KIDS TEACHING KIDS: HORSE WORKSHOP OFFERS 6TH-GRADERS A CHANCE TO TEACH

Paul Goeshe explains horse anatomy to his group while his fellow student teachers, Tyle Bender and Derek Jenkins, control the pony, Oreo.

The youth equine workshop was attended by about 300 sixth-grade Jackson Middle School students at Flickerwood Arena last Wednesday.

Dan Stover, a sixth-grade teacher at the middle school who coordinated the event, speaks to the second group of students about the afternoon's events.

Denae Nagel teaches her group how to tie a girth on a saddle.

Adam Gohn, 12, teaches horse anatomy.

Jackson sixth-graders attending the youth equestrian workshop last week at the Flickerwood Arena learned about horse safety, grooming, horse anatomy and saddling -- from each other.

"It's really worthwhile," said Dan Stover, a sixth-grade teacher at Jackson Middle School. "It teaches kids things about horses. And it gives the kids a good safe environment around the horses."

While this was obviously no ordinary classroom setting, the most noticeable difference was not what was being taught but who was doing the teaching. The students were teaching each other.

Stover's class spent last Wednesday instructing over 300 other students the mysteries of the equine. Students in his class spent several days learning the intricate workings of horses including proper grooming techniques, how to behave around horses, horse anatomy, appropriate saddling and much more.

"Kids teaching kids is really a good deal," Stover said. "It really benefits the students. Sometimes they might relate better to their peers than their elders."

In addition to equine skills, teaching their peers taught the students public speaking, writing skills and helped the students build confidence in themselves, Stover said.

Sixteen students got into groups of three and four to teach each class. The classes they taught were horse safety, grooming, tack, horse anatomy and saddling.

Adam Gohn, 12, taught horse anatomy and he was thankful for the experience. He says it was easier thanks to the preparation.

"We came out here for two days and practiced," Gohn said. "Mr. Stover gave us a lot of time to gather information."

Gohn shared many more horse facts with his classes. He and his fellow student teachers gave short lessons on the skeletal and external anatomy of the horse. Skeletal parts and other objects of interest were displayed.

Gohn says he learned many interesting things about horses that he didn't know.

"They can't breathe through their mouths, you know," he said, matter of factly.

Kendra White, 12, taught tack, which involves bridles, bits and saddles. She taught the use and functions of each, which was no easy task.

"I got really nervous standing in front of all those kids," she said.

Adam Allmon, 12, helped White teach this class and he says he learned a lot, too.

"I learned what to do in bad situations," he said. "And what you do so you don't fall off."

The horse safety class stressed the importance of safety when in the presence of horses and good common sense rules for behavior around horses.

A farrier, who shoes horses, was on hand to demonstrate this task.

Students also learned about different breeds of horses that were present in the arena, including their history, common characteristics and uses of each breed were described.

Some of the more common breeds were shown to the students such as Quarterhorses, Tennessee Walking Horses, Missouri Foxtrotters and the Arabian.

Two of the more popular competitive speed events, the barrel race and pole bending, were demonstrated.

After the classes, all the students got to watch the SEMO Equestrian Drill Team perform. The team consists of local youth equestrians with a great interest in horses. All of the riders belong to the local Equestrian 4-H group.

Stover said watching the kids teach other kids was a treat.

"They're walking around talking to each other saying 'I've got three more classes to teach,'" Stover said. "They told me they didn't know how I do it."