How to Ride Horses, class 1
Created | Updated Oct 26, 2003
First, a disclaimer. I take no responsibility for anything that may occur during any activity related to the one that I will now describe. So if you injure yourself, you may not sue. This is not a complete course in riding. There is no way to learn other than experience, so do not consider yourself an expert, or even beginner rider after reading this.
The leg up is fairly simple, but it requires the help of another person. While standing on the left side of the horse the instructor or helper grabs your left calf and ankle. Grab the horse's mane, and the front part of the saddle. On the count of three, jump up, and swing your right leg aroung the horse, so that it is on the opposite side. Be carefull not to land hard on the horse, because that could cause him to take off. Also, be carefull not to accidently kick him with your right leg on the way over, since that too could cause him to bolt.
It takes quite some time to be able to mount without help or a block. In fact, many people who ride English choose to never mount without the help of a block. Since the stirrups are short, it is impractical to lift your leg that high and then attempt to pull yourself up with it.
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 contolleble if ridden without bouncing hands. You should also keep a little bit of constant pressure on the horse's mouth. A good image to help you remember is to try to make the horse smile. This once again gives you more control, and it will make the steed have much better posture.
In the next lesson we will cover steering, and the next gait, the trot.
Mounting
While mounting a horse for the first few times, there are two options.- Get a "leg up" from your instructor
Use a step, or some other such implent
The leg up is fairly simple, but it requires the help of another person. While standing on the left side of the horse the instructor or helper grabs your left calf and ankle. Grab the horse's mane, and the front part of the saddle. On the count of three, jump up, and swing your right leg aroung the horse, so that it is on the opposite side. Be carefull not to land hard on the horse, because that could cause him to take off. Also, be carefull not to accidently kick him with your right leg on the way over, since that too could cause him to bolt.
It takes quite some time to be able to mount without help or a block. In fact, many people who ride English choose to never mount without the help of a block. Since the stirrups are short, it is impractical to lift your leg that high and then attempt to pull yourself up with it.
General Body Posture
While riding at a walk, you should keep your heels down and your chest out. Sit straight up in the saddle, do not slouch. Your eyes should be kept looking forward, since where your eyes go, your head goes, and where your head goes, your body goes. Once you become more proficient at riding, it is important that you do not keep your weight on your posterior, but try to hold yourself up with the inner thighs.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 contolleble if ridden without bouncing hands. You should also keep a little bit of constant pressure on the horse's mouth. A good image to help you remember is to try to make the horse smile. This once again gives you more control, and it will make the steed have much better posture.
In the next lesson we will cover steering, and the next gait, the trot.
