Beginners guide to horseback riding

This is a simple Beginners Guide to Horseback Riding!  

When you first decide to try horseback riding it is a very good idea to consult with a professional. As a professional horse trainer I can tell you it is much less stressful and much more exciting. As a horse trainer I know that if I was to want to work on classic cars for example that I would want to speak to someone experienced before I took on that challenge. It would likely fast track me, and I would probably save myself from a lot of mistakes. 

Once I have found someone who I am comfortable with I would definitely try to find myself a good quality saddle that i can sit in all day and not get sore. I would do this because i know that there is nothing worse than trying to learn something new and having to battle soreness at the same time. You can have your trainer/coach help you find a good quality saddle for your level of riding. Its also important that you have good riding boots not sneakers.

When i first began riding at a young age my grandfather told me there is no substitution for hours in the saddle. This is the main, most important step in the beginners guide to horseback riding. Any chance you get to spend multiple hours horseback at a time will help you improve your seat, feel, timing, and balance. Sometimes going in straight line for miles, on a trail ride, is the best thing for a beginner. When you are riding and you can feel your hips swinging in motion to the horse you are establishing your seat. If it is safe to do so, at this time, close your eyes and feel each step the horse makes. I suggest performing this at the walk, jog/trot, and lope, once you are comfortable and capable. 

Another great exercise is riding without stirrups. This exercise helps  you establish your balance which is very important when riding a horse.  With twenty years of experience I still do this exercise.  Many children establish excellent balance by riding bareback. If you can do so, try it; but, first make sure your horse will allow you to ride it bareback. This is where professional help comes in.  

The ultimate goal of being a balanced horseback rider is to have good posture, timing, and feel. Good posture on a horse is riding with your heels down and in line with your hips, and your hips inline with your shoulders, and your shoulders inline with your ears; all should be lined up in a straight vertical line.  You should be able to maintain this position throughout each gait.  As a young beginner I picked a rider who i thought was very pretty on a horse. Then each day as i would ride i would emulate that rider, i wanted to look like that rider. This gave me constant pointers and allowed me to critique myself daily: are my hands moving to much, are my heels down, am i gripping with my knees.  Being able to ask such questions to myself allowed me to become a pretty rider. This technique also gave me a positive mental image in my mind for me to strive towards. 

At this time in your riding career, the technicalities of posting on the correct diagonal, picking up the correct lead are irrelevant. They will take care of themselves as your seat gets better and better. Once you have established your seat you will then find yourself asking for more professional help in order to move to the next level. This is where the real changes start to occur. 

This brings me to the second most important step: never be afraid to consult someone for advice when it comes to learning how to ride horses. The greatest competitors in the world have mentors, coaches, and peers who they consult on a regular basis. This is what allows them to reach unbelievable levels of horsemanship. At the same time, this is what holds back many very talented people from achieving a high level of horsemanship. Many great horseman love to share their knowledge and are waiting for people just like you to share it with. Sharing knowledge, once you have it, is the third step to becoming a great horseman. Whenever you can teach horsemanship to someone else you gain more experience and knowledge yourself.

http://www.horseback-ridinglessons.com offers hours of videos online to help people with their horsemanship needs. This is one way that trainers and horse people alike can promote themselves, their horses, and their training programs to others. Feel free to check it out. Another great way to learn is by taking clinics or lessons. I personally used to go to horse shows even if i wasn't competing so that i could watch top trainers prepare their horses for show. Some of their techniques helped me train better and ride better. Eventually i became on of those riders.