March
17
If you could give a horse rider (beginner or experienced) 1 bit of advice (most important) wat would it be?
eg… how to hold the horses reigns properly to maintain balance ETC ETC ETC…..
Thanx soo much 4 ur help!!
I was told be a great jockey once "It does not take a good rider to sit on a horse that is playing up, it takes a good rider to not let them play up in the first place."
He was referring to riders who sit up on a horses and think they look good because the horse is playing up and dancing around. And he is right, it takes more skill to not let the horse play up in the first place. LOL
I practice avoidance. My sister puts her hand under a horses mouth then wonders why it bit her!? Then she makes a big fuss about what the horse did, my response…. "keep you hand away it’s mouth." Don’t LET the horse do something and then complain or discipline the horse for something you allowed 
I practice that in every day life That is the first of MANY great bits of advice I have recieved!
March 17th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Try not to fall off
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March 17th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
My beginner advice would be:
Sit down, shut up and hang on!
In all seriousness though, the first bit of advice would be how to safely approach a horse. Safety around horses must be ingrained from day one when handling an animal that’s 10 times your weight. It seems that too many people get lax around their animals and end up being injured. I’m not saying that wearing a bubble wrap suit would be the best idea but you have to respect an animal that can strike you dead with a single blow.
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March 17th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
Get with your horse so your horse can get with you. No struggles. No confrontations. Be a fair, firm leader, much like his mama: All-knowing, all-seeing and out guide him every step of the way. Be there for him and in the NOW.
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March 17th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
Don’t be scared to ask questions. The learning curve is so steep and sometimes an instructor may say something you don’t understand (like change rein or post with the outside leg). Also figure out HOW you learn….I like to see my trainer demonstrate, while others may be better listening to a description. Tell you trainer that.
Oh, and don’t feel embarrassed to ‘grab mane’…if it keeps you in the saddle it doesn’t matter if it is not graceful!
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March 17th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
listen to our instuctor, there there to help! and give your horse there head and
talk with your legs,whisper with your hands,guide with your heart and praise with your mouth! you will understand that when you are ready, that is how i learned!
good luck
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March 17th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Probably not to be afraid to ask questions and always have your heels down and your eyes up.
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March 17th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Have confidence and it will show through your horse.
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March 17th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
I give my most important 3 things:
1. Know how your horse ‘thinks’ so that you can control it. (For example: how one horse is dominant over another is the best way to be a horse’s friend and master at the same time)
2. Know how your horse feels so that you can predict it. (Pay attention to things your horse hears by looking at his ears, so you can react before your horse runs away in fear)
3. Try to make things as good as possible for you and your horse (A horse likes to work together, he is never against you. You should do the same)
More practical i should say that the balance and relaxation of you and your horse are most important. In Holland we call that ‘nageefelijkheid’. The horse relaxes his back and neck, more movement comes from his back legs and the horse reacts better on all your movements.
I hope this answers your question. For more information about my last point, use the link.
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http://www.hippocampus-nl.com/s2e.php?content_id=315 and almost 10 years of dressage riding, show jumping and working with horses in general.
March 17th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Enjoy what your doing
once you stop enjoyin it, stop horse riding. <-As my dad always said ! don’t take things too seriously, its a sport !
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March 17th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Look to the horse’s health, tack and your own methods of riding before blaming the horse! Keep your hands still and arms flexible and remember that there is a living being under you and in front of you and treat him accordingly! He has feelings and should be treated accordingly. Never lose your temper with a horse. Far better to finish on a good note, ie hopping over a low rail and leave it for the day. If the horse is healthy and the tack fits tomorrow is always another day. He may do it perfectly tomorrow.
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Riding instructor
March 17th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
I was told be a great jockey once "It does not take a good rider to sit on a horse that is playing up, it takes a good rider to not let them play up in the first place."
He was referring to riders who sit up on a horses and think they look good because the horse is playing up and dancing around. And he is right, it takes more skill to not let the horse play up in the first place. LOL
I practice avoidance. My sister puts her hand under a horses mouth then wonders why it bit her!? Then she makes a big fuss about what the horse did, my response…. "keep you hand away it’s mouth." Don’t LET the horse do something and then complain or discipline the horse for something you allowed
I practice that in every day life
That is the first of MANY great bits of advice I have recieved!
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33 years riding/owner
March 18th, 2010 at 12:31 am
I would say learn to recognize the signs your horse gives, 100% of the time you can tell, if your listening to your horse what he’s gonna do so learn to recognize those signs and give him something else to think about.
eg. if he’s gonna rear push him faster.
Learn to listen to your horse and you’ll be able to prevent him being naughty!
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March 18th, 2010 at 1:11 am
Sit up straight.
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March 18th, 2010 at 1:19 am
Wear a helmet. If you don’t you have no idea what could happen to you. I fell off back in November. I got a mild-serious concussion (It’s slightly more on the serious side, I mean, no brain damage, but it’s been almost 4 months since I fell, I still haven’t been cleared to ride like I used to). I’ll be getting back on for the first time this coming Monday, but I’m not allowed to jump (At least, not anything bigger then a teeny crossrail). I’m not scared, but it’s been a long time. I got this concussion WHILE I was wearing a helmet. I could have had permanent brain damage or died if I wasn’t wearing one. I got this while working on the flat, not while jumping.
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March 18th, 2010 at 1:42 am
ALWAYS check your tack. ALWAYS.
I’m usually pretty laid back, but when I see people with their saddles flopping around and their bridles twisted I get angry O_O lol
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March 18th, 2010 at 2:22 am
"how to hold the horses reigns properly to maintain balance ETC ETC ETC….. " NEVER balance using the horse’s mouth.
Was told once: "There is a big difference between a ‘rider’ and a ‘horseman’."
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March 18th, 2010 at 2:32 am
Use common sense!!! Be aware and know what you are doing, but don’t make it stressful for you or your horse. Also don’t take yourself too seriously. Be fair with your horse and value your relationship with him over your success in the show ring. Horses are not robots, they are living breathing animals. So be patient and don’t expect perfection from him. Strive for your best.
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March 18th, 2010 at 3:13 am
I would say: "take every ride for granted, because you never know when it’s going to end."
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March 18th, 2010 at 3:33 am
To put your hand in your heart, before you put your hand on a horse…
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March 18th, 2010 at 4:09 am
Heals down, shoulders back, sit up straight, thumbs up, always look where you want to go
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March 18th, 2010 at 4:39 am
Heels down!
That’s the single most important thing to help you say on. It has saved many a rider from falling.
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March 18th, 2010 at 5:28 am
Feel confident in yourself and your horse. Your horse can pick up on your feelings, and if your scared and nervous e.g. going over a jump chances are he will too and will refuse it or something.
Of course there’s the whole position and physical side of riding but I always believe that if you can’t grasp the emotional and trusting your horse etc. aspects of riding you’ll never be a good rider. x
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me.
March 18th, 2010 at 6:08 am
This is a hard question, theres so many things I could say…
First thing I notice is that people use harsh bits- some beginner riders think they need them, but their horses really don’t. Other experienced riders (I know a few) also think that since they’re experienced, they can use a super harsh bit, even if their horse doesn’t really need it. They normally know how to use it, but they don’t need it… So mine is "the best bit is a bit of knowledge!"
Something else I’d say is grip with your lower legs, not your knees!!!! So many people grip with their knees and it bugs me! You have to really get your leg on the horse and use your lower leg if you want to get better.
And then I’d also give them advice about not forcing the horse to go into a jump with a crop- let them investigate it first. Trot by in a few times, canter by it. Let them sniff the jump. Then trot into it, having soft hands and contact. That method works much better, in my opinion, then smacking a horse with a crop to get them to move foreward and then having them overjump, you catch them in the mouth, and then the horse be afraid of the jump/jumping. :/
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March 18th, 2010 at 6:25 am
Two bits of advice:
Focus on keeping your seat separate from you hands, and feel your horse and anticipate it’s movements.
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March 18th, 2010 at 6:30 am
wear a helmet
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March 18th, 2010 at 7:12 am
The one piece of advice that I’d give a beginner is to find an appropriate partner: a horse who has the training and temperament to TEACH YOU! A good riding instructor is necessary, but the BEST teacher is the horse himself !!! A good horse will let you know when you are riding well by performing correctly, and let you know when your aids are wrong by performing the wrong action or ignoring you entirely. The rider needs to trust the feedback they get from the horse.
I see people doing the wrong thing with beginners all the time. Parents buy a young/green horse for their beginning child thinking they can "grow together." Most of the time they just end up confused together! Or at riding schools, the beginners get the stubborn and disobedient horses who won’t respond to anything but the most harsh commands, so the riders never learn to ride softly. If the poor rider can’t get the horse to do what he asked, he doesn’t know if A) he asked wrong, B) he asked correctly but the horse didn’t understand because the horse lacks training, or C) the rider asked correctly but the horse is just being stubborn.
Remember the old saying: GREEN horse + GREEN rider = BLACK & BLUE !
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March 18th, 2010 at 7:23 am
If you don’t think you can do it neither will your horse. I think this is important for beginners because if you are scared you might not want to do something and then when he fails you get upset and its important for advanced people because as you improve and you start jumping higher if you turn into the jump terrified you horse wont know whats wrong and 9 out of 10 times he will give up.
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March 18th, 2010 at 8:10 am
Always make sure that you ride with an up to the standard hard hat. This can be the differance between life and death.
If you have had a bad fall in a hat always replace it with a new one.
When i was younger, i had plenty of falls showjumping, and didn’t replace my hat, and also i wore a clip under my hat – stupid i know – but now im paying the price as i now have epilepsy which i am sure is caused through all the falls iv’e had.
Protect your head .
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riding instructor.
March 18th, 2010 at 8:15 am
‘Don’t be afraid to ask questions’ is the best bit of advice I can offer you. Everyone was a beginner at some point or another, and no-one’s going to think you’re stupid if you ask something about the tack/the horse/whatever.
Another piece of advice: no-one knows everything.
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