No matter what stage you are at in your horse riding journey, whether you are considering learning, have recently started lessons, or have been riding for a long time, we have compiled a collection of horse riding tips to assist you. Utilizing these tips will enhance your riding skills and maximize the pleasure you derive from being on horseback.
Horse riding tips for beginners
1. Get kitted out
By wearing appropriate horse riding attire, particularly a riding hat, you can increase your safety and enhance your confidence. Specialized riding clothing aims to provide comfort and stability while riding, making it beneficial to replace your gym leggings with quality riding tights that have a sticky silicone seat to prevent slipping in the saddle. Moreover, appearing the part can positively impact your confidence since a significant aspect of horse riding involves feeling confident and being in sync with the activity. Feeling the part is a crucial initial step towards improving your riding skills.
2. Find a good instructor
If you are new to horse riding, look for a riding school that specifically offers lessons for beginners. The instructors at these schools have extensive experience teaching riders at your skill level, including both children and adults with various abilities.
3. Watch some videos
Take some time to browse instructional horse riding videos on YouTube. By watching and listening to other riders learn and explain, you can acquire valuable background knowledge that can be absorbed when you are not in a lesson, avoiding an overload of new information. Additionally, you will become acquainted with various equestrian terms that may be unfamiliar to you.
4. Ask questions
If you are having trouble understanding your instructor, ask them to explain in a different way, as it could be that they need to accommodate your learning style. Ask as many questions as necessary to fully grasp the material. Avoid adding or removing any information.
When an instructor wishes to effectively communicate with you and ensure your understanding of how to interact with the horse, they desire to provide you with comprehensive guidance. It can be bothersome when the instructor instructs you to perform certain actions without explaining their rationale. By actively posing inquiries, you have the potential to grasp a complete understanding of the objectives and expectations as a rider.
If you are a horseback rider, you should be open to receiving constructive criticism. It is the sole means of understanding your errors and rectifying them. It is completely acceptable to ask your riding instructor for feedback and guidance on areas where you can enhance your skills.
If you are having difficulty comprehending what your instructor is requesting, ask them to provide clarification or present it in a different manner, as individuals possess distinct learning styles and explanations may be comprehensible to some individuals but not to others.
5. Get familiar with horses on the ground
If you are a beginner with horses and horse riding, it would be beneficial to spend some time with them without riding. The more time you spend with horses, the greater your comprehension of them and your ability to interpret their signals will be. Additionally, you will become more at ease and calm in their presence, which will aid in your relaxation when you are on their backs as well.
6. Be confident
Confidence is acquired through trust. This trust includes trusting yourself, trusting your horse, and trusting your instructor. In situations where your instructor does not offer corrections, have confidence that you are acting correctly. It is important to trust your horse so that he can also trust you, leading to an increase in your confidence. Additionally, trust your instructor to assist you in advancing at the appropriate speed.
7. Sit up straight and keep your heels down
Maintaining a good position on the flat is crucial for horse riding. The first step is to sit up straight and ensure your heels are down. By doing so, you will be able to achieve a proper position in the saddle, enabling you to stay secure and balanced while riding your horse.
Staying balanced in the saddle entails distributing your weight equally throughout the horse’s back. Even riders with experience often have a tendency to favor one side, which can result in both the rider and the horse becoming unbalanced.
While riding, it is important to be aware of whether you are leaning more into one stirrup than the other, even when riding in a straight line. If this is the case, you can make the necessary adjustments.
Consider your position; is there a direct alignment from your shoulders to your hip and down to your heel? Occasionally, a beginner’s leg might shift forward, causing it to deviate from this alignment. In such cases, simply readjust your leg position to be beneath you again. By doing so, you will maintain the correct position in the saddle.
First, ensure that you examine your reins. Hold your reins in a way that enables you to determine if the length of rein you are giving to your horse is consistent on both sides. If you notice that one rein is longer than the other, make the necessary adjustments to ensure they are of equal length.
If your reins have an imbalance in length, it indicates that you provide more cues to the horse using the shorter rein. Keeping the reins of equal length is necessary to ensure that your horse stays on a straight path and to achieve equal effects on both sides when applying pressure.
8. Look where you want to go
When you’re learning to ride, there’s a common saying: “if you focus on the floor, you will fall on the floor.” Thus, it is always important to direct your gaze towards your desired destination. Your head, being the heaviest part of your body, plays a significant role in communicating your intentions to the horse and maintaining your balance.
9. Develop a good position
By gradually improving your riding position and striving for an independent seat in each gait, you will enhance your riding skills and increase your stability in the saddle. This will prove beneficial in situations like maintaining a proper jumping position and handling unforeseen events like spooking.
10. Gain confidence in each skill before advancing
Before attempting to learn a new skill, make sure you are proficient in each skill beforehand, much like not running before you can walk or cantering before you can trot. It is important to have confidence in each ability before moving on. It is beneficial to have a skilled instructor who can guide you through the process of learning, practicing, and mastering the necessary skills.
11. Stay relaxed
Maintaining a calm demeanor may sound simple, but it can be challenging to put into practice. However, it is crucial to make an effort to stay composed, regardless of the circumstances. Your horse relies on you to provide reassurance and will sense any anxiety you may be experiencing. When you notice yourself tensing up, try rolling your shoulders back and concentrate on maintaining a proper position.
12. Recognize a Horse’s Body Language and What it Means
Being able to identify a horse’s body language and comprehend its significance is crucial in order to ensure your safety in the presence of horses. In cases where individuals lacking knowledge about horses sustain injuries while being around them, it is typically due to their inability to perceive the messages conveyed by the horse through its body language.
Due to their inability to speak, horses rely on body language as their primary means of communication with humans. This encompasses various actions such as the position and movement of their ears, the swaying of their tail, halting their hooves, and directing a specific gaze toward you.
If a horse has its ears pinned to the back of its head, it indicates that the horse is mad. On the other hand, if the horse’s ears are up and pointed towards you, it means that the horse is paying attention to you. An annoyed horse may swish its tail, while a bored horse may paw the ground with its hooves. Wide-eyed and flared nostrils typically suggest that the horse is nervous or anxious. Conversely, if a horse’s eyes are half-closed and it is chewing its teeth together, it indicates that the horse is relaxed and comfortable.
13. Research Proper Tack Placement
When you begin riding, it may be difficult to understand the correct way to put the tack on the horse. It involves remembering numerous pieces of tack such as the bridle, girth, saddle pad, and saddle. Each piece has its own set of regulations regarding where and how it should be placed on the horse.
Saddle Pad
The saddle pad should be placed over the horse’s back, extending slightly over the withers. Ensuring the saddle pad remains even on both sides is crucial in order to prevent any pulling on the horse’s back.
Typically, an English saddle pad contains a tag positioned towards the front-end of the pad. If this is not the case, another method to determine the front part of the pad is through the billet straps. The end of the pad with the billet straps, which are two nylon velcro straps located on either side of the blanket, will serve as the front.
Ensure that the horse’s head is facing the end of the pad with the tag and the billet straps by thinking step by step.
Saddle
Step 1: Place the saddle pad on the horse’s back. Step 2: Position the saddle on top of the saddle pad. Step 3: Ensure that none of the saddle extends beyond the saddle pad. Step 4: Take precautions to avoid pinching or causing discomfort to your horse.
The saddle’s positioning should be behind the withers on the horse’s back, ensuring it does not restrict the horse’s shoulder movement.
After placing the saddle on the horse, ensure to lift and move the front part of the saddle pad away from the horse’s withers to prevent any rubbing. Additionally, you can connect the billet straps of the saddle pad to the billets on the saddle, which are the straps used to attach the girth.
Girth
The girth will be the next piece of tack to be placed on the horse. Its purpose is to secure the saddle in place by encircling the horse. It is crucial to position the girth neither too close to the horse’s rear nor too close to its front.
To accurately determine the suitable position for the girth, it is advisable to measure a distance of four inches from your horse’s elbow. The point where this four-inch distance ends should be the center placement for your girth.
To attach the girth to an English saddle, first secure the non-elastic end to the right side of the saddle. Then, proceed to the left side of the horse in order to tighten the girth. Ensure that the elastic end of the girth is positioned on this side. It is important to adjust the girth so that there is only enough space to fit four fingers between the horse’s side and the girth.
Bridle
Bridles can be quite perplexing due to the numerous straps and components they consist of. When using an English bridle, you will encounter a bit placed within the horse’s mouth, a browband that passes over the forelock, a throat latch situated under the horse’s jaw, and a noseband encircling the horse’s nose.
To begin putting on the bridle, grasp it with both hands. The bit should be placed in the horse’s mouth beforehand. Occasionally, it may be necessary to insert your thumb into the horse’s mouth to encourage it to open and accept the bit.
1. Start by placing the bit in the horse’s mouth. 2. Proceed to pull the bridle over the horse’s ears. 3. Ensure that the browband remains in front of the ears and over the forelock. 4. Once the bridle is securely positioned over the ears, proceed to fasten all the other straps.
To ensure proper fit, the jaw and traps should have enough space for four fingers when adjusting the throat latch. On the other hand, a noseband should have a snug fit that allows only one finger to pass through.
To ensure the proper fit of your bridle, make sure there are two wrinkles present at the corner of your horse’s mouth. In the event that this is not the case, you can make adjustments to the cheek straps on either side of the bridle.
One effective way to learn how to tack up a horse correctly is to watch instructional videos on the topic. This approach allows you to observe the process of placing the tack on the horse and provides additional practice opportunities outside of riding lessons.
14. Work on Balance
The importance of balance in horseback riding cannot be overstated. Rather than relying on stirrups, a comfortable saddle, or reins to stay on a horse, a rider’s ability to maintain balance is essential.
When you begin riding, it is possible to experience a sensation of bouncing in various directions. While trotting, you may bounce both to the left and the right. It is normal to feel that a slight misstep from the horse could disrupt your balance and result in falling off.
To enhance your balance on the horse, there are a number of beneficial exercises you can perform. Initially, it is important to familiarize yourself with the horse’s gaits and become attuned to their rhythmic movements. By doing so, you will be able to adjust your balance accordingly during rides at these gaits.
The next exercise involves riding without a saddle, which is a beneficial way to improve balance and strengthen muscles. Riding bareback encourages leaning on balance rather than relying heavily on stirrups or reins.
15. Learn About Pressure and Release
If you are a novice horseback rider aspiring to become a horse trainer in the future, it is crucial for you to understand that gaining knowledge about pressure and release is imperative when it comes to effectively communicating with a horse.
When training horses, they acquire new skills through the application of pressure and subsequent release. Essentially, when a request is made to a horse, pressure is exerted. However, once they respond accurately, the pressure is alleviated, allowing for relaxation as a form of reward.
When you want a horse to stop, you apply pressure by pulling back on the reins. Once the horse halts and remains stationary, you release the pressure or loosen your grip to indicate to the horse that it has responded correctly.
Typically, beginners tend to maintain pressure even after the horse has responded correctly. For instance, a beginner might request the horse to stop, but instead of easing the pressure once the horse halts, they persistently tug on the reins. Consequently, this action leads the horse to move backward. Consequently, the rider may become exasperated with the horse for “not listening,” despite the horse simply following the given instructions.
By understanding the concept of pressure and release, you can enhance your ability to communicate with the horse, as well as improve your skill of riding with gentler hands and increased awareness of your actions in the saddle.
16. Stay Relaxed…Even If You’re Not
If you become nervous or anxious, your horse may also become nervous and anxious because horses mirror your emotions.
When a rider starts to tense up in the saddle, horses can perceive their emotions. Often, horses become startled by something, yet instead of remaining calm and relaxed, the rider reacts by tensing their body, leaning forward, and shortening their reins in anticipation of their horse acting up.
If a rider engages in this action, it will cause their horse to become even more frightened. In a situation where the horse is scared, it is important for the rider to stay composed, with a relaxed body and weight on their heels. The rider should keep their hands steady, avoiding any tightening on the horse’s mouth. Eventually, the horse will sense the rider’s calm attitude, signaling to the horse that there is no reason to be afraid.
During moments when a horse becomes uncontrollable or in a frightening situation, you may not always experience a sense of relaxation, however, it is not necessary for you to display this to your horse.
To maintain a relaxed stance with a horse, it is recommended to take slow and deep breaths. This will result in your body staying loose and your heart rate remaining slow, both of which can be sensed by the horse.
17. Be Assertive With Your Horse
Being assertive does not imply being abusive. It implies not allowing the horse to engage in undesired behavior.
It is likely that you have observed how lesson horses tend to walk slowly, stop frequently, and not respond when asked to go. This behavior primarily occurs because beginner horseback riders lack the assertiveness needed to grab the attention of these horses.
Horses will assess your limits to determine what they can escape without consequences. If they ascertain that they can successfully evade punishment for a specific behavior, they will incorporate that behavior into their routine as frequently as possible.
In order to make your horse pay attention, you need to assert yourself. Returning to the concept of pressure and release, asserting yourself implies that you continue to apply pressure until the horse responds correctly. If the horse does not respond immediately, then you escalate the pressure.
If the lesson horse you are riding tends to ignore your requests to go forward, being assertive can be demonstrated by giving them a firm kick to the side. If they still don’t respond, the next step would be to use a firm smack on their rump with your hand.
If you discipline your horse once to test their behavior, they will understand that you are serious. Correcting bad behavior consistently will earn your horse’s respect and prompt responses.
