Horseback Riding - A beginner’s guide
Horseback riding can be a fun activity for you to do on your own or with friends and family. If you enjoy horses, taking up horseback riding may be something you have considered, but have been afraid to try. Before you actually get on a horse and start to learn to ride, read through these tips as a start.
A first step to learning horseback riding is to visit a stable where horseback riding is taught and the horses are familiar with people, especially those who are not experts. You may want to spend some time there around the horses, possibly one horse in particular, so that they can become somewhat familiar with you before you climb onto their back.
The most important part of horseback riding is communication. You need to communicate that you respect the horse, while at the same time letting it know what you want and expect. Just like your own pets, they understand more if you let them know how well they are doing.
When you are ready to mount the horse, how do you do it? The most common way to mount is to place a foot in the saddle’s left stirrup, grabbing the pommel, and leaning forward while lifting your weight up and swinging the right leg over the horse until your right foot can reach the right stirrup. You must be sure that you are mounting your horse from its left side, as that is the side with which most horses are both familiar and comfortable.
When horseback riding at a walk, you should keep your heels down, your knees bent, and your chest out. Sit straight up in the saddle, do not slouch. Your feet should be level with the ground, and your eyes should be kept looking forward, since where your eyes go, your head goes, and where your head goes, your body goes. There may be a tendency to want to lean forward when horseback riding. This is largely unnecessary at most relaxed horseback riding speeds.
You should attempt to keep your hands as still as possible, since the horse can feel every move you make with them, and will be much more controllable if ridden without bouncing hands. You should also keep a little bit of constant pressure on the reins, against the bit in the horse’s mouth. Steering is accomplished by using the reins to point the head of the horse in the direction you want to travel.
Short rides (from half an hour to an hour-and-a-half) are plenty to for beginner horseback riding. Experienced riders can spend hours in the saddle, and cover long distances. Be kind to the horse and allow it to walk itself cool; simply stopping is dangerous for the racing heart. Be careful to allow the horse to drink water immediately after running. It is much better for the horse if it is allowed to cool down after running and then given water to drink
To dismount your horse, do a reversal of how you mounted. Stand up in the stirrups, hold onto the saddle, swing your right leg backwards over the horse and lower yourself to the ground.
Horseback riding can be a very daunting activity when you are not familiar with it. Use these tips to help you get started. For more information about horseback riding, go to a local stable that teaches horseback riding to see what you can do to get lessons.