a helmet, paddock boots, half chaps and breeches. No jackets are required. For Western riders, you will need jeans/chaps, western style boots and either a helmet or a cowboy hat. In other words, workmanlike attire is preferred and full show attire not required.

Riding Level
For my current lesson students, riders should be consistently walk and trotting or jogging independently off the lunge line to participate. Therefore, riders will be spending the next few weeks preparing for the classes for the show in their lesons. Do not be discouraged if you do not know what all the classes mean:)

Besides the show, at this time we will not be putting on any camps this summer, However, our cow days will be resuming soon. We’ve got the hydro pole and and all the materials to get the power to the barn (and a massive heater) so this winter we should be toasty.

Look forward to seeing you all this month.

Alicia Harper / Hylee Training
9550 Patterson RD E,
Prince George, BC
604-785-9953

alicia@hyleetraining.com
www.hyleetraining.com

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Kids Horse Camp – March Break

January 29, 2020January 29, 2020 aliciaharper

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.

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5 Things a kid’s riding coach needs

April 17, 2019January 29, 2020 aliciaharper

As most of you know, we are in the process of moving. And unfortunately that leaves me with a number of children without a coach. Some of the parents of my previous students asked me what I thought was important in a riding coach for children and I had never really thought about it but upon thinking, these are what we came up with.

riding lessons jumping for kids and amateurs

One. Safe broke to death lesson horses. They don’t all need to be Fuzz (ie doesn’t move unless the coach is there). However, they do need to have been exposed to all the things that could happen in a lesson. They should be forgiving but at the same time make the kids work for it. Not all ponies work for all kids, so more than one would be ideal as the child progresses. I would have to add proper equipment that fits children could be in here too.

In my experience, this is a tough one to find out ahead of time other than watching lessons. A simple way may simply to ask the coach how long they have they had “Fuzz” in their lesson program or what are some things you look for in a safe lesson horse.

Two. Patience, Patience, Patience. If the coach is frustrated at the kids for forgetting how to roll up the stirrups for the 100th time then that doesn’t help the kids learn any faster it just makes them uncomfortable as they are learning.

How to find out if the coach has patience is a bit harder as its not a straight up question. This is more something you might observe and watching the coach teach a children’s lesson may be a good way.

Three. Experience. Unfortunately as a coach you cannot learn, what words work better for getting a child to keep his/her heels down, the best way to explain the two point to a 6 year or the many different ways we can teach flying changes. Some things just have to be learnt through teaching experience. And that is just teaching lesson upon lesson for days, weeks and months.

Asking for references would be an easy to answer this question about your potential children’s riding coach however, this is probably easily found on a Facebook page in this fay and age.

Four. How to be fun. Ultimately in order to keep kids interested in something, it has to be fun and riding can be fun in many ways. And riding can be fun in many ways, using games as a coaching technique, doing races in group lessons or allowing the kids to kick around the barn and play. Whichever way it is – your child has to be having fun some of the time.

Simply ask the coach, what are some of the things you do in your lessons to keep the lessons interesting?

Five. Ability to communicate effectively. Coaches when working with children need to be able to communicate not only to the children who are riding in a way they can understand but also to the parents in a way they can understand about what is going on. As a parent – you need to feel confident that the coach has a plan, can articulate what is happening, and can do so with ease.

One way to ask this of a potential could would be what does he/she usually see in children the same age as yours. Ie. what struggles are 8 year old girls usually having with their riding?