Mar 28 2010
what are the basics of riding a horse?
okay so im 13 and im gonna start horse riding lessons in the summer and i think it would be good if i knew the basics of western riding …ive never been on a horse so i dont even know how to get on it and how to make it turn or stop so please help me and give me the basics please and should i take private lessons?? and how do you groom horses and ride horses?
This is waaaay too much to answer well. For the first few lessons, you might benefit from doing it individually so the instructor can focus on just you until you get the hang of it. When you have the basics, you can start doing group lessons.
With western riding, there are 3 basic gaits to the horse. The walk (4 beat gait, easy to sit, slow), the jog/trot (two beat diagonal gait, kind of bouncy, a little faster…think of a dog trotting), and the lope (also called canter…looks like how a dog does when they are running…its 3 beats and has a "lead"). When you ride western on a very trained horse, you typically ride one-handed (usually left hand) and steer with that hand. For a walk and trot, most people make a "cluck" or "clicking" type noise, and kind of bump the horse with their heels. For the lope, most people use a "kissing"" noise, and use their outside (leg on the fence) leg to ask for the lope. For a stop, you say WHOA, sit back a little, and pull your hand back softly. Once a horse is stopped, if you keep pulling back with your hand, they will start to back up.
Those are the basic commands in a nutshell. You always want to remember to ask the horse softly at first. If they are well-trained, they respond to that. Ask your instructor to teach you how to groom and saddle the horse. You might want to look up a diagram of the parts of the saddle.
The bridle is made up of the reins, bit, headstall, and a curbstrap or curb chain. Maybe look up this stuff too.
Also, when riding, you always want to make sure you keep your heels down. If you put your toes down, it throws your weight forward, and you can’t sit back correctly or stay centered on the horse.
Good luck, but I’d think about buying a book if you really want to get better info!