CRK Training Times
Bits of News For Horse People
January 2016
Happy New Year!
Important January Dates~
Jan. 1, 2016! New Year’s Day- No Lessons
Jan. 2-10- Cheryl & Steve’s Vacation.
Jan. 16- Equine Science Classes Begin.
Jan. 19- Martin Luther King Jr. Day- Lessons as usual.
Jan. 25-30- Rider Evaluation Week
Important February Dates~
Feb.5-7- Horse Expo, Pomona
Feb. 14- Valentine’s Day Lessons as usual
Feb. 15- President’s Day Lessons as usual
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Welcome 2016 ~
Welcome 2016! I am very happy to welcome in the new year. I offer no resolutions, just my best effort to appreciate the things life has given me, love my family and keep my friends close to my heart. Wishing you and yours a wonder filled 2016!
No Lesson Days~
Lessons will be cancelled on the following days. Your account will be credited unless you would prefer to make up your lesson. If so, please contact the office to re-schedule. Thank you for your understanding.
Thursday Dec. 31– New Year’s Eve
Friday Jan. 1, 2016– New Year’s Day!!
Saturday Jan. 2- Sunday Jan. 10- No lessons with Cheryl. Athena will be able to pick up some of Cheryl’s lessons. Check your January statement to see if your lessons are cancelled.
How Parents Can Help Their Children Learn~
Imagine you are starting a new job with very complex skills, a demanding boss, and an all new surroundings. Sounds pretty daunting. Now imagine you can only work on these new skills for an hour a week. Now add to the mix that you are merely a child and have limited life skills. Seems downright impossible, doesn’t it? Yet that is exactly what parents expect when children are learning to ride horses.
Learning to ride is a complex and difficult process. It takes many, many years to master. How can a parent help their child master those skills without becoming discouraged along the way? Here are some helpful tips-
1. Schedule lessons more often. Riding once per week is the bare minimum in order to advance. Less than once per week will become just like the movie Groundhog’s Day, an oft repeated set of instructions while working on the same skills over and over again. The lessons will become simply recreational riding, not actual lessons. Riding requires creating muscle memory that can only be learned from repetition. Make it possible for your student to ride more often. If cost is a factor, move into less expensive group lessons. Allow the student to take practice rides if the stable offers them. Some facilities offer discounts when lessons are taken more than once per week. Inquire about those programs. Whatever you can do to get the rider on a horse more often will help.
2. Listen to and watch your child’s lesson. Resist the temptations of email, social media and phone calls. Technology is at our fingertips 24/7, but our children grow up and move away before you know it. You paid for the lesson, be a part of it! Learn some new terms. Ask the instructor questions (After the lesson please! When the student is un-tacking is a good time.). Be involved in your child’s instruction.
3. Video the lesson. Use your smart phone to replay the lesson to your child. Visual learners will greatly benefit from seeing themselves ride. They can better identify their weaknesses and strengths. Often students simply don’t believe they really are doing the things the instructor is telling them about. Seeing video evidence will support the instructors point of view, help the student understand the principles being taught, and where the student is falling short.
4. Ask for homework. Ask the instructor for a list of terms to look up and learn. (Use your smart phone to take notes.) Drill students on the parts of the horse, bridle or saddle. Learn the names and uses of grooming tools. Go over a riding principle learned during today’s lesson. Get some stretching or coordination exercises to do at home. Even posting can be practiced in a chair or on an exercise ball. Encourage your child to do some barn homework every day. If the barn offers books, buy them and read them with your child. Otherwise, good information is available on the internet. CRK Stable offers online worksheets for the CHA Manuals. Buy the books, go to http://crktrainingstable.com/study-guides/, enter the password and get busy learning!
5. Review the lesson with your child. When you are back in the car, don’t just tick the lesson off your “to-do” list and focus on the next task at hand. Discuss what the student learned that day. Did the lesson go well? If so, comment on that, “Your posting was much better today!” (Don’t know what posting is? See #2) If the lesson didn’t go well, what did the student struggle with? How can you help them get past that difficulty? Always end the conversation on a good note. Remind them about the things that went well.
6. Review online videos and radio shows. If the barn has videos on their website, review them with your child. The Certified Horsemanship Association produces wonderful, informative videos that are available free on YouTube. Go to- http://www.youtube.com/user/chainstructor for videos or Horse Radio Network for replays of radio shows- http://www.horseradionetwork.com/
Remember, a parents job is to raise our children. Not to simply make learning opportunities available to them. Be as involved in every aspect of their lives as you can. As a parent of grown children I can honestly say I never regretted sitting on cold, hard bleachers for hours on end, watching the hundreds of practices and competitions my children participated in. Now that those days are long past, I actually miss them…
Equine Science Classes-
In these un-mounted classes, students will learn about the care and handling of horses, stalls, tack and other equipment. Students will study from a textbook in addition to hands-on experiences handling and caring for horses, tack and facilities. Homework is also assigned most weeks. Classes are open to anyone ages 8 years to adult, Beginners through Level 2. Minimum of 4 students and a maximum of 8 students per class. Students will handle horses so proper attire is required- Long pants, fitted, sleeved shirt, and closed shoes.
Session One begins Jan. 16, 2016, 4:30-5:30 PM.. Session Two Begins Feb. 27, 2016, 4:30-5:30 PM.
$75.00/ 6 weeks or $135.00/12 weeks. (Session one is a pre-requisite for Session Two. Must register for 12 week class before taking session one to receive the discounted price.) One time textbook purchase required $40.00. For more information please go to- http://crktrainingstable.com/classes-for-home-schools-others/equine-science-level-1-syllabus/
Rider Evaluations & Written Tests~
All riders will be given written riding evaluations the week of January 25-30, 2016. These evaluations will take place during your normal lesson time. Once you pass your level’s riding test, you may sign up to take the written and practical tests. Written and Practical tests will be given on Sunday, January 31 at 2:00 PM. Riders who pass all 3 tests will receive their certificate and patch and move on to the next level. Remember if you miss this evaluation week, you may request a riding evaluation at any time. Good Luck!
Vacation Time!
Steve and Cheryl will be taking a cruise to enjoy some time with their son, Senior Airman Chris Torrez and his new wife, Sarah. We will be out of town between January 2-10, 2015. Athena will be giving lessons as usual. See your January statement to see if your lessons will be cancelled. Cancelled lessons will show as a credit. If no credit was issued for your lesson day, it will be with Athena at the usual time. If you have any questions or wish to reschedule, please contact us at 714-693-4886. Thank you for your understanding!
Horse Expo Pomona~
All things horse invade Pomona! Horse Expo comes to the Los Angeles Fairgrounds February 5-7, 2016. There will be speakers, demonstrations, food, riding and the most popular event- SHOPPING! You can buy your tickets online or at the door, just remember to bring cash. For more information go to- http://horseexpoevents.com/ See you at the EXPO!
Quotable Quotes~
“Do not fear mistakes, there are none.”X – Miles Davis
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.” X – Mark Twain
That’s All For Now~ We hope you have enjoyed this newsletter. If you would like to be removed from the list use the unsubscribe at the bottom of this email. If you have any questions contact Cheryl directly at
E-mail at: CRKStable@aol.com.
Web Site: www.CRKTrainingstable.com
or snail mail at:
18245 Bastanchury Road
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
or phone (714) 693-4886
That’s all folks!