How to ride?

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xxcxx

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I have really only ever walked on my horse (my sister does the riding) Im the one that bought both horses and pay to keep them but due to being a bit overweight i havent ridden alot.Have been for a few lessons though (months ago) and the instructor says just sit there and dont even turn the horse.Stopped until i lose a bit of weight then will start again with lessons at a different place.Just wondering if anyone can tell me/explain:
* how you move your body when turning the horse? which leg/rein do you use? what part of your body do you put your weight on etc

*explain how to rise when trotting..also do you grip with your legs? rise up or forward? etc

*canter?
 
It is not a good idea to learn these things from a forum, , a bit like trying to explain how to ride a bicycle..........
The best thing would be to book a few lessons on a mechanical horse.
It will help to be fairly fit.
A beginner needs a sympathetic horse and a sympathetic instructor, and a lot of determination :)
Sit up straight and look between the ears, keep your balance, but start by increasing your fitness by running twenty minutes every night, increase the distance every week.
 
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Thanks.I am planning on a lesson every week but just because the last instructor just told us to sit and not even turn the horse or how to move with it etc was looking for some help on this.
 
Yes, but the instructor or pony was not suitable, and I have to tell you that your own horse may not be suitable, but you can learn a lot of the basics on a mechanical horse, and you don't need to worry about it doing things.
The basics are things like naming all the tack, the points of the horse, and so one, there will be books available to learn these essential things.
Lessons once a week will mean that you may be thinking about canter in a few months, but you may be a natural, and progress in a few weeks [unlikely], however, it is essential you learn properly, as a bit like golf, it is easier to do the wrong thing than the right thing.
Get a good instructor and do what she says. If you just want to practice ask your sister to watch your lessons and then help you, she needs to make a lot of effort to pay you for your expense.
She can show you how to tack up, and how to walk over poles on the ground, and that is only week one. The more you ride the quicker you will learn.
 
Thanks but was just wanting it explained to me.So that when the time comes for lessons and the instructor doesnt explain very well then i know but it's no problem.I have had my oldest for over 3 years so i know how to tack up etc Just been a while since i had lessons and since i got the first horse i have only been for about 5.Which were just a waste of money since i wasnt taught anything.So probably do alot of walking on my horse.
 
Turning: Keep your shoulders parallel with the horse, when you want to turn, turn your shoulders.

Trotting: Don't grip with anything. Simply take your belly button forward and let the momentum of the horse take you up.

Cantering: Just sit, don't grip or tense otherwise you will bounce.

Clear as mud?

I thought so - sorry, but trying to "tell" someone how to ride, is like trying to "tell" someone how to walk. Try it and you will understand what I mean.

If the instructor isn't making sense to you when you are riding, then that person isn't the right teacher for you.

Cheers.
 
First thing is the pony, is it sutable for a beginner
Second thing is the instructor, is she a qualified instructor and used to teaching people of your age and ability level.
Third thing is the facilities, it is possible to learn with a compliant pony in a field, but there is a reason most teaching is done in a controlled space on a controllable pony.
You have read all that you can about the tack, and your sister has shown you how to tack up and how to identify the points of the horse.
Now you have to mount, do you need a leg-up?
Do you think you should use a mounting block? How are you going to do this ........ take the reins in one hand and foot in one stirrup and swing one leg over ......... I am sure there are youtube clips on this. YOU are unable to control this pony, so a responsible person has to have control of the pony.
I assume the saddle is the correct size for the pony, but is it correct size for you, if you are overweight your bum might overflow the saddle!
Take the reins in your hands, with three fingers over and one finger behind. Take up the lightest of of *contact and squeeze gently while allowing the pony to walk forward, ie allow your hands to "go with the flow"
OK so far?
Then you need to stop him, so sit down in the saddle [you have to sort of push down your body], and maintain a light pressure on his mouth via the reins, as soon as he responds you release the pressure on his mouth as he needs to have his head forward in order to balance himself.
OK, that takes about 60 seconds of your lesson, you have mounted and you have moved forward and you have stopped.

*contact : in English riding style the horse has learned that you have some of the control of him via his bit and your hands, the reins are the leather straps which do this. You hold the reins, the pony holds the bit. This is only one of the aids, you need to learn others, and use them when appropriate. Riding well is a skill which few people take to easily and naturally. Riding badly is more common, and is not enjoyable for the horse, or for the rider in the long term.

You can choose to be a passenger: in the way that many peope go pony trekking, here the horses are normally strong, well balanced and are independant of their rider, so your job is to keep them happy, and interfere as litte as possible.
 
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Yeah it was very annoying.The instructor would say hold the reins straight but when turning left,i would put my right rein slack for turning and she would shout to straighten them up but would i not be pulling on the horses mouth then? Also to turn left i was always told to put my right leg on the horse (not kicking,but a squeeze) and this instructor done the opposite side so just confused me.And when turning i know you are meant to turn with the horse but i was told just to sit.While i am walking it will probably be my horse.Not going to spend money to walk on a horse which is why im asking.Yes my horse is safe and suitable to learn on as my sister has learnt everything on him,with barely any lessons and is a pretty good rider.Has a much better jumping psition than people i know that have been riding 7 years.I was taught at a riding school about 8 years how to tack up.I have been doing it for almost 4 years so yeah,i know how to do that.I also know how to mount etc I am in my 20's...was at a riding school when i was 15 for a while and have been on my horse,just walking and a bit of trotting.Walked,trotted and cantered when i had lessons a few months ago.Instructor chased after the horse with a whip so had no choice wether i wanted to canter or not.Have cantered on 2 horses there but was unbalanced on one (she was young and bum high so it felt like she had no neck in a way so i was unbalanced) and the other was a heavy cob with such a smooth,slow canter and felt i did all right on him.Hated being chased with a whip though because the horses could have easily bolted etc.My horse has been fitted with a saddle by a saddle fitter and is 17" which is perfect for him and me (some space left behind me).Also when trotting just wasnt sure wether (when you rise) you like stand in the saddle or go forward.
 
You should be able to rise in trot without any stirrups at all - try it on a suitable horse and you'll quickly discover what rising is supposed to feel like. You should not be standing straight up in the stirrups. It's a small forward motion that comes from the hips.

I think the best thing for you is to spend a few hours watching youtube videos... There are thousands on how to ride different movements and how to sit correctly, apply aids correctly, turn, walk, trot, canter... It's really an endless resource. You'll find different people do it a little differently but you should start to see certain patterns forming and you'll get an idea of how it all 'works'. It's not a case of "pushing buttons" - it's a case of training responses to specific actions - which themselves HELP the horse do the right thing. For instance, you are right, if you kept your reins totally straight going around a corner, you'd be pulling on the outside - but your instructor meant to keep equal contact - not equal length. Watch some videos and you'll gradually begin to understand how this all works and why you need to put your legs in a specific place and turn with the horse etc.

However, you need to get lessons - even for walking. No matter how much you watch and know, having a pair of eyes on the ground is priceless. You seem to think your instructor wasn't very good but I suspect your instructor was just trying to keep things simple. People can't coordinate their bodies very well when they first start riding so telling them about every little thing is pointless.

When I teach someone to ride, the first thing I do is just let them get used to the movement - no steering or anything. I tell them to keep their legs hanging loosely, hold the reins correctly but loose and move their hips along with the horse. Only once they look a bit more comfortable do I then show them how to stop and go. Then I explain how to steer. Finally, I take back control and let them experience the feeling of trotting and get them rising - again without them worrying about steering or speed control. Next time you go to a riding school, explain what you want to learn and get them to tell you HOW they will teach it. Then you'll have a clearer idea of where the lesson is going rather than jumping ahead when you're not actually ready to move on to the next stage.
 
The thing with horses is they behave differently at different times. So in one half of a circle the horse could be falling through the outside shoulder to try to get to the gate and in the other half of the circle be falling through the inside shoulder to try to get to the gate. That would require you to use two different sets of aids on one circle, both of which would be slightly different from the aids needed for a well behaved horse to turn a circle. Riding is not as simple as learn the theory then put it into practice,you have to ride the horse you are sitting on at the time depending on how it is behaving at that precise moment. This is where the riding instructor comes into it. A mechanical horse or lunge lessons is a good place to start so you can gain balance in all paces without having to control the horse. Reading books about how to ride is not a bad idea and will give you some idea of what you are aiming for. Individual riding lessons are better for learning. For some reason (probably financial, riding schools earn more from group lessons than individual ones) riding schools tend to put beginners into group lessons to start with. The problem with that is the riding instructor caters to the masses and a basic level of knowledge in the rider is assumed with the result that those who know nothing get shouted at for their simple mistakes, their ignorance is ignored rather than corrected and the rider learns nothing. If you return to a riding school ask for individual lessons, it is where real learning happens. In riding schools it is my experience that group lessons are for those who want to ride but have little interest in learning. Or if your own horse is suitable you could have a freelance instructor come out to teach you.
 
Walking On - Gather up your reins so that you can just feel your horses mouth, give a little tap with your legs and as the horse walks on allow with your fingers so that the horse feels free to move. While walking the horse moves it head forward and down then back and up, you allow your elbows to follow the movement so that you keep the contact on the reins.

To move into trot, you'll shorten your reins and move your hands forward a little, tap with your legs and as the horse trots he will raise his head a little, you then move your hands back towards you.

Rising trot - you will need to feel the rhythm, the horse will throw you around until you get into the rhythm. To rise, Incline your body slightly forward so as to keep with the forward motion of the horse. Lift your body from your knees as you swing your hips forward, towards the front of the saddle. Initially try just to lift yourself forward off the saddle, then sit down, then again lift yourself off the saddle, then sit down again, initially you won't be in sync with the horse but with a bit of practise you'll get the rhythm.

Turning, first look where you want to go, slightly turn the horses head in the direction of the turn, the other hand will need to allow for you moving the head over. Then use the leg on the same side as the direction you are going. This leg is used where it normally hangs however the other leg - the one on the opposite side to the direction you are going is held against the horses side behind the girth to take control of the hindquarters should they swing out of line. Try to remember your shoulder parallel to the horses shoulder and your hips parallel to the horses hips.

I too am overweight and am not currently riding as I feel unbalanced/top heavy, so I'm on a goal to get to 100kg before I ride again. Is a great incentive, I've already lost 12kg. Good luck with your weight loss and keep in mind that goal.
 
Whereabouts in the country are you? If you give an idea of the area, someone may be able to recommend a good instructer for you. Your previous one doesn't sound very helpful or sympathetic, rather than saying "don't do ...." he should be explaining how the position of your body and legs affects your horse.
 
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