TERM PROGRAM
The Term Program offers students the opportunity to have regular affordable weekly or fortnightly lessons in a private or group environment and runs for the duration of a school term.
Students participating in the group lessons vary in ages and ability. This works very well with the variety of ATB horses and also provides learning opportunities across all ages. The older, more experienced students, are role models for the younger students and the younger students provide the older students with opportunities to explain concepts and assist and gain confidence from becoming aware of what they know.
The lessons are conducted in a calm, supportive environment and many students are forming lifelong friendships.
We will cover the following:
Groundwork:
- How to be safe in the paddock with a herd of horses
- Catching your horse including correct haltering
- Correct leading
- Developing a relationship based on trust
- Grooming, cleaning out hooves
- Becoming a confident leader
- Understanding horse behaviour and psychology
- Lunging
- Show preparation
Groundwork is fundamentally important and with the confidence on the ground the riding comes. Students learn to check whether the horse has steering and to be able to move both their horses front and hind hooves. They develop a relationship with their horse and work together as a partnership.
Riding:
- Understand how the groundwork relates to when students are in the saddle
- Correct saddling including appropriate saddle, fit and saddle pad
- Balance
- Steering using the reins
- Steering using the legs
- Forward
- Backup
- Stopping
- Emergency dismount
- Confidence in the saddle
Horse:
- Body parts
- Biomechanics
- Hoof care – laminitis and founder
- Bodywork
- Diet and environment
- Basic first aid
Equipment:
- Brushes, hoof pick, bot knife, combs etc.
- Halters: difference between rope and webbed.
- Lead ropes: when to use different lengths.
- Understanding the difference between treed and treeless saddles.
- Understanding the difference between bitted and bitless bridles.
- Parts of the saddle.
- Stirrups.
- Girths.
Lesson plans vary from student to student, as the needs change over time.
Horsemanship is not just about meeting specific goals, it is more importantly about the journey that we take with the horses. There is always something to learn and another piece in the puzzle to be found. All our experiences with horses will lead us to become better horse people.