Horseback riding takes some muscle as well as brain power.
You don’t have to be Arnold Schwarzenegger nor do you need
to be a brain surgeon, but you do need to be ready to break
a sweat and think about what you need to do.
One of the first things a new rider will learn is the
basic rider’s position.
In the English saddle, the rider sits with her ear,
shoulder, hip and heel in a vertical line so that her
shoulders are over her hips and her lower leg comes under her.
Her heel is down, but not forced so that the leg juts forward.
Her back is straight and by lifting from the
sternum her shoulders go back.
Her elbows are bent and at her side and upper
arm against her rib cage.
The hands are low, near the horse’s wither to create a straight
line through the reins to the horse’s mouth. Hands are closed
in a fist around the reins, and the thumbs are turned upward.
To get an idea of the basic position before you get on a horse,
stand in modified horse stance while you are on the ground.
Spread your feet apart until they are about as wide across
as your shoulders (or slightly wider).
Bend your knees and lower your hips downward. Keep your back
straight and your shoulders over your hips.
Look down and take note of how your feet are under your hips.
When you are in the saddle, this is close
to the position you’ll take.
In fact, when you are in the saddle, if you imagine a
giant’s hand plucking you up out of the saddle by your
shoulders and putting you on the ground, would you be
able to hold the position or would your feet be too
far in front of you?
Trying to maintain it while steering or trotting your
horse will be a challenge in the beginning, and you’ll
need to mentally remind yourself to correct your position.
For more on the rider’s position, refer to the detail
found in our popular book:
Lots of you who receive this email magazine have years of
riding experience. so this is not for you.
If, however, you are just starting out, or want to get
started and haven’t yet, then listen up.
Dozens, actually hundreds, of folks ask how to get started
riding.
Like so many of us as a kid (and many later in life) we dreamed
of starting to ride but either didn’t have time, money or
even the opportunity to start riding.
Some folks have a real desire to ride but feel pretty scared
around those 1,200 pound animals full of muscle and speed!
But that is often what lures many into riding: the fact
that you can be in control of such a magnificent animal
and enjoy riding for all kinds of different purposes.
Do you just want to have fun riding in a ring, or
strike out trail riding, endurance riding, barrel racing,
roping, cutting, dressage, or a whole list of other
riding disciplines?
It doesn’t matter what your interest is today.
It all starts with the basics.
I urge you to take lessons from a qualified instructor
or trusted friend who knows and handles horses well.
but if you’re just starting out you need lots of
background information about types of horses,
breeds, how to care for them, how they think,
how to control them, etc.
Most of this basic information you can learn from
the comfort of your own home.
Lessons from a qualified instructor are usually
pretty expensive. Why pay them their expensive rate
to learn the basics that you can learn on your own
at your own pace at home?
