Learning horse riding is not as tough as it might look to some people. Horses are one of the most easily tamed animals who when treated properly can be one of your best companions. There are a lot of training schools and ranches that teach horseback riding to the people of any age. If you plan on learning horseback riding, here are a few steps that you have to undertake:
Get To Know the Horse
Feeding your horse
First thing that you should do before any lesson is try to know the horse that you will be riding. The horse should not be frightened of you or must not feel agitated in your company. This might lead the horse to react badly and cause you injuries. So, go to the place where you will be learning to ride a little earlier and interact with the horse and try and make him comfortable.
Check for All the Equipment
Second thing to do is check that the saddle and the other equipments are in proper place. If the saddle is loosely held to the horse, you might slip and fall off the horse. The stirrups should be of the perfect length and the straps of the bridle should not be very tight on the horse. Anything that would make the horse uncomfortable should be avoided. So it is important to ask your trainer to check everything if you do not know it. Also make sure you wear full pants and closed shoes, so that you do not end up getting scratched and hurt.
Mount
Mounting on the horse
Now is the time you get up on the horse. Mounting can be a little tricky since the horse is higher than you and you have to hold it and jump. Just use a mounting block to make the climbing easy. A mounting block is basically a couple of stairs that are kept on the side of the horse to help you climb with ease. Now put your left foot on the stirrup and hold the horses reign with your left hand. Once you have climbed the horse just sit on the saddle gently and place the right foot on the right stirrup.
Start to Walk
Once you have adjusted to the saddle you will need to start by walking the horse. The first step in riding is to walk easily. So sit up straight, hold the reins tight and try to move yourself with the horse. Once both your movements become coordinated, you have mastered the walk. You need to give the horse directions by gently tugging into the reign. Make sure you do not pull very hard since it might hurt the horse.
The Rein Movement
The second step is to learn different ways to use the reign. To stir the horse to the left side gently pull the left rein to the left and vice versa for the right. Pull back both the hands holding the reins and push your heels down to stop the horse. Do not shout at the horse as it might agitate him.
Start Trotting
Once you are comfortably walking the horse, it’s time to start trotting. So all you need to do is very gently try to squeeze the sides of the horse with your leg. If it does not understand, try giving him a gentle kick. Do not kick very hard or the horse might drop you down. Just hold on tight to the horse while trotting.
Run
The next step is to run. Make sure that you are comfortable with riding the horse slowly before you start running on it. While doing so, just keep your back straight and your stance still. Sit deep and do not move unnecessarily.
Slow down and cool
After every running session it is important for the horse to cool down. So, just slow down and gently walk the horse for about 15 minutes till it gets to the normal temperature. Now stop the horse and gently get down from him.
These steps when followed properly under a trainer’s guidance can be be very helpful in learning horseback riding easily and quickly.
