My groom box is pretty simple- I am not huge on fancy gimmicks & am a big believer in the magic of elbow grease.

Check out this quick vlog on why I am grooming obsessed & why I think you should be too!

I will admit it: Horseback riders love to come up with incredibly odd terminology for incredibly simple things… like turning around & going the other direction. Most exercises however, are different in the execution & focus on teaching very different skills. As your child progresses, here are a few more terms for you to bust out at the next party to impress your not so horsey friends.

The arena. I have included the basic dressage letters to help give visual aid to some of the movements. Hunter/Jumper arenas will not have these letters but knowing where they are will give your little muffin an advantage when it comes to accuracy with some of the exercises.

The Letters- I know, they are wacky & completely out of order. Just wait, if your child is going to ride dressage they will add 8 more. For now though, this will do. If you want to memorize the letters just keep this sentence in mind: All King Edward’s Horses Can Manage Big Fences. The irony is that dressage is not a jumping discipline but that’s ok. Again, the horse folks are a bit wacky…

Circle- Alright, I know. It’s a circle, so what? Once your child gets on his/her horse however, this shape will take on odd & unrecognizable shapes. Add other horses in the arena & you will be super happy your child doesn’t drive yet. (Or if they do, you will be ready to take the keys to the car back) Ideally a circle will end exactly where it began & will consist of 2 equal halves. This won’t happen for a looong time so don’t worry if your child’s circle looks nothing like this.

Reverse- Again just wait, this simple exercise is not so simple when you get on an animal that has many other things on its mind than executing a perfect tear dropped shaped reverse. Many, many other things like dinner that’s probably currently been served & is waiting at home or grabbing a bite of the tasty shrub that grows along the rail…

The Centerline- Got your attention, huh?! Now not every barn teaches basic dressage but many hunter/jumper barns do. Just what it sounds like: it divides the arena in half lengthwise. It always starts & ends at A or C & the rider can track either right or left at the end of their centerline, making it another way of reversing direction. The rider should change their diagonal at X. (Although your child probably won’t because he/she will have way too much going through their head) Your child’s centerline will also look nothing like this for quite a while so get ready for some highly creative takes on a straight line.

Crossing the Diagonal- The important points of this exercise are that the rider should go into the corner & begin the diagonal at any of the corner letters (F, M, H or K), cross over X (where again, they will hopefully change their diagonal) & end up at the letter before the next corner. School horses looooove to cut corners though so going into any corner  is usually quite a lofty goal.

A 3 Loop Serpentine- Again, not every barn will do this but it is a valuable exercise in turning & control & once again, your child’s will look absolutely nothing like this. Unlike my imperfect graphic, the perfect 3 loop serpentine will be a series of 3 half circles, starting & ending at either the letter A or C. Important points of this exercise are that your child crosses the centerline of the arena 2 times & changes his/her diagonal each time they cross that centerline, ultimately ending up going in the same direction they started.. In time, your child’s instructor may add a loop & ask for a 4 loop serpentine. When there are 4 loops a horse & rider cross the centerline 3 times & will end up going the opposite direction that they started, another sneaky way to reverse direction.

****An Important Note- My giving you some terminology is not license to coach your child from the sidelines! Please don’t. Seriously. Ever. My husband (a water polo coach) & I have seen many, many parent/child relationships ruined because the parents made their child’s sport about them & not about their child. Be there for support but leave the coaching to the experts. Besides, your child will actually listen to their instructor, whereas we as parents are super lame & know absolutely nothing. Hey, might as well embrace it, right?!

1962 Thelwell Print

Gulp, I know. It’s rough watching your precious little muffin hitting the dirt & not nice to even suggest it but the reality is that sooner or later it will happen. Remember that waiver you signed and the ASTM/SEI helmet I insist on? There is even a saying that it takes 3 falls to make a good rider. (I happen to think that number is far too low.) In any rate it happens enough that I am dedicating today’s post to my recipe for watching your child fall off & taking it in stride. (Pun most definitely intended.)

• Stay quiet- You want your child to listen to his/her trainer & don’t want to make things scarier than they already are.

• Stay in your seat- Most kids handle a fall just fine & 9 times out of 10 the trainer will have your child dusted off & back on the horse in a moment or 2. Sometimes the trainer will hop on to give the horse or pony a quick “tune up” if said horse or pony was naughty. In any event, don’t come into the arena unless your child’s coach calls you in.

• Encourage Perseverance- Put 2 stars by this one. This is part of riding &, with your encouragement, your son or daughter will get through this & learn a valuable lesson.

  • My daughter gets a “fall off toy”. Whenever she falls & gets back on I take her to the local store & she chooses a $10 or less toy or book. Is it a bribe? You know it but it also lightens the moment. Hey, it worked for us. 🙂

• Don’t hold it against the horse- Every horse wakes up on the wrong side of bed, stumbles or gets the wind up their tail at some time. They’re living, breathing, feeling, thinking animals & even the quietest can have tricky moments. By the time your kid is back at the barn “Sparky” will have forgotten all about it. Your child needs this lesson too so learn to forgive & give the horse a carrot!

• Don’t keep bringing it up- If he/she brings it up remind them that it’s just a part of getting to be a better rider & you’re so proud that he/she is sticking with it. If your child wants to quit, get them on someone super reliable (ask the trainer who they would suggest) for their next lesson so they have a positive experience. Don’t ever let a fall be their last experience!

Bottom line? This is why choosing the right barn is so important. You need a trainer you can literally trust your child’s well being with, especially since this is unfamiliar territory for you. As a trainer there were times I put a scared kid right back on a horse because I knew the fall was just a fluke & I needed the parent to support me & trust my judgement.

**Keep in mind that falls don’t happen every time you get on a horse so don’t get too worked up. 🙂 As much as I know about what can go wrong, I know all the wonderful things that can go right & I love seeing my daughter grow in ability, strength & confidence.  Pride comes from working hard enough to see real results so take lots of pictures so you can show him/her just how far they have improved & keep moving forward!