Themed Lesson Plans For Riding Instructors

"This book will walk the new (or established) riding instructor through advertising and marketing, horse selection, location, and contracts, how to teach students to handle the horse from the ground as well as instructing through the gaits of walk, trot, and canter. It will guide you through teaching your students how to jump, plus has lots of example less plans, hundreds of ideas for incorporating obstacles, ideas, and equipment into your lessons. Here we will answer many questions, as well as bringing up a lot of questions that you need to answer or consider." -- back cover

This series of Western Dressage exercises are designed to improve suppleness, balance in movement, and responsiveness. Each exercise has a specific goal in mind, and they are organized by different areas of focus: softness, looseness, rider development, engagement, adjustability, and ground work. With illustrated step-by-step instructions and full arena diagrams, you’ll quickly be on your way to mastering this exciting discipline.

Jo holds a M.A. in Education with an emphasis in Equestrian Studies (1986) and a B.S. in Equestrian Studies with a minor in Education (1986- graduating magna cum laude). Both of her academic degrees are from Salem International University, West Virginia. She also holds a Riding Master Diploma, 1975 from Meredith Manor School of Horsemanship where she was named to the Who’s Who List for Outstanding Students in American Vocational and Technical Schools, 1975. As an administrator, Jo was formerly Dean of Meredith Manor School of Horsemanship, 1980-1985. She has a strong professional background in teacher education, program administration and curriculum development. While teaching at this internationally known school for 10 years, she focused on the development of the jumping and teaching departments. As former Vice-President for the United States Combined Training Association, Jo served on the executive committee from 1987-1989 and the board of governors from 1984-1989. During her tenure, she developed the AHSA-USCTA Combined Training Officials seminars as well as carried out the educational seminars for the general membership including beginning the USCTA Event Colleges. In 1988 she received the USCTA’s Governor’s Cup Award for outstanding contributions to the sport of Eventing. As an educator, Jo has provided equestrian education to riders and instructors, nationally, since 1975. From 1989 through 2002 she provided an on-going education program for horseback riding instructors focusing on improving their teaching effectiveness. She has also developed a working student program for Shenandoah Farm of Staunton, Virginia on training and breeding, and advised Wetherbee Farm of Boxboro Massachusetts on developing their Fitness by Riding Program. As a rider, competitor and athlete, Jo has trained and competed through the Advanced Level in Eventing and the Prix St. Georges Level in Dressage. She earned her USDF Bronze and Silver Medal Rider Awards during the late 1970’s. She has also been long listed during the 1980’s for The Eventing Olympic Team.

Tells a story about the strange relationship of two migrant workers who are able to realize their dreams of an easy life until one of them succumbs to his weakness for soft, helpless creatures and strangles a farmer's wife.

Dawson's goal is to provide both English and Western riding instructors with an effective and safe teaching program. She explains how to assess a horse's particular characteristics in order to weed out potentially dangerous animals. She also offers guidelines for assessing instructors and students, including what makes a good instructor and what attitudes can get in the way of learning proper horsemanship. Since 80 percent of all accidents involve falls due to loss of balance, Dawson identifies the techniques that ensure that a horse and rider are in proper balance. Finally, since she is a lawyer as well as a riding instructor, Dawson includes a chapter on securing useful liability forms, what insurance coverage does and does not do, and how to handle accidents and lawsuits.

As a world-class equestrian and Olympic contender, Annemarie Zimmer lived for the thrill of flight atop a strong, graceful animal. Then, at eighteen, a tragic accident destroyed her riding career and Harry, the beautiful horse she cherished. Now, twenty years later, Annemarie is coming home to her dying father's New Hampshire horse farm. Jobless and abandoned, she is bringing her troubled teenage daughter to this place of pain and memory, where ghosts of an unresolved youth still haunt the fields and stables—and where hope lives in the eyes of the handsome, gentle veterinarian Annemarie loved as a girl . . . and in the seductive allure of a trainer with a magic touch. But everything will change yet again with one glimpse of a white striped gelding startlingly similar to the one Annemarie lost in another lifetime. And an obsession is born that could shatter her fragile world.

This wildly funny twist on the "How I spent my summer vacation" school-essay ritual details one child's imaginary adventures over the summer and is perfect for back-to-school reading! Most kids go to camp over the summer, or to Grandma's house, or maybe they're stuck at home. Not Wallace Bleff. He was supposed to visit his Aunt Fern. Instead, Wallace insists, he was carried off by cowboys and taught the ways of the West--from riding buckin' broncos to roping cattle. Lucky for Aunt Fern, he showed up at her house just in time to divert a stampede from her barbecue party! Perfect for back-to-school read-alouds, here's a western fantasy with sparkling illustrations and enough action to knock kids' boots off!

In this off-beat book perfect for reading aloud, a Caldecott Honor winner shares the story of a duck who rides a bike with hilarious results. One day down on the farm, Duck got a wild idea. “I bet I could ride a bike,” he thought. He waddled over to where the boy parked his bike, climbed on, and began to ride. At first, he rode slowly and he wobbled a lot, but it was fun! Duck rode past Cow and waved to her. “Hello, Cow!” said Duck. “Moo,” said Cow. But what she thought was, “A duck on a bike? That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever seen!” And so, Duck rides past Sheep, Horse, and all the other barnyard animals. Suddenly, a group of kids ride by on their bikes and run into the farmhouse, leaving the bikes outside. Now ALL the animals can ride bikes, just like Duck! Praise for Duck on a Bike “Shannon serves up a sunny blend of humor and action in this delightful tale of a Duck who spies a red bicycle one day and gets “a wild idea” . . . Add to all this the abundant opportunity for youngsters to chime in with barnyard responses (“M-o-o-o”; “Cluck! Cluck!”), and the result is one swell read-aloud, packed with freewheeling fun.” —Publishers Weekly “Grab your funny bone—Shannon . . . rides again! . . . A “quackerjack” of a terrific escapade.” —Kirkus Reviews

Games for All Seasons is written for therapeutic riding instructors who would like to raise the bar in their lessons and incorporate calendar-based themes into their teaching. Every game offers complete lesson plans, ideas for stetches, equipment lists, arena set up, and skills addressed. The games can be adapted to both independent and lead line riders of all ages. Sixty-five games are arranged for use by month, and ten more games are offered for use at any time of the year. All games have been played and "approved" by riders.