Flying H Ranch Stables

FLYING H RANCH STABLES 4013 FM 1123 BELTON, TEXAS, 76513 (254)722-2275 Flyinghranchstables.com

Lesson Plan 1 – Beginner

Objectives  Student arrives  Introduce student to horse  Explain how to put a halter and lead rope on  Explain how to hold lead rope so it won't hurt you if the horse pulls away  Show student how to lead horse  Help student lead horse in several large circles  Show student how to stop horse and start  Take horse into barn  Explain how to turn horse around without getting stepped on  Put horse in crossties  Explain what brushes to use and why  Teach student to brush horse, brush mane and tail, pick out hooves  Introduce saddle, bridle, protective boots  Assist student in tacking up horse  Have student put on riding helmet  Student lead horse out to mounting block  Tighten girth and show student how to mount  Help student mount  Adjust stirrups  Explain how to ask the horse to go (do NOT kick!) and stop  Student walks horse  Explain how to turn  Walk beside student on outer edge of rail for about 5 or 6 turns around  Have student make a large circle using half of the arena  Have student stop and start at cones or letters placed around the arena  Have student stop and do mounted exercises (i.e., touch toes, touch bridle, touch tail, reach up high, stand in stirrups, etc.)  Start horse again  Walk over ground poles  Stop and back horse up

Sign/Date  Stop, start, and back at cones/letters  Dismount  Take horse back to barn  Teach student how to take off saddle, bridle, and put halter back on  Crosstie horse  Groom horse/hose horse off  Put horse back into its stall  Show student how to put equipment away and stress good care of tack  Lesson is over. FLYING H RANCH STABLES 4013 FM 1123 BELTON, TEXAS, 76513 (254)722-2275 Flyinghranchstables.com

Objective: introduction, evaluation of student who has previously ridden.  Release form signed  Teach haltering horse, attaching lead rope  Teach leading - generally in a large circle in an open area  Take horse into barn  Tack up horse English  Lead horse to arena; position at mounting block - check girth, reins, stirrups  Stretches and mounting exercises: round the world, touch the bridle and the tail, touch your toes, windmill the arms, pull up your legs to stretch, draw circles with your toes, reach for the sky, stand in your stirrups  Walk horse along rail to warm up  Walk over poles on one end of the arena - remember to keep eyes up and looking ahead, where you're going to go next  Weave between cones, either in a straight line or placed strategically along the rail  {Instructor leading horse} posting trot on rail, helping student learn the motion for the posting trot  Large circles at the walk on either end of the arena  Posting trot on rail again  Sitting trot; let students find their comfort spot in the saddle  Walk horse out to cool down  Exit arena; dismount and untack horse, put horse away.

Sign/Date Lesson Plan 3 – Beginner

Objective: learn motion for posting trot, gain experience in turning and learning how to more effectively halt a horse; gain balance in a saddle  Tack up English  Mount up, adjust stirrups as needed  Walk on rail to warm horse up  Start and stop at letters placed around the arena on the rails  Start, stop, back, and halt again at each letter  Walk over poles  Practice turning in small circles - using a large traffic cone helps to maintain a round circle, used as the centerpiece  Learn to turn the horse while backing up  Come to center and halt  Stand and sit in the saddle at the halt  Stand and sit in the saddle at the walk, on the rail  Stand at the walk, holding the saddle if needed (instructor leading horse)  Sitting trot horse for half the arena, then sit and walk  Stand and sit at the walk for one round around the arena  Posting trot for half the arena (instructor leading horse)  Sit and walk  Posting trot/walk transitions several more times  Walk without stirrups  Walk over poles without stirrups  Weave in and out of cones without stirrups  Dismount, exit arena, untack horse FLYING H RANCH STABLES 4013 FM 1123 BELTON, TEXAS, 76513 (254)722-2275 Flyinghranchstables.com

Objective: improve turning skills, slow down and speed up the walk, weave through cones, go over poles without looking down, introduce the trot  Tack up English  Walk on rail to warm horse up  Start and stop at each letter (placed around the arena in at least 6 different places)  Start, stop, back, halt again at each letter  Walk over poles (don't look down!)  Make large circles at each end of the arena  Make small circles at each letter, finishing by going back out on the rail in the same direction each time  Come to center and halt  Stand/sit in the saddle at the halt  Stand/sit in the saddle at the walk, on the rail  Stand at the walk, holding saddle if needed  Walk without stirrups for several rounds, stretching legs and ankles  Introduce cues to trot - sit deeply, eyes up and shoulders back, shorten reins to get contact with horse's mouth, squeeze with inside leg and click  Teach cues for walking from a trot - sit deeply, heels down, put pressure on the reins back towards your hips and say "whoa" in a deep voice  Trot a few strides, then walk  walk around about half the arena, then trot again  Practice sitting and standing at the trot for several strides  Walk for once around the arena  Posting trot several more times (instructor leading horse)  Walk horse over poles  Make circles at the walk  Weave through cones at the walk  Dismount, untack horse

Sign/Date

FLYING H RANCH STABLES 4013 FM 1123 BELTON, TEXAS, 76513 (254)722-2275 Flyinghranchstables.com

Objective: increased balance at the walk, ability to steer correctly and focus in intended direction, good deep seat, soft hands/cues  Halter horse, lead into barn and crosstie  Groom horse, tack up English  Mount, adjust stirrups/tighten girth  Stretches/mounted exercises - round the world, touch bridle and tail, touch toes, windmills, pull legs up to stretch, draw circles with toes, reach for the sky, stand in stirrups  Walk horse along rail to warm up  Walk/halt at each letter placed around the arena  Walk/halt/back/stop/walk at each letter  Walk over poles on the ground - look ahead where you're going  Weave between cones - placed in a straight line or around the arena rail  Make large circles on both ends of the arena  Make small circles at each letter  Stop and stand at each letter  (for a child) stop and stand in stirrups at each letter until an animal with that letter is named: (i.e. F - Frog)  Walk horse out to cool down  Dismount, untack, put horse away

Sign/Date Lesson Plan 6 – Beginner

Objective: introduction, evaluation  Tour of facilities for new student  Introduce lesson horse  Explain how to approach horse  Discuss how to act and how NOT to act around a horse  Introduce halter, lead rope, and how to use them  Explain leading a horse and safety while doing so  Lead horse around an open area for practice for a few large circles  Learn to stop, start, and back up a horse while in hand  Lead horse into barn, crosstie  Learn how to groom a horse and where to stand/not to stand  Learn to pick out hooves  Introduce saddle and bridle and how to put them on the horse  Tack up horse, lead out to arena  Tighten girth, adjust stirrups, mount horse  Lead horse around at a walk, let student get comfortable on horse  Teach turning/steering - pulley rein or neck rein, whether English or western  Learn why heels down and shoulders back is important, and why we wear a helmet when riding  Go over ground poles  Weave in-between cones on ground  Learn to dismount  Untack horse, groom, put horse away FLYING H RANCH STABLES 4013 FM 1123 BELTON, TEXAS, 76513 (254)722-2275 Flyinghranchstables.com

Objective: learn to turn horse effectively, increase knowledge of horse terminology, create a better position in the saddle  Learn to halter a horse  Learn to lead a horse  Groom horse  Tack up English  Learn to mount - how to and how NOT to  Stretches/mounted exercises - touch tail and bridle, windmill the arms, reach for the sky, touch toes, etc.  Walk around arena  Do simple turns: circles around me, weave through cones  Set up slalom of poles to go through - set it up as a "V" to go through  Learn to stand in saddle, how to balance over the body without holding onto the saddle  Start, stop, and back up at each letter on the rail  Learn terms: saddle, stirrups, girth, bridle, bit, reins, seat, aids, helmet, arena  "Backpedal" on horse to discover balance (have student "pedal" their legs backwards while walking as if they were pedaling a bicycle backwards - this improves balance)  Touch horse's tail, ears, and student's own toes without moving lower leg from stable position  Stand and sit in saddle at the halt, then at the walk  Steer over ground poles, looking ahead and not down  Weave through cones  Walk horse on rail to finish  Dismount/untack horse/put horse away

Sign/Date Lesson Plan 8 – Intermediate

Objective: more efficiency at the posting trot, working on diagonals, small jumps  On ground: walk up to and over jumps to get familiar with them  Tack up horse English  Lead horse around ring and over poles, over small cross rail  Explain about stirrups being shorter for jumping than regular riding  Explain about looking over and past the poles, not at them, and why  Trot in hand, around ring and over poles  Mount horse  Round the world and other stretching exercises  Walk around the ring to warm up  Walk over poles  Walk in large circles on each end of the arena  "Grow tall" to trot, asking with legs to trot and shortening reins  Trot around ring several times, focusing on shoulders back and sitting up straight  Stand at the walk and halt  Stand at the trot (saddle holding allowed)  Sitting trot, focus on sitting up tall in the saddle and letting legs drop, laying softly on horse's sides  Work on picking up the correct diagonal at the trot without looking  Stop at one end of the arena, trot into middle and make a circle, trot to other end of arena and stop.  Ride horse through a slalom - "V" shaped poles set on the ground to create an obstacle course for the horse to work through  Cool horse down by walking  Dismount/untack/put horse away FLYING H RANCH STABLES 4013 FM 1123 BELTON, TEXAS, 76513 (254)722-2275 Flyinghranchstables.com

Lesson Plan 9 – Intermediate

Objective: secure lower leg at the trot, improve two-point position, relax in saddle  Brush/tack up horse English  Start, stop, back, and halt again at each letter around the arena  Walk over poles  Weave through cones set in a straight line  Stop in center of arena  Stretches - rotate ankles, turn head side to side and up and down, windmill arms, touch toes, twist torso, pull legs up to stretch  Walk on rail in two-point position  Maintain two-point position all the way around arena  Two-point position over poles  Two-point position while steering horse through cones  Two-point at a halt in center of arena - work on maintaining a "long" leg by stretching the thighs down and deepening the heel, balancing over feet instead of just "perching" in the saddle  Posting trot on the lunge without using reins - hold arms out to sides and look ahead  Sitting trot on the lunge line - hands on hips, sitting down and deep in the saddle, weight down in heels to remain balanced. Work on moving hips with the horse and keeping upper body still  Walk/trot transitions without using reins, only seat, on lunge line  Stand/sit at the walk around the arena, off the lunge line  Practice posting trot around arena several times  Sitting trot around arena, half the arena  Walk horse out  Dismount/untack/put horse away

Sign/Date Lesson Plan 10 – Intermediate

Objective: learn diagonals at the trot, improving two-point position at teh walk and trot, trotting over poles, steering in two-point position  Brush/tack up horses English  Start, stop, back, and halt again at each letter - improves stopping and starting skills  Walk over poles  Weave through cones in a straight line  Stop in center of arena  Stretches/mounted exercises  Walk on rail in two-point position, maintain all the way around the arena  Two-point over poles  Two-point while steering horse through cones  Slow posting trot around the arena, on the rail  Sitting trot halfway around the arena  Walk into center of arena and halt  Explain diagonals, at the trot  Walk on rail, counting 1-2, 1-2, 1-2 steps at teh walk, watching the horse's shoulders  Posting trot, counting 1-2, 1-2, 1-2 steps at the trot  Walk horses  Explain how the up/down motion applies to outside shoulder  Posting trot around arena to practice picking up on the diagonals  Walk horses to cool down  Dismount/untack/put horses away