Hi all,
I’m hoping to tap into the collective wisdom here: I have a youth student (pre-teen aged) with ADHD who has been riding for over six years and seems genuinely passionate about it. She’s however been struggling persistently with posting diagonals and identifying/correcting canter leads. She fully “understands” the theory (as in she can explain what’s supposed to happen and when) but in practice, it just isn’t connecting.
Her family has been working with her at home too, reinforcing “rise and fall with the leg on the wall,” and I’ve tried every of my tricks (duct tape on the pony’s shoulders, counting rhythm, etc).
She also struggles with spatial awareness in the arena: “navigating” a dressage test pattern or a simple ground pole course is tough for her, especially judging distances, preparing turns, and orienting herself in the space.
From what I’ve been reading about ADHD, it sounds possible these difficulties could be related to how her brain processes visual-spatial information. But I am having a hard time finding resources specific to riding.
Has anyone here worked with riders like this? What approaches or adaptations have helped? Are there any books, articles, or resources you’d recommend for instructors working with youth riders dealing with visual-spatial processing differences?
She’s a dedicated, sweet, and hard-working kid, and I’d really like to help her feel more confident in her riding.
Thanks in advance for any advice or resources you can share!