By Sara Misura
Young Riders 4H Club Reporter
The Young Riders 4H Club held their first outdoor meeting on Sunday, April 23, 2017. During this meeting, members brought their horses and rode in three groups.
The first group consisted of all first, second, and third year members. They worked on riding their horse along the rail at each gait (walk/trot/canter). Some of the younger members that do not canter yet were instructed in the smaller warm up pen so they didn’t get overwhelmed by all the other horses.
The second group was a large group of older and more experienced members that worked on patterns. They worked three different patterns in the arena with the guidance of advisors. This was good work for both rider and horse as each horse must stand patiently and quiet when it is not their turn; which can be difficult for some horses. A few riders stayed at an open end of the arena to keep their horses moving without disrupting the other horses and riders.
The third group was a small group of younger experienced members that worked on riding along the rail. They worked each direction and got their horses moving smoothly and listening to their riders.
Each group went through a showmanship pattern before leaving. These patterns are done while the rider is on the ground leading their horse around and performing different maneuvers. During these sessions the cloverbuds had their meeting. The clover buds consist of young kids that want to be in 4H but aren’t old enough. They made ponies out of pool noodles and practiced their own riding.
All future meetings will take place every Sunday at the Crawford County Fairgrounds.