PDFE #2

     This week I observed a Women’s Equestrina Team Western lesson. This is a group lesson with five western riders in the arena along the rail with coach Margaret Knight giving instruction in the lesson. This activity was held at the Gunby Equestrian Center on Berry College’s campus at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 8th, 2010. The five riders participating in the lesson were Emmalee, Allie, Danielle, Chelsea, and Kristin. Each of these riders competes at a different level of riding so the lesson is composed of a very diverse group of riders and skill levels.


     One-Dimension System: Riding is a unique type of motor movement because it not only includes the rider’s motions but also the horses’. As a whole – horse and rider – the fundamental movement includes the unit moving in a forward direction along the rail. Horseback riding in general requires high levels of stability. The rider is trying to maintain a certain position while the horse is in motion. Doing so requires core stability as well as leg stability. The rider must remain in an upright position no matter what speed the horse is moving. The riders are using both gross and fine muscle groups for movement. Gross muscle groups were being used as the riders are stabilizing their core muscles to sit up straight in the saddle and maintain position. Fine muscle groups that they are using are their finger movements. As they are riding their coach is yelling instruction about improvements to make and this sometimes requires them to make minute adjustments to the horses reins. During the lesson the riders fluctuate from performing serial and continuous skills. When they are along the rail they are performing a continuous skill that has no definite beginning or end. A serial skill that they perform is when they do a reining pattern in the middle of the arena. When the lesson is on the rail only the rider has limited decision making to do, the arena has a set path for the rider to travel sot the rider only has to make a decision about the direction to go, which they are told by their coach. Their cognitive motor elements are increased when they have to perform a pattern in the arena. Although they do not make up the pattern on their own, they are required to remember the pattern and through little adjustments make the horse perform the pattern. The environment is moderately predictable in the fact that the arena is constant. The only element of unpredictability is the one that puts this activity on the high end of the open environment predictability, the horse. Riding a horse is always unpredictable because they are animal and they are very unpredictable.

     Two-Dimension System:

          Singing in the car – body stationary, object manipulation, environmental variation, context variation

          Dancing – body transport, no object manipulation, context variation, environment variation

          Taking notes – body stationary, object manipulation, no context variation, no environmental variation

          Shooting a jump shot – body transport, object manipulation, environmental variation, no context variation