What makes a good rider?

metalmare

metalmare

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On a different tangent to what makes an experienced rider, what three things are most important for you to be a good rider? I'm sure this has been done before but I didn't see it and probably others on here didn't either.

For me it would be more or less the same as what makes a good parent

1) empathy
2) the determination to reach a good enough standard to be safe and not hurt the horse through bad aids, etc
3) the knowledge that there is always more to learn and that they should be open minded and listen to others' advice, for the sake of their horse
 
I'd agree with you, there.
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Yeah - I like that, a nice way of putting it. I have said to a lot of people that I believe if you can be good with horses you can be a good teacher and a lot of them look at me like I am crazy and insulting but some nod.

As far as I can see you need these qualities to be successful with either a class of kids or a horse:

calm, fair, consistent, empathetic, open, warm and friendly, know your own mind, cool headed, punish quietly but meaningfully saving the big bang for extreme situations, know when to back down, know when to listen...

I could go on. I think if you can bring a foal up you can be very good with children. Althog#ugh not neccessarily vice versa - kids don't normally kick you in the face if you yell at them!
 
For me... In my words....

Some one whos willing to listen. learn and work together.
Some one who can adjust thier riding and understand the horses they ride.
A good rider will be effective on a horse... working with the horse with riding that has only a positive effect on the horse.
And a good rider knows what to espect... afew steps ahead of the horse... knowing that this means that... doing this will have this outcome...this will be the step to come next...
 
[ QUOTE ]
kids don't normally kick you in the face if you yell at them!

[/ QUOTE ] Nor should a horse with respect... how ever much he might blag... 'A good rider' is always top of pecking order.
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but i def agree with horses like childern, nice but firm, because in the long run it saves the 'big bang' somtimes you have to be crue to be kind.
 
<font color="bright pink"> [ QUOTE ]
To me, a good rider is calm and collected – just like the horse should be.

[/ QUOTE ]

i stay calm, and collected
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, yet i still end up been bombed across the menage
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and occasionally dumped on the floor after a series of huge bucks!!
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!! (only happened once, got sticky jods (and superglue
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) after that and stayed on since!!!
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!!!!)

to me a good rider should understand the horse. be calm and collected and have a basic understanding of the way horses act, the learning after that should come naturally with some help</font>
 
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