A couple weeks ago the B2/B3 Children's Group I teach on Friday started asking me about cantering. As a group we decided to make it our goal to be able to canter down a long side of the ring by the end of the Spring Semester. I made the deal with them that we'd spend the first 30 minutes of our lesson doing trotting exercises and if they do well we will spend the last 30 minutes doing exercises that will help us learn and prepare for the canter. So far we have done a lot of sitting trot work and no stirrup work. I have to say, the progress these students have made is awesome. They listen well and they try hard. There have been canter attempts with me holding on and running with the student and horse at the canter (not an easy feat which frequently leaves me a little sweaty...just call me "Runs with Horses"). Yesterday, however, two of my students - Tana on Bertha and Graeme on Leo - asked for and got the canter all on their own! They both successfully cantered!! I was so happy for them and I proceeded to tell everyone about their accomplishments! Even more exciting is that the rest of the group isn't too far behind and they are all very close to being about to canter all on their own as well. The group is so close to our canter goal and I'm so very excited about it! Can't wait for next weeks lesson.
Wow, Tzena, that is fantastic! One of the things I really love is that the class set a goal, you modified it to be attainable (canter down the long side), and you set up the stepping stones for them to achieve it. Then they all understood that the things you were asking them to do were going to help them with what they wanted to do, and hopefully HOW it would help them. GREAT teaching!
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yay for Tzena! I love days like that when you see your students succeed...whoohoo!
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