5 Themed Units 5 Lessons each 25 Lesson Plans

1) General lesson organization 2) Brief overview of the five themes 3) Lesson by lesson explanation

Please ask questions as we go. These lessons work for the way our classes in Pullman, Washington go, and should be adaptable to many situations. I hope these lesson plans encourage and equip new instructors. Seasoned instructors should also find lessons to easily add into their programs.

1) Drill Team 2) Western Dressage 3) Challenge Course 4) Cavaletti 5) Gymkhana

1) Warm Up 2) Review as necessary 3) **Main Content** 4) Summary 5) **Game**

1) Stay on the rail until instructed otherwise 2) If your horse is faster then pass on the inside 3) If it happens that you are too close to a slower horse,

then make a circle to the inside to add space between horses

4) “On the rail” 5) “Inside” and “outside” 6) Safety bubble around a horse 7) No random rail stops 8) Pass left shoulder to left shoulder if traveling opposite directions

1) Teach how to salute halt, reins in one hand, nod head, arm/hand straight down

2) Practice new maneuvers

3) Game: egg and spoon partner relay buckets

1) Practice new maneuvers

2) Game: basketball

1) Practice new maneuvers

2) Game: mailbox and match ring to cone color

1) Practice new maneuvers

2) Game: Mickey Mouse cards match draw from tubs

1) Ride the entire Drill using marching music

2) Game: Twine partner game

1) Learn the location of the dressage letters make word cards, shuffle each rider’s stack

riders go to each letter as they spell the words 2) Teach how to walk down the center line A-C or C-A 3) Game: horseshoes on rail salute

1) 20 meter circle at walk start at B or E travel right or left invite one student at a time- others on rail follow the leader

2) Game: tortoise and hare

1) 20 meter circle at trot start at B or E travel right or left invite one student at a time- others on rail follow the leader

2) Game: Horse photos into buckets with their names on

1) Change rein/reverse diagonal FXH/ HXF diagonal KXM/ MXK

2) Game: Lady bug

http://www.usef.org/_IFrames/breedsdisciplines/breeds/morgan/WesternDressageTests.aspx Game: Verbal Red Light/ Green Light

1) Spread four objects around arena- go both ways back through parallel poles weave cones throw beanbags turn in flour square

2) Game: Old Maid

1) Spread four objects around arena- go both ways pole square rope gate horse shoes on rail walk/stop cones

2) Game: sort horse photos

1) Spread four objects around arena-go both ways mailbox- sort mail into two tubs basketball paired cones W poles

2) Game: go fish

1) Spread four objects around arena- go both ways back L egg and spoon circle cones walk over plywood

2) Game: musical cones

1) Give each rider an instruction page explain course to side walkers the rider works with team to interpret instructions

2) Game: Red light/Green light using colored cones

1) Two point position ground poles rise out of saddle lean forward hands up neck short periods of time hair barrette hand position hair barrette eye focus

2) Game: categorize grooming tools

1) Practice two point over cavaletti ground poles raised cavaletti throw in sitting trot across diagonal

2) Game: match toy horse markings

1) Make an X shaped cavaletti ground poles raised cavaletti

2) Game: Hula hoops and assorted toys, throw on cavaletti

1) Two point across diagonal 2) Game: secret object in saddlebags

1) Final Jump Course Earn a horse/person sash

2) Game: relay race with grooming tools

1) Barrel Race walk or trot course invite one student at a time follow the leader

2) Game: tortoise and hare

1) Flag Race put barrel at one end of the arena flag in a coffee can with sand in it pick up flag without stopping walk or trot course invite one student at a time follow the leader

2) Game: move pole to cone

1) Pole Bending poles are traditionally 21’ apart walk during weaving part of pattern walk or trot the straight part of the course invite one student at a time follow the leader

2) Game: leis on a pole one color per rider

1) Figure 8 Race set poles at opposite ends of the arena walk or trot course invite one student at a time follow the leader

2) Game: stop on the colored star when music stops

1) Key Hole Race set poles on the corners of a 12’ square walk or trot course invite one student at a time follow the leader

2) Game: leis on pole put on proper color

Small artificial tree on jump standard Assorted ornaments from thrift shop Riders get ornament from instructor Ride to tree Side walkers help to hang the ornament Ride to instructor until tree is decorated Play Christmas music

Four hula hoops at one end of the arena Four buckets of foam shamrocks at the other end Riders go back and forth delivering the shamrocks

Hang the fence tubs around the arena. Put 2 white buckets down the mid line of the arena. Distribute eggs in each fence tub and each bucket so they are mixed up

and spread out. Give each rider a saddle bag to collect eggs in. Assign each rider a specific color of egg to collect in their saddle bag. Play music during the Easter egg hunt.

Materials: Over the rail feed tubs 2 white buckets 4 saddle bags Easter eggs CD player with CD (check batteries)

Each rider team has a bucket to collect things in Each rider is given a list of things to find 4 each: twine, plastic ring, plastic egg, beanbag, saddle

bag, horse shoe, spur, halter, girth, foam star, boot, brush

Something to tie up bales of hay

Something to wear on your wrist

Something to eat for breakfast

Something to throw through the lady bug game

Something a cowboy could put his lunch in

Something a horse wears on their foot

Something a cowboy uses on his boots that are made of metal

Something to put on a horse’s head

Something that goes around a horse’s belly

Something that sparkles in the sky

Something made of leather that a cowboy wears to ride

Something to make a horse’s hair smooth and clean

4 large cones Letters on arena rail 4 rings in 2 buckets 1 ball in a bucket 1 empty bucket 1 pole on ground 1 pole on risers 1 halter hanging on arena rail 2 plastic horse shoes in 2 buckets Small rainbow cones in line for weaving 1 English stirrup and leather hanging on arena rail

B back your horse up 3 steps D find a blue cone and ride a circle around it O find a halter on the arena rail and take it to your teacher P stroke your horse gently on his mane Q go to the nearest cone and walk in a circle around it T find a ball in a bucket and drop it in a different bucket V tell your team 2 things you like about your horse Z give your horse a “thank you” pet

A ride in a figure 8 pattern around 2 of the large cones

B back your horse up 3 steps

C find an English stirrup on the arena rail and take it to your teacher

D find a blue cone and ride a circle around it

E go to the first letter of your name

F go to the first letter of your horse’s name

G find a horse shoe in a bucket and hang it on the arena rail close to the letter “H”

H find a green cone and ride a circle around it

I go to a pole on blocks and walk your horse over it, repeat if you horse’s hooves hit it

J find a ring in a bucket, take it to a cone of the same color, and drop it over the cone

K walk your horse over a pole on the ground

L find a star in a bucket, take it to a cone of the same color, and drop it on the ground

M go to the last letter of your first name

N at a walk, weave your horse through the small colored cones

O find a halter on the arena rail and take it to your teacher

P stroke your horse gently on his mane

Q go to the nearest cone and walk in a circle around it

R go to a large red cone and walk around it in a large circle

S stretch your arms out like bird wings as you walk to the next letter

T find a ball in a bucket and drop it in a different bucket

U go to your teacher and tell them what color your horse is

V tell your team 2 things you like about your horse

W give your horse a big hug on the neck

X walk to the nearest cone and stop

Y stand up in your stirrups and walk-on for 5 steps

Z give your horse a “thank you” pet