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Horse Riding Maths

Maths in horse riding: personal bests

Compare old and new results.

Quick answer

Maths in horse riding: personal bests helps you compare your old and new riding results to see how much you’ve improved. You can use subtraction, addition, and number lines to measure your progress.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to compare your old and new horse riding results to find out how much you’ve improved, using numbers, subtraction, and simple charts. Success signs:
  • You can tell the difference between your old and new scores.
  • You can use subtraction to find how much you’ve improved.
  • You can show your progress using a chart or number line.
  • You can explain why comparing results is helpful.

Why this matters

When you ride a horse, you might want to get better at things like jumping, balancing, or galloping. Comparing your old and new results helps you see how much you’ve improved. This is a really useful skill in real life – like tracking your reading speed, how fast you can run, or how many goals you score in football. In horse riding, it helps you set new goals and celebrate your progress. It also helps your coach see how you’re doing and what to focus on next. Maths helps you understand your improvement in a clear, simple way.

How it works

To compare your old and new horse riding results:
  1. Write down your old result – for example, how many jumps you cleared in a lesson.
  2. Write down your new result – after more practice, how many jumps you cleared.
  3. Subtract the old number from the new number – this tells you how much you’ve improved.
  4. Use a chart or number line to show your progress visually.

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you’re learning to jump. Here’s how you can compare your results: Example 1: Jumping
  • Old result: 5 jumps
  • New result: 8 jumps
  • Improvement: 8 – 5 = 3 jumps
Example 2: Balancing
  • Old result: 20 seconds on a horse’s back
  • New result: 35 seconds
  • Improvement: 35 – 20 = 15 seconds
Example 3: Galloping
  • Old result: 100 metres in 20 seconds
  • New result: 120 metres in 20 seconds
  • Improvement: 120 – 100 = 20 metres
You can draw a chart or use a number line to show how much you’ve improved. For example, if you started at 5 and now you’re at 8, you can draw a line from 5 to 8 and see the jump of 3.

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The Horse Riding Challenge You are a young rider, and your horse is getting better at jumping! You’ve been keeping a record of how many jumps you clear in each lesson. Here’s your journey:
  1. Lesson 1: You cleared 3 jumps
  2. Lesson 2: You cleared 5 jumps
  3. Lesson 3: You cleared 7 jumps
  4. Lesson 4: You cleared 9 jumps
Your challenge is to find how much you’ve improved from one lesson to the next.
  1. Lesson 1 to Lesson 2: 5 – 3 = 2 jumps
  2. Lesson 2 to Lesson 3: 7 – 5 = 2 jumps
  3. Lesson 3 to Lesson 4: 9 – 7 = 2 jumps
You improved by 2 jumps each time! Great job! Now, draw a number line to show this improvement.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Subtracting the new number from the old number instead of the old from the new.
    Why it happens: It’s easy to get confused with the order.
    Fix: Always subtract the old number from the new number to see the improvement.
  • Mistake: Forgetting to write down the old and new results.
    Why it happens: You might get excited about riding and forget to record.
    Fix: Use a small notebook or chart to write down your results after each lesson.
  • Mistake: Thinking that a smaller number means you’ve improved.
    Why it happens: It can be confusing when numbers go down.
    Fix: Remember, if you clear more jumps or stay on the horse longer, that’s an improvement.

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child by:
  • Encouraging them to write down their results after each lesson.
  • Using a chart or number line to help them see their progress.
  • Practising subtraction with simple horse riding examples.
  • Helping them understand that improvement means getting better, not worse.
  • Using real-life examples like running times or reading speed to show how this maths works in everyday life.
What to say:
  • “You’ve done so well! Let’s see how much you’ve improved.”
  • “How much better are you now than before?”
  • “Can you draw a line to show your progress?”
What not to worry about:
  • They might make mistakes – that’s how we learn!
  • They don’t need to be perfect at subtraction – just get the idea.
  • They might not want to record everything – that’s okay, just keep it fun!

Practice questions

  1. Question: You cleared 4 jumps last week and 7 jumps this week. How much did you improve?
    Answer: 7 – 4 = 3 jumps
  2. Question: You stayed on the horse for 15 seconds last time and 25 seconds this time. How much longer did you stay?
    Answer: 25 – 15 = 10 seconds
  3. Question: You rode 50 metres last week and 65 metres this week. How much further did you ride?
    Answer: 65 – 50 = 15 metres
  4. Question: You jumped 3 times last lesson and 9 times this lesson. How much did you improve?
    Answer: 9 – 3 = 6 jumps
  5. Question: You balanced for 10 seconds last time and 18 seconds this time. How much longer did you balance?
    Answer: 18 – 10 = 8 seconds

FAQ

What is a personal best?
A personal best is your own highest score or best result. It shows how far you’ve come.

Why do we compare results?
We compare results to see how much we’ve improved. It helps us celebrate our progress and set new goals.

Can I use maths for other things besides horse riding?
Yes! You can use maths to track your reading, running, swimming, or even your pocket money savings.

What if I don’t get better?
That’s okay! Sometimes progress is slow, but every small step counts. You can still track your results and be proud of your effort.

How can I make it fun?
You can draw charts, use stickers, or even make a small trophy for your best result. Making it visual and fun helps you stay motivated.