Learn the basics of walking, trotting, cantering and posting a horse.
Anyone who’s ever ridden a horse knows the exhilaration that’s felt when you head off on a great ride. Learning to control such a powerful beast can give even the most timid personality a boost of self confidence. But, to master the art of horseback riding, a rider must first learn how to thwart the horse’s inner curiosity in order to stay in charge.
Learning to ride high in the saddle can give the rider more confidence, while showing the horse who’s in charge. To do this, he rider must sit with a tall straight back; heels down; while staying abreast the horse without holding onto anything but the reins; and being able to anticipate the horse’s every move.
Once a rider learns how to sit straight and tall with confidence it’s time to learn a few other basics:
Reining & Guiding
Holding the reins may seem simple – until you actually try it! It’s important for a new rider to always remember that the reins are the only “line of communication” between a rider and his/her horse. Tangling the reins will confuse the horse and lead to disobedience. Proper reining technique include:
1. holding the reins in both hands
2. holding the reins between the little finger and the ring finger and out the top between the thumb and index finger with a loose fit
Walking Forward. To coax a horse forward, a rider should squeeze his/her legs against the horse’s sides and relax the reins. Sometimes whistling or clicking helps.
Veering Right. To make a horse turn right, pull back on the right rein and loosen the hold on the left. Pressure on the horse’s right side with the rider’s right leg, while bringing the left leg back also works. To turn left, reverse these signals.
Stopping. To make a horse stop, a rider must simply press his seat down, leaning forward, while pulling back gently on the reins.
Mastering the Trot
To trot, a rider should sit upright, with shoulders back, head up and eyes forward. Hold the reins firmly, leaving enough slack to allow the horse to move his head. Begin walking the horse then, once comfortable; the rider should squeeze his leg from the thigh down, releasing the pressure and loosening the reins. The horse will then begin trotting.
Cantering
Cantering is a faster gait than trotting, so every new rider should be sure they are ready before trying it! Once the horse is in a steady trot, the rider should bring his outside left leg back, squeezing hard on the horse’s side. Sitting deep into the saddle, and bringing the seat forward, while also putting some pressure on the inside rein should signal to the horse that it’s time to canter.
Posting
While fairly easy to do, posting can take awhile to get the rhythm. To begin, a rider needs to gradually coax the horse into a trot, then try to synchronize his/her rising and falling in the saddle with each stride. It’s important to rise to count one and sit to count two.
