Has anyone successfully taught their own children to ride?

[bouyo]

I have 2 children and access to a lovely little riding school horse. And facilities. And I'm an AI.

But it just turns into tears and drama. They want to learn, but I think the dynamics are wrong?

Should I just try harder? Or pay up for formal instruction?

Not sure how successful it was but I never really had any lessons when I was a kid. I just got led around places and then started doing loads of hacking then hunting / competing / PC etc. I think it does kids good to get out and about instead of in the school.

Not sure how well I'll practice what I preach with my kids though!

I found it difficult! Ended in arguments and ' I know muuuuuummmm' most of the time. I got her an instructor for her and pony once a fortnight and just used to go over what she had done in the lesson and just generally made sure she spent time with me hacking and going to shows to practice what she had learnt. She s older now and a better rider than me! Asked her to give me a lesson this week on my horse and she was brutal!!

God no. I couldn't even watch mine having lessons at the local riding school without muttering 'sit up, sit up, keep your hands still, kick him on' etc.

Sorry but

I am not sure I would ever try and teach my children to do anything if I wanted them to actually listen to the teacher! Riding is no exception.

Yes, I've 'managed' as I resent paying someone else £££'s when I'm also qualified! She goes to regular PC rallies and practices in addition and passed her C test this summer. It's not easy at all, but if she answers back I just walk away and let her 'go figure'.
She has openly admitted that nobody else has taught her anything different to what I've been telling her for years and can now school quite independently.
I think for younger ones, as long as you make everything 'fun' and use games instead of formal lessons, you stand a better chance. There are lots of really good ideas for lesson plans in books too.

I've done both. DD was at riding school for two years, then had her own pony after I felt she was experienced and dedicated enough and we now have a combo of me teaching, an instructor every Sunday on her own pony and then the odd cross country lesson/dressage specialist with other various instructors. We also do PC rallies. I think it is really important to keep up with the odd lesson other than mum or dad however good you are. We all need lessons even riding at grand prix! DD is very good at listening to me but definitely responds better with others

Thanks all. I've left a message with local riding school.

Can then practice in between times!

Once at a Mary King question session I asked the following:

Mary , given that you have been to the Olympics, won Badminton and other 4 star events and one of the best eventers around does your daughter think you know anything about eventing and can you teach her, or are you like me who hasn't achieved anything like your success but whose son thinks she knows nothing.

..she answered that she tried to teach her daughter - it didn't go well.

Brilliant! Got to love horsey people!

I can't teach DD. I tried and failed. She has lessons at the local riding school. She is a very competent rider but has absolutely no confidence or belief in herself or in what I am telling her.

DS I am more hopeful about. He is pretty fearless, a proper mummys boy and will probably terrify me when he comes off the lead.

I know several AIs who can't teach their own dcs though. I know one who at almost 70 still won't teach her dd who is coming up to 40 because they argue constantly 😂

We definitely can't teach DD anything about riding on flat or jumping. She takes instruction really well from her producer/trainers but not from us.

Where she will listen to us - occasionally - is regarding tasks around the yard. If we say the reason we do X is because Y will happen if we don't, then she take these little tips on board. Anything to do with stable management, feeding, clipping, basic veterinary care she will listen but never whilst she is on a horse !

How old are your children?

Mine have never had lessons other than some pony club rallies, and they are 9 and 11 now and can ride reasonably well. But I haven't taught them, as such, as everyone else has said, they will not tolerate me standing in the middle of the school telling them how to do things. What I have done, however, is given them things to do that has taught them. I take them hunting and on fun rides, I take them to watch competitions, big and small, and at home I put up lots of different pole and jump arrangements to make them think and work out how to ride things. So they have good balance and are developing feel and the older one in particular can really see and adjust for a stride. However, they don't look particularly pretty on the flat yet! The older one has a nice horse now and has just started having some flatwork lessons with my coach, so I'm hopeful she will iron out the details!

They are just 8&10

I have booked for assessment at the local riding school on Saturday.

I feel it's the right choice. They can be 'taught' there then practice on the ones we have available over the weekends.

Definitely won't be weekly so no big block bookings. They're really looking forward to it.

I have been close to tears with frustration just trying to show my nearly 4yo DD how to hold the reins 😂 I don't even try now I just let her bumble along at the moment getting used to the feel of the horse and balance and then the rest can be dealt with by an impartial instructor who won't scream at her'

My DCs are taught very successfully by their dad. He's completely unemotional - very professional, & treats them exactly like he would a paying client.

DD once got extremely tearful once when he'd let another rider join in the lesson. He was very calm & encouraged her, but when DC was hamming it up, told her she'd have to leave if she carried on. She stopped!

He has a whole different persona when he's teaching, though, the way he projects his voice, his stance, everything - a sort of "I'm in charge & I'm taking no shit" quality without having to declare it, iyswim.

I think perhaps the fact that their DPony was initially at a yard where he taught was helpful. They saw him teaching other people.

In the early days, the alternative was for them to be on a group lesson with several other riders at a riding school taught by someone with much less experience - they knew which side their bread was buttered from a very early age.

I'm not qualified or knowledgeable enough any way, but even if I were, I'd be too emotional for it to work!

Can't comment on the "teacher" side, but can comment as the "pupil". My mum grew up with horses and taught me to ride from the age of 2. Yes i remember having tears and tantrums but she did teach me to be a very capable, determined rider. I only started having lessons from age 12 when i started competing affiliated show jumping and needed more in depth teaching in striding/jumo off strategy etc.

i gave my daughter a few lunge lessons when she started (also AI) but was glad when someone else took over and took her hacking.
Now she teaches me...lol

I did but it ws very low key and we never really cracked the dressage, but i think that was DSs reluctance to practice. Took him from complete beginner to successful winning at 90cm ( Ponies limit) both SJ and XC. Easy easy was the only way to go for us, like the odd comment on a hack type thing.