Learning To Ride A Horse

There are two basic components to learning to ride. You must be able to put your equipment on a horse and you must be able to use the equipment correctly. You should buy the proper equipment and use it correctly for the best results. Seasoned riders make it look easy. You can injure a good horse or ruin your equipment in a few seconds of unrestrained drama. Do not buy equipment meant for an experienced rider. Just because someone else can ride your horse with certain equipment does not mean it will be good for you. If you cannot put equipment on a horse correctly and adjust it to fit properly, find an experienced hand to place your equipment on the horse for you. Ask that person to supervise you until you get it right. I find it can take half a dozen sessions before you do not forget the small stuff.

WEAR A HELMET!

Over the years I have fallen off horse both with and without a helmet. I did not wear a helmet for the first six years of my riding experience. The difference between both experiences is potentially enormous. A broken limb is a lot quicker to fix than a injured head. Allow me to digress momentarily: A friend of mine rode without a helmet when we started riding together. He saw my use of a helmet as a waste of effort. During a shopping trip together, I convinced him to buy a helmet. We left the store to go riding at Dawson Forest. He mounted his horse and promptly hit the ground after the horse spooked and reared up. He got up and pointed out that he did not need a helmet since his head did not hurt. I explained that he hit the ground very hard and he should check his helmet for damage. His helmet was dented and cracked where his head hit the ground. We never had the helmet discussion again. He always wore a helmet after that important lesson. He owned his first helmet for less than 30 minutes before it spared him from a devastating injury.

I am not the best instructor in the world. I am a book in what not to do! When looking for an instructor, find one with numerous years of experience in the sport you are going to enjoy. I would not be able to teach dressage, hunter / jumpers, or showing horses. The fundamentals in each area require different skills and you will be judged by a different set of rules. I specialize in teaching practical horse skills. I specialize in training riders to handle horses in a field environment. I have competed for many years in riding 25 & 50 mile events in endurance rides. I have not gone to a ride without realizing the best riders are a long way ahead of me. I keep progressing with my personal best each and every time. Riding with accomplished riders gives you a great opportunity to ask questions at every turn. The rider that thinks they know it all can be educated at any time by competing against the best. Riding with the best riders in any discipline is a truly humbling experience. You will not learn your horse skills well from a book. Horsemanship is progressing rapidly and the best riders tell you they learn lessons every time they ride their horses.

Dennis Horion