|PART 1| Let the dream begin

PART 1

Pony Club is a great start for any horse mad child. This is the place where they will learn a wide range of skills from important theoretical knowledge to essential physical skills.

Pony Club starts teaches the tiny tots on lead reins and gradually transforms them into capable little riders.

The other great part of Pony Club is the social aspect. This is the place where a lot of horse crazy kids can meet other horse crazy kids!

Given that camps, clinics, and competitions nearly always include camping, this is where lifelong friends are made. Not only between kids but also between parents.

All of this makes Pony Club the perfect starting point.

If your child has been to Pony Club and shows a keen interest in learning and riding, what should you do?

I would always encourage parents to invest in private lessons.

Let me explain why.

Pony Club does mostly offer group lessons due to the large number of members and the restrictions of time and instructors.

When you have a private lesson outside of Pony Club, these lessons are generally one on one. That means that your instructor can be very specifically teaching your child and their pony/horse. That is important as there is so much to learn and every rider/horse combination is different and requires specific training.

Also, when you have private lessons, you can choose your own instructor and we have a lot of knowledgeable instructors in Australia.

Lessons are crucial and the more lessons you can give your child the better it is.

Let me explain…..

If you take other sports for example, like swimming or gymnastics, kids have often either one or more lessons per week. In these lessons your child learns all the basics from the ground up, and there is an order in which they learn these basics.

I remember talking to a gymnastic coach once and he told me that they would actively discourage the kids to practice at home because they wanted to make sure that they would use the correct techniques each and every time.

This really got me thinking….

Most of our riding kids ride more often by themselves, giving plenty of opportunity to practice the wrong techniques.

It is so easy to develop bad habits and so hard to undo them.

So my advice first to you is to invest in quality private lessons with a knowledgeable coach who understands foundations.

I look forward to joining you for Part 2!