Horse Riding Lessons, What You Need to Know
1) Choosing a riding school:
So you have decided to get involved in riding or to pick up the skill again from a few years ago, locating a good school will speed up you progress.
You will need to locate a school that is suitable for your requirements and skill level, but a simple call to the center staff can easily ascertain this. In the UK, all riding schools have to hold a Local Authority License, and this should be your first question to check. If you choose a BHS (British Horse Society) Approved School, you can be guaranteed that the center holds the necessary license and also maintains horse care, safety and training practices.
The BHS (British Horse Society) was set up in 1947 and was developed to care for both horse and rider. Now with over 42,000 members and affiliated clubs within the UK you can be sure there will be a center local to you.
2) Get prepared:
Horse riding is an excellent way to keep fit, have some fun with friends and see the countryside. Now you have got you first lesson booked you should get yourself prepared before you set of. When you have your first lessons, you may not wish to have the expense of buying all the latest riding clothing and safety hats, which is a wise idea. Some riders after the first lesson may find their dream of becoming a riding superstar is not what they expected and not wish to continue. Most riding centers will happily provide hats, boots and gloves required for you to safely enjoy your first riding experience.
3) First lesson:
Now that the day has arrived and you are about to take your first riding lesson its time to meet your horse, horses are kind helpful creatures that will forgive your mistakes. For your first riding lesson, your horse may well be brought out to the arena for you, but if you tell the staff you are keen to get to know your horse better, they will show you how to safely approach your horse and lead him out.
Leading a horse is the term in which a rider will hold the lead head collar on the horse and navigate him around while the rider is on foot. The horse is normally tided up with a head collar on over his bridle and allow you to hold the horse under his head, holding both reins and pull him in the direction you want. The normal practice is for the rider to stand to the left of the horse and hold both reins in their right hand and the other end in their left, be confident when moving your horse and move purposefully towards the arena with the horse following at your shoulder.
4) The basics:
For your first lesson you will probably only cover the surface and just work more on having fun and understanding your horse. The following first steps are simple but necessary steps to help you enjoy your riding and take control of your horse and continue to ride safely.
Handling your reins
When you first start riding your instructor may ask you to start of by holding onto the neck strap or front of the saddle. However, if you do move onto holding the reins you should make sure that you hold one in each hand, so that they come up between your little finger and ring fingers, through the palm of your hand and out over the top of your index finger with your thumb pushed gently on the top. Hold them lightly and relaxed, easy to say for your first lesson but your hands should feel light and relaxed.
Walking on
The term walking on is basically like taking off the brake. To achieve this you give a little slack on the reins, just enough to release any pressure on the horses mouth, give a gentle kick with both legs and the horse will move slowly away. Try to use the whole length of your leg and not just the boot, as this will be more comfortable for the horse.
Turning
Now you have learnt to start your horse now it's time to turn and move in different directions. The first thing you should do is look over to the new direction to check the path is clear, open you wrist slightly towards your new direction. Your inside leg should nudge on the side you intend to go which will tell the horse your intentions to turn and which way.
The halt
To ask your horse to stop is not very hard, simply sit up tall on the saddle and pull slowly on the reins towards you. If the horse does not respond, just pull a little harder. Keep you legs on your horses sides at all times as this will help him to step up with his hind legs into the halt position.
So you have decided to get involved in riding or to pick up the skill again from a few years ago, locating a good school will speed up you progress.
You will need to locate a school that is suitable for your requirements and skill level, but a simple call to the center staff can easily ascertain this. In the UK, all riding schools have to hold a Local Authority License, and this should be your first question to check. If you choose a BHS (British Horse Society) Approved School, you can be guaranteed that the center holds the necessary license and also maintains horse care, safety and training practices.
The BHS (British Horse Society) was set up in 1947 and was developed to care for both horse and rider. Now with over 42,000 members and affiliated clubs within the UK you can be sure there will be a center local to you.
2) Get prepared:
Horse riding is an excellent way to keep fit, have some fun with friends and see the countryside. Now you have got you first lesson booked you should get yourself prepared before you set of. When you have your first lessons, you may not wish to have the expense of buying all the latest riding clothing and safety hats, which is a wise idea. Some riders after the first lesson may find their dream of becoming a riding superstar is not what they expected and not wish to continue. Most riding centers will happily provide hats, boots and gloves required for you to safely enjoy your first riding experience.
3) First lesson:
Now that the day has arrived and you are about to take your first riding lesson its time to meet your horse, horses are kind helpful creatures that will forgive your mistakes. For your first riding lesson, your horse may well be brought out to the arena for you, but if you tell the staff you are keen to get to know your horse better, they will show you how to safely approach your horse and lead him out.
Leading a horse is the term in which a rider will hold the lead head collar on the horse and navigate him around while the rider is on foot. The horse is normally tided up with a head collar on over his bridle and allow you to hold the horse under his head, holding both reins and pull him in the direction you want. The normal practice is for the rider to stand to the left of the horse and hold both reins in their right hand and the other end in their left, be confident when moving your horse and move purposefully towards the arena with the horse following at your shoulder.
4) The basics:
For your first lesson you will probably only cover the surface and just work more on having fun and understanding your horse. The following first steps are simple but necessary steps to help you enjoy your riding and take control of your horse and continue to ride safely.
Handling your reins
When you first start riding your instructor may ask you to start of by holding onto the neck strap or front of the saddle. However, if you do move onto holding the reins you should make sure that you hold one in each hand, so that they come up between your little finger and ring fingers, through the palm of your hand and out over the top of your index finger with your thumb pushed gently on the top. Hold them lightly and relaxed, easy to say for your first lesson but your hands should feel light and relaxed.
Walking on
The term walking on is basically like taking off the brake. To achieve this you give a little slack on the reins, just enough to release any pressure on the horses mouth, give a gentle kick with both legs and the horse will move slowly away. Try to use the whole length of your leg and not just the boot, as this will be more comfortable for the horse.
Turning
Now you have learnt to start your horse now it's time to turn and move in different directions. The first thing you should do is look over to the new direction to check the path is clear, open you wrist slightly towards your new direction. Your inside leg should nudge on the side you intend to go which will tell the horse your intentions to turn and which way.
The halt
To ask your horse to stop is not very hard, simply sit up tall on the saddle and pull slowly on the reins towards you. If the horse does not respond, just pull a little harder. Keep you legs on your horses sides at all times as this will help him to step up with his hind legs into the halt position.