How to Ride a Horse - 1

Horseback riding has been part of human culture for a long time. For most of that time, riding was done for mostly utilitarian reasons such as work, travel, and warfare. Today, riding is predominantly recreational in nature, and is an activity loved by many. Most anybody can ride, and whether you like to ride for fun or have a more competitive nature, there's something for everybody. We'll show you how to get started.

 

General Practices

 

1- Find a good riding stable. If you're a beginner, trying to figure it out yourself will be difficult, and potentially dangerous. A good riding stable will have an experienced riding instructor, lesson horses appropriate for your level, and a good riding arena. When you're choosing a stable, take a lesson or two to evaluate the instructor and the lesson horse you'll be riding.

The riding instructor should be experienced and good at riding. She should be patient and good at teaching, and not pressure you to ride at a level you're not comfortable with.

The horse should be calm, experienced, and at least eight years old. Until you have more experience, choosing a seasoned, well-mannered horse will be safer and more fun.

2- Prepare your horse for riding. Before you ride, groom and tack up your horse with the help of your instructor.

• Groom the horse with a curry comb, then use a stiff brush to remove the dust and hair brought up by the curry comb. Then use a soft brush to finish. 
• Use a mane and tail comb to remove tangles and burrs.
• Tack your horse by putting the saddle on, then the girth, and then the bridle. Again, do this with the aid of an instructor at first, until you and the horse are comfortable with the procedure.
• Clean the horse's hooves (under guidance from your instructor). Be careful—horses can and do kick, so you will not want to do this alone until you are experienced.

3- Mount your horse.Traditionally, you mount a horse from the left side.

• Hold the reins in your left hand, and turn the stirrup towards you with your right. Put your left foot into the stirrup, hold the saddle, bounce gently in the stirrup, then swing your right leg over the horse, and sit down in the saddle.

Method One: English Riding

1- Find your balance riding. On your first lesson, your riding instructor will probably lead your horse or put him on a lunge line while you get used to the feeling of riding a horse. If you feel unbalanced, hold onto your horse's mane until you feel balanced again.

• If you move at a brisk pace, you'll be able to feel a rocking motion as you ride. Your seat should naturally move with the motion. Your arms also need to move with the motion of your horse; though you should have light contact with your horse's mouth, keep your elbows light and move them with the horse.
• When you ride, look straight forward and keep your back straight. About a third of your boot should be in the stirrup, and keep your heels pointing down. Don't let your leg go too far forward as if you're sitting in a chair—this is called the "chair seat" and is incorrect. Your shoulder, hip, and heel should all be aligned.

2- Use aids to control your horse. Aids can be 'natural, such as your hands, seat, and legs, or artificial, such as a crop (whip) or spurs.

• To make your horse move forward, squeeze with your calves. Horses that do not move forward after a gentle squeeze may need your squeeze to have more energy in it. Some people will say lazy or stubborn horses require kicks with your legs or the use of a crop or spurs but if a horse has been correctly educated then this amount of force is not needed. Remember, ask yourself the question, if a horse can feel a fly land on it then why would it need so much more force to get it to do things?
• To make your horse halt, sit deep in the saddle and apply pressure with the reins. You can also say "whoa". Practice halting your horse without using your reins; your horse should respond to your seat.
• To turn your horse, pull the left or right rein out to the side and apply pressure with your outside leg. You have to add pressure with your outside leg or your horse will turn his head as much as you please—and continue going straight forward.

3- Learn how to trot. Once you're confident at the walk, squeeze tighter and start trotting. You can sit or post the trot.

• When you sit the trot, sit deep in the saddle and keep contact with your legs. Be careful to keep your elbows relaxed, so you don't jerk on your horse's mouth - you can also try sitting the trot on the lunge line without reins.
• To post the trot, rise up in your stirrups every other step. Point your heel down and keep contact with the horse's mouth.
  • When you post the trot, you'll have to think about diagonals. Horses trot moving their legs diagonally. When you're moving to the left, you should rise when your horse's right shoulder is forward. When you're moving to the right, rise when your horse's left shoulder is forward. Try to just look with your eyes when you're checking your horse's diagonal - you could lose your balance if you turn your whole head.

4- Learn how to canter. The canter is a rocking gait similar to a rocking horse, except faster. To canter, move your outside leg slightly back and squeeze. Use this signal while you're at a slow trot; don't just speed up your horse or he'll usually start trotting quickly instead of cantering.

• When you sit the canter, your seat rolls with the canter and you stay in the position you normally ride in. Don't tense up—keep your upper body still and keep a steady contact with your horse's mouth.

· You can also canter while in the half-seat. You can sit in the half-seat by inclining your shoulders forward slightly (but don't slump!) and rotating your pelvis forward. You can also sit in the two-point position while cantering, but this is generally only used while jumping.

Method Two: Western Riding

1- Ride, like a cowboy. Western riding evolved from the practices of the Spanish Conquistadors in the New World, and was adopted by the cowboys of the American West.

  2- Hold the reins in both hands. When you're just learning, you may feel more comfortable using both hands on the reins. However, Western-trained horses are taught to move with your body cues, and will not need a lot of rein. Most western riders also use just one hand when riding. This method is called "Neck Reining". Neck reining is when you use one hand to guide the horse's neck back and forth while your other hand either holds the horn of the saddle or falls at your side. If you are beginner,start with 2 hands.

  When you turn, use your body, weight, and legs as in English-style riding. Push with your legs, and guide with your reins.

3- Walk your horse. Sit up tall in the saddle, put your legs forward, and allow your horse to stretch its head down and out. When you get comfortable walking the horse, move on to the next step.

4- Jog your horse. Jogging is similar to trotting, only slower and with longer strides. Rhythmically, it's a two-beat movement that you will recognize from countless westerns as the sound you hear as the stage coach is pulling in.

• When you jog, sit back a little further in your saddle.
• Western horses are often trained to recognize sounds as commands, and the traditional sound for jogging is a "tsk tsk" clicking of the tongue.

 5- Lope your horse. When you're comfortable with the jog, ask your horse to lope. It's a little quicker than a jog, and rhythmically, it's a 3-beat movement.

• The sound command for a lope is a noisy "kiss" sound.

 6- Have fun with your horse! Riding is an incredible sport, and you can do anything from polo to trail riding. Head on off into the sunset, and enjoy!