Sunday, April 19, 2009

Starting Horse-Riding lessons...?

I%26#039;m starting riding lessons on Saturday as a beginner, i%26#039;ve already bought my boots and jods, and they have helmets u can use...any tips on my first lesson? I%26#039;m 15 and quite tall and strong so i dont think i%26#039;ll have too much trouble controling the horse...i dont have a horse and im not an expert on horses, i just love them and have always had a deep longing to learn to ride them...


what will the instructors be telling me to do on my first lesson? What should i expect?


Any tips of how to act around the horses?


Any tips on horses at all?


Everything will be greatly appreciated! :)


Thanks!

Starting Horse-Riding lessons...?
well first off you must understand that in the feild, the horses have a pecking order. the top horse is always the alpha mare, and its basicaly whatever she says goes. you MUST be that alpha mare. you MUST take control of your horse(in a kind way) and assert your dominace. If not, you will have major problems because then the horse will take charge, and will probabley through you off. You must also remember always that you can never hide your feelings from a horse. They know if you are sad, happy or angre and will normally react to your emotions. if you walk up to a horse and are all nervous, your horse will sence that and become nervous and that will cause major problems. be confident in yourself, and learn to trust you horse. Horseback riding is also about trust, and if you trust your horse to do what you want it to do, then your horse will trust you not to put it into danger.


Another thing you always have to look at is a horses body language. For example, if a horses feet look like there ready to take off at any moment, and its head is high as well as its tail, its telling you that its scarred, so you need to be more quiet when approtching him, and not to scare him.


One more thing, is that every horse is different. one horse might be very light tough, meaning you dont have to scwease your legs so much for them to go, while others may need a big kick before they will go.


Your first lesson will probabley just walking and mabey a little trotting, just to get used to the horse


I ganentie you will LOVE horsebak riding! no matter what hard time im going through, as soon as I step into that barn, and the horse smell hits me, I forget everything and its jus me and my horse in our own little world. You feel like you really belong when you are with them


Have fun!
Reply:i remember my first lesson first we learned to groom and tack up ti think most schools do this of course i remembered nothing of this the first time then we were led around the arena for a half a hour we didn%26#039;t trot for a few more weeks. a few thing s to remember are do everything the instructor says remember you are only a beginner and as werid as some thing they may ask you to do may sound listen to them and ask questions. Also if you don%26#039;t feel comfortable doing something by your self ask some on for help sometime ppl forget that what seems like basic knowledge for them you know nothing about in a proper school they should be willing to help and explain also don%26#039;t expect miracles it your first time all things take time riding included some ppl say u need no skill for horseback riding and the horse does all the work this is not true but don%26#039;t worry they will help teach you this skill.


and have fun i don%26#039;t think i will even forget my first lesson or even the horse i rode even though i have never ridden him again i don%26#039;t even ride there any more


one more thing when encouraging the horse to walk DO NOT kick then squeeze their sides first if they do not respond squeeze hard and kick them if instructed to
Reply:They will teach you how to squeeze with your thighs because those are what hold you on, and help you do EVERYTHING else
Reply:Don%26#039;t be over-confident and don%26#039;t be too timid! If you are nervous, don%26#039;t forget to BREATHE! Yes, really, I have seen so many people holding their breath on a horse! LISTEN to your instructor. Go slowly...don%26#039;t expect too much in your first lesson. Unlike some of the answers here I don%26#039;t agree with trotting on the first lesson! The most important thing is to get your balance. Hopefully your instructor will have you on a lunge line to start, just at walk, and get you to do lots of excercises like %26quot;windmilling %26quot;your arms, turning your body to pat the horses bum etc. Don%26#039;t think this is childish, it isn%26#039;t!


Always act in a calm, quiet, confident way around horses. Don%26#039;t squeal or wave your arms around or make sudden movements, don%26#039;t wear an open flapping jacket! Talk to them quietly and give lots of praise, verbal and pats.


I think the most important thing I learned when I first rode a horse is that you can%26#039;t fall off the back end (unless it rears!!) so don%26#039;t hunch up, sit up straight, relax, SMILE!!, keep your shoulders back and have a great time!
Reply:DON%26#039;T BE NERVOUS! The horse will sense this and start playing up, as it%26#039;ll think that there is something to be nervous about, so he%26#039;ll constantly be on edge.
Reply:Honestly, the best advice I can give you is to listen to everything your instructor says, and never be afraid to ask a question (even if it%26#039;s something that you think is really basic or that you feel %26quot;dumb%26quot; asking.)





I find it really helpful to take notes after my lesson, so I can rememebr anything new I learned, something new I mastered, or something I was doing wrong that my instructor showed me how to improve (so I don%26#039;t keep making the same mistake week after week!) It%26#039;s also a good way to keep track of your progress, to rememeber questions to ask next time, and so on and so forth.





Remember to always keep your helmet fastened - it won%26#039;t do any good sitting on your head if it%26#039;s undone. Use common sense and remember that while horses are large, potentially dangerous animals, it%26#039;s extremely rare that they will hurt you on purpose!





Last but not least, remember that you are there to learn. You will not inherently know how to do everything (or anything!) and it%26#039;s going to take a while to get the hang of things. EVERYONE learns this way and no one is the %26quot;natural%26quot; they think they are when just starting out! :) Just pay attention to your instructor and try your hardest, and you%26#039;ll do great. Have fun and good luck!
Reply:Pay good attention to everything your trainer says. Dont be nervous the horse can sense this and thinks somethings up and will react. I teach my begginers to properly groom and ride a horse.I believe that every begginer should ride bareback to get balance. I teach my students to properly Halter then brush and clean the hooves. Then I have them walk around the arena then get on bareback put there hands on the horses sholders to feel how there sholders move and thats how there hips need to move then I have them put there hands on the high part of the horse,then have there hands on there own legs,then have them move there hands out like the wings of a bird. I always make my students keep there toes pointed up. If you feel like your going to fall wrap your hands around the horses neck and slide off its safer then falling off hard. Your trainer will be holding the rope and going around in circles they will tell you were to look and how to turn.Then eventually after the kids get there balance I have them move up to a saddle and Let them hold the reins and teach them how to trot then after about 4 weeks and there improving I teach them to canter. i dont believe in troting on the first lesson. But that depends on how well the student is.Thats about all I do until they get the hang of it then they dont need me to be holding the rope. Good Luck I hope you have fun its easy once you get the hang of it.
Reply:Go into it with a good positive attitude, be humble ~ not cocky, be patient %26amp; calm. Listen very carefully, do exactly as you are told %26amp; ask questions. A good school will start you on a master. A horse that does everything right no matter what you do. This builds your confidence which is an important key in good horsemanship. For a beginner, there is no such thing as a stupid question, so ask!
Reply:I remeber my first ride, I rode at a horse camp that was mostly western, I was having lots of fun and it%26#039;s just a blast to ride.





one trick that sorta worked for me, when I got into lessons, was at the end of every lesson of riding... if there was something I either stuggled with or maybe something i had heard about, I would make it a goal for the next lesson and strive to perfect it! i ride english now and am loving every minute of it! and all you really have to remember is to have fun and be safe!
Reply:itll be nice and easy first off. you%26#039;ll learn how to mount, get moving, steer and stop. depending on how you do and the length of your lesson you might move up to trotting or school movements. be confident but not bolshy around the horses - nothing is more difficult for an instructor than someone who is terrfied or someone who is pushy!!!! always listen to instructions and keep breathing steadily (horses can sense your breathing), keep smiling and remember to have loads of fun!!! put your faith in the horse, the instructor and yourself and youll really enjoy it!!! good luck, hope you have a great ride!!! oh and remember to give your horse plenty of pats and they like strokes on the neck of course!!!!!!!
Reply:First of all I like to think that you don%26#039;t %26quot;control%26quot; the horse but you work as partners, but you are still their leader. You should expect that you have a nice, steady and safe horse, and you%26#039;ll probably get used to mounting, dismounting, finding out the aids, getting to know your horse and maybe try a trot.





Never walk behind the horses. And don%26#039;t force your presence onto them. Go up to them, hold out your hand and let them sniff it, then gently rub them between the eyes. When you get on try not to kick them on the bum, and try not to jab them with your toes (I know it%26#039;s hard as a beginner)








It may also be useful to invest in a well fitting body protector, if you are going to carry on with it.





Horses are amazing creatures and riding is sooo much fun, so enjoy it!





Good luck and hope I helped





=]
Reply:Be confident, keep an eye out. Just listen to your instructor. Depending on your stable you might learn to saddle/tack a horse or your might just jump straight on and learn the basics. How to stop, turn and walk (maybe trot).


Don%26#039;t under estimate a horses strength, they can surprise you, they are VERY strong and powerful.


Have fun, good luck!
Reply:at most places the insructor will help you for your first few lessons, be nice around the horses, but show them whos boss if they try to do any thing stupid


on yout first lesson your usually on a lunge line so dont have any worries, you%26#039;ll mostly be walking the whole time probobly, after a few lessons you can trot, then you%26#039;ll advance after a while and soo on


and they try to eat the hay alot so try to keep them away, its not good for them to eat it before your lesson, afters ok
Reply:where abouts are you going?



office chair

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