Horse Riding Resources - Sports

Horse Riding ResourcesВ В  by D. Van Pottelberghe

in Sports В В  (submitted 2007-12-29)

Horseback riding is very fun and relaxing and termed by most as a simple sport which can be taken up at one's own leisure as a hobby or done in the professional sphere (show jumping, horse racing and dressage).

About safety :

The most important thing to remember when riding horses is safety. You should always wear a helmet and the proper foot wear. In fact, the most essential item in a rider's wardrobe is a good pair of boots. Wear hard soled boots and avoid boots with deep arches, unless in case of an accident, you want your feet to get caught in the stirrups.

About mounting :

The next thing you should check before ever mounting your horse is the condition of your tack. Check your bridle and make sure that all of the parts are in good condition and are not damaged.

Check also your saddle to ensure that all of the rigging is in good condition and make sure that the girth is tight enough to keep the saddle from slipping during the ride.

Finally, check and make sure that the stirrups are the proper lenght for your legs. This will ensure that you will maintain a good seat while riding.

And please, never try out novel ways of getting into the saddle. You'll probably enjoy quite enough variety getting out of it.....

Abour riding :

After you get on your horse there are a few things that you should keep in mind. The most important thing is to sit up straight and look where you are going. If you are leaning to one side or the other in your saddle you will cause your horse to be off balance and you will hinder his movement. By sitting up straight, you will allow your horse to move as freely and naturally as possible.

When you are riding make sure that you use more leg pressure than pressure on the bridle. You always want your horse to move forward. If you are constantly pulling on the reins, eventually, your horse will start to pull back and he will ignore any cues you give him to slow down or to stop.

The notion of not letting the horse control or take the lead but rather you, the rider seems also rather stereotype. Surely, this is team work where the horse and the rider work together as one entity and create the perfect balanced result. As soon as one party tries to enforce it's control over the other then this becomes a power struggle and is no longer neither a sport nor a pleasure or leisure.

Mutual respect must be established between horse and rider....

About dismounting:

When you are finished riding, make sure that you always end on a good note and dismount on the left side. Un-tack your horse and give him a groom as well. You want to make sure that your horse always has a good experience so that you and your horse will be happy and will want to ride again.

About horses :

Always keep in mind that horses are extremely passionate, sensitive, emotional, intelligent and majestic creatures who like and respect people, however only when they are shown respect and love in return. Keeping that in mind, horseback riding should be a real pleasure.