How does my cousin look [with video]??

Question

This is his third ride being taught by me and my sister.

And yes he is riding the horse "phoenix" I just posted a question about- it proves he can tote beginners like I said =]!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MWAocl_C6w

Answer 1

he is getting there! his hands need 2 face up though

Answer 2

Phoenix is such a gooooood boy! Really sweet horse you have there. Your cousin looks exactly like he should for his third ride. If I were you in the same situation, I'd take away your cousin's reins immediately and put Phoenix on the lungeline and keep him there for quite some time. Provide a bucking strap on the saddle for your cousin to hold onto when he needs to. Work on many relaxation techniques and have him find his center of balance by asking him to lift his arms out to the side, in front of him, drop his stirrups, stretch his legs, etc., at a nice easy walk. That way you are controlling Phoenix and your cousin can solely focus on finding his balance, sitting up taller, looking straight ahead, etc. It will also help your cousin find his balance more quickly and without the responsibility of directing the horse - plus, you'll avoid the herky-jerky of the bit being jostled around in your adorable and extremely patient guy's mouth. Sally Swift has a book called Centered Riding, that provides some wonderful visuals to help with heels down, sit upright, etc., that beginners (and others) can really benefit from. You may want to check it out. Bravo to your cousin for plucking up the courage!!!!

Answer 3

he looks like he was having fun. thats a great beginner horse.

Answer 4

i think he's doing gud.

good job!

Answer 5

He looks pretty good, especially for his third lesson. But some things I would look out for are...

- Tell him to be confident, if he's nervous, or unconfident, the horse will be too.

- He should always sit up straight in the saddle, and never slouch.

- Heels down, Toes up ;)

- Make sure his reins are the right length, when they aren't tell him to tighten them up, and keep an eye on his hand position.

But other than those, you and your sis are doing a rlly good job. Good luck, to all of you :)

Answer 6

he just needs practice... encourage him!! teach him to look in front of the horse, not down at him. Good Luck!

Answer 7

Work with him on his slouching and looking down. He needs a little focus on his hands. He is worrying to much on how he looks and all that stuff (what my opinion is) and his hands are just going every where. lol But it is only his thrid lesson and is doing good at the post for only the third time. Even ALL THE ADVANCED RIDERS NEED SOME WORK.

Answer 8

he looks good, but he needs to work on his posture when sitting on the horse. but you and your sister seem to be doing a good job of teaching him how to ride.

Answer 9

he's getting there. if that was me i would fall off in 3 seconds. hes doin a good job! :)

Answer 10

tell him not to look down at the horse. look straight ahead, that should help, alot!

edit: when he was trotting sometimes his legs went waayy to far forward. other times his hands were too high and the reigns went a little too loose. his doing pretty good though for only his 3rd ride

Answer 11

He's adorable! I would take away the reins for a while & put him on a lunge line so he can learn balance. Don't worry about posting yet. He looks young, so make up some games that get him steering and bending - Simon Says?? So its more fun - kids will be a lot braver & more relaxed if its not "work".

Kudos to you for providing a helmet, body protector, and safety stirrups!

Answer 12

he looks good on the hourse he is really gettin the hang of riding and cute horsy tell him to keep up the good work

Answer 13

IDK

Answer 14

he just doesn't look very confident. I'm sure you can teach him. all he needs is a little confidence in the horse.

Answer 15

i think for just being the third lesson he is doin great. my third lesson i dont even think i was trotting. of course its gunna take time but great start for him. & good teaching by you

Answer 16

the very first thing i noticed is he was leaning forward a little, he did pretty good especially for his third lesson!

Answer 17

for his 3rd lesson, he looks great! i think he needs to lift his hands a bit, and twist them out a bit more. he is leaning forward a fair bit which can sometimes mean he's a bit nervous (i used to do that... :P) !! but you know, hes going really well for a 3rd lesson - its great he has the confidence to ride by himself (not being led) and is not clinging to the saddle or anything. if he fixes those small things up a bit, he would look great and a lot more experienced. (i didnt mean to sound rude; i was just saying what i thought...i hope i dont sound rude.)

good luck

Answer 18

lol he'll learn!

Answer 19

sorry,but not good!

he needs to sit up straight,keep his legs behind the horses girth,keep his elbows from slopping,ect.

email me at [e-mail] and ill help u + show u a video

p.s. he need 2 use his seat and legs more and NOT just pull on the mouth

but i love ur horse

please email me

great luck

by the way---ur very smart 4 wearin a helmet

xoxoxo

Answer 20

he definately needs to look where he's going! that would help his posture to get better and less slouching. it would also help if his stirrups were shortened a hole or two. also, tell him to grab mane! it is not fun for the horse to have him pulling at his mouth like that. there are a lot of things that everyone could say about his position, but i think he is doing really well for his third lesson. i would work on the posture and looking, and grabbing mane first and then when he is more confident you can work on his posttion overall. your horse is beautiful by the way!! paints are soo cute :]

Answer 21

His reins are a bit long and his heels should be down more. Also the horse needs to be collected, but that's something a more advanced rider should do. But overall he seems to have a good position for it only being his third ride. Also, his hands should be over the withers with the thumbs being slightly angled up not pressed against the withers. He is a bit stiff but he should relax more the more times he rides and becomes familiar with horses.

Answer 22

still stiff a little