How To Ride

You often hear people say that they have been riding since they were three years old, or they were practically born in the saddle. Simple logic will belie this. No child of three years has enough coordination or strength. However, children do have a natural balance but no particular rhythm. Every sportsman knows the necessity of coordination, balance, and rhythm.

There must be coordination between the legs, hands, and body in moving a horse forward. For example: to move the horse forward you release the tautness of the reins and shift the body forward. If you shifted your body and pulled back on the reins, you would be asking the horse to stop and go at the same time. The reins, however, act as a control to keep the horse from moving out faster than the rider wishes. Horsemanship has rules of procedure just as any other sport, and in order to get the full enjoyment from a horse the owner should know the basics of horsemanship.

Before you buy a horse there should be a year of lessons, not only to learn the fundamentals of riding but to learn how to conduct oneself around an animal and the stables.

Without instruction you pick up a lot of bad habits. It used to be common practice to throw someone into the water to teach him to swim. In self-taught riding you may be able to ride a horse you are familiar with, but put yourself on an animal inclined to be stubborn or one that hasn't been ridden for some time and you will be grabbing for leather and your apparent accomplishments will suddenly disappear. Not only will you be embarrassed by your own inadequacies but the horse will recognize the lack of skill and take advantage. Yes, indeed, there is more to riding a horse than the mere act of sitting on his back.

Riders can be placed in three categories, as can horses. The rider who goes on trail rides at the usual mountain resorts need only be capable of sitting in the saddle. This rider is called a passenger. The horse has been trained to keep his place in line, behind a certain horse, never gets out of a walk, and follows to the end of the trail and back again. The fact is, you couldn't blast one of these horses out of his place in line with a pound of dynamite.

The second type of rider is the one who frequents riding academies. The rides are for an hour, and the horse knows exactly when this hour is up and will return to the barn whether the rider is ready or not, and usually at a dead run. This type of rider is called a gunsel. If he is lucky enough to remain in the saddle during the run, he believes he is a good rider. These poor horses usually have hard mouths, from amateurs pulling on them, their legs break down from cantering on pavements, and the stable string is constantly being changed because of the condition of the horses. Most academy owners try to buy horses that won't get out of a walk because they last longer. Then, of course, there is the expert and the person who takes lessons. The expert can spot a phony by the lack of correct horse jargon and by the way in which a person approaches an animal. He doesn't have to see them ride. An expert shows his horsemanship, the amateur talks it.

Horsemanship is a science. If we lived a hundred years we would never learn all of it. But there are many phases, and once you have learned the basics you choose the category you wish to follow. And strangely enough every horseman believes his category is the best. The first category is the pleasure horse, with which this book is mainly concerned. In pleasure riding, after the basics of horsemanship are learned, there is nothing to do but enjoy your horse, the companionship, the personality, and the affection that come of owning a personal mount.

Breeding is a business and concerns the improvement of a strain, and exhibition usually follows this phase in order to bring the stock in front of the public. Horse shows offer many categories for showing: Jumping, Saddle Seat, Three and Five Gait, Harness, Western Pleasure, Equitation, and Western Trail, Stock Horse, Cutting, Rodeo, Gymkhanas, and Halter classes. There is a place for everyone from the most expensive horses and tack to the animal of questionable breeding that has talent for games or trailing. Once you have started into horsemanship the way is open in any direction your talents or desires may take you. The opportunity is there, and it depends on what you want to put into it.

Even though it may take years to become an expert horseman you can have fun learning each lesson. Each bit of knowledge and accomplishment will make you eager for more, and each lesson will become more interesting. In riding, coordination, balance, and rhythm become a habit. Watch a horse suddenly shy with an experienced rider. The horseman's body works automatically with the motion of the mount, his hands control the horse's head, and the animal is brought back into position without too much effort.

An uncontrolled horse will do as he pleases. If the inexperienced rider gives the wrong cue, the horse will obey without question, even though it is poor judgment. How many times have you heard people say, "This stupid horse won't go." Believe me, it isn't the horse who is stupid. It is the ignorance of horsemanship showing quite plainly. There is a slogan all horsemen know well, "It is always the rider, never the horse." It is so easy to blame the horse.

A good horseman knows he must do the thinking for his mount because the animal is trained to follow cues and do whatever he is directed. The careless, inconsiderate rider will always be with us, the showoff, the overconfident person without a shred of compassion who thinks only of how fast he can go. For this type of rider the only safe horse is a dead one.

It is well to remember that most of the time a horse is only as safe or as good as the rider on his back. For example: any good horseman knows a horse cannot buck unless he gets his head below his knees. He must collect himself for a buck. If a rider becomes frightened and pulls on the reins, the horse may rear and go over backward. The animal is not rearing because he is mean, he is rearing because the rider is pulling him up and the bit is hurting his mouth. He goes up to get away from the pain. When a horse rears, the rider need only throw his weight forward and the animal will be off balance enough to have to go down on his front feet. Ninety per cent of accidents can be the fault of the rider. A good knowledge of horsemanship will almost entirely eliminate accidents.

There are many schools of thought on how to learn to ride and many methods are taught, but the fact remains that the basic requirements are the same, balance, rhythm, and coordination, and without these three, in some degree, you cannot learn to ride. Everyone develops a style because of the way the body is built. A stout person will not ride the same as a long-legged thin one.

When you start lessons, the first thing that will affect you will be a tinge of fear when you climb on the horse's back. You have to get used to the height from a horse's back. You cannot learn to ride as long as you have any fear, because it makes you tense and there is no place for tenseness on a horse's back. There is little danger of falling off during the beginner period because you will not be allowed out of a walk until you have learned to sit. However, every horseman falls off sooner or later, and the falling is not so bad as the anticipation. You may be thoroughly jarred but rarely hurt. It is usually the experienced rider who falls, and this is because he rides well enough to become careless with his balance.

In mounting, the horse should be taught to stand still. The American Horse Shows rule book says: Take up the reins in the left hand and place hand on the withers. Stand, facing rear of horse, grasp stirrup leather with the right hand, and insert left foot in stirrup and mount. This type of mounting will work better for a short person and, of course, if you intend to show, the rule book should be followed. However, there are many ways of  mounting, and some local areas may have different rules. Wherever you show, follow the rules of the region. Many people mount from the side, facing the saddle so they may watch the animal's head. If a horse "cow-kicks," it is better to face the back of the animal. If the horse "bites," face the saddle, but this can also be taken care of by tightening the far rein so that the animal cannot get his head around. If the animal is inclined to move before you get into the saddle, tighten the near rein so that the horse will be forced to come back around you. In showing, an animal will be marked down if it moves while mounting and also for bad manners. Many riders like to grasp the reins and saddle horn together and, with leverage, hop to the stirrup and then into the saddle. Some even ignore the stirrup altogether and swing into the saddle from the ground. These are in the same category with those leaping over the rump of the horse and landing in the saddle. Your own prowess and ability at showmanship will govern your manner of mounting. You're always safe, however, to follow state and national rules.

The center of balance is maintained in the position of the legs and feet. When they are in position, you are forced by your own muscle coordination to sit properly. You sit straight but not stiffly in the saddle. Tuck the tailbone well down into the tree of the saddle. The cantle of the saddle is like the back of a chair. It is for support, not to sit on. Pressure against the cantle would put your weight behind the center of the saddle. Such a distribution of weight works a hardship on the horse because the main portion of the body would be over the animal's kidneys. The weight should be more toward the withers and put more onto the shoulders of the horse. You should be able to draw a line from your ear, touching your hipbone, to the ankle. Legs should hang straight and slightly forward to the stirrups. The stirrups should be just short enough to allow the heels to remain lower than the toes. The body should always appear comfortable, relaxed, and flexible. The weight of your body should be on the ball of your foot with the toes up and the heels down, taking the brunt of the weight. If you look down, your knee should cover the sight of your toe. The inside sole of your boot should be pressed down on the inside of the stirrup, making the outside of the stirrup slanted toward the horse's body. The toes should be pointed straight ahead. The thighs and the lower leg should maintain necessary pressure and should be in close contact with the saddle.

Remember, you are riding by balance so there should be no forced pressure with the knees. Pressure will come automatically as needed to maintain balance. Perhaps the most pressure is used when jumping a horse when the rest of the body must "follow through," but it is used only during the actual act of taking the rail. Maintaining the feet in the correct position will become a habit as will the balanced seat and the proper handling of the reins.

In repose, arms are in a straight line with the body. The arm involved in holding the reins should be bent at the elbow. In western riding the reins are held in the left hand. The American Horse Shows rule book suggests that the hands should be around the reins. However, here again the manner of holding the reins may vary with the region. In California the reins are held somewhat like an ice-cream cone. Putting the thumb down, you grasp the reins so they enter the palm of the hand by the little finger and come out of your fist over the thumb. They are held in this manner because sometimes just a turn of the wrist inward is enough to stop a horse. The arm hardly moves; there is only wrist action. The most common method outside of California is to separate the reins with the forefinger. This is done to keep the reins from slipping, causing uneven reins as leather against leather will slip. Some hold the reins in the position of shaking hands, with the reins passing over the palm, holding with the thumb. If you intend only to pleasure ride, hold the reins the way they benefit you and aid you best in controlling your horse. If you intend to show in western classes, study the manner required by the rule book in your area. The reins are also held in the left hand to leave the right hand free to open gates, swing a lariat, etc.

The reins should be held several inches in front of the saddle horn and about three inches above the withers. The reins should be loose enough to allow the horse the opportunity of following cues but taut enough to maintain control of the animal's head. When you have learned the feel of the reins, your fingers, wrists, and arms will be relaxed and flexible, giving or taking slack as the movements of the horse's head demand. A "feel" of the reins comes only with experience, and every horse's head is different.

Some horses need a firm hand while others can be ridden with a loose rein. You will find yourself balancing with the reins, and the result will be that your mount may continually stop. It takes a few weeks to learn to sit without giving thought to each position of seat and legs, but as you feel your balance improving, sitting will be more comfortable. Don't allow your body or legs to become stiff or let your heels fly up. If you can't remember to keep your heels down, tie a string to your ears and to the toes of your boots. If your feet get out of position, see what happens to your ears. Remember that an improper seat not only destroys your balance but also eliminates the control you have over your horse. But use the balanced seat as the correct form of riding and use the reining to get the best results from your horse. Learn them well.

The reins are the "telegraph lines" to the horse's head. Western horses are neck reined. When turning the horse to the right, move rein hand to the right, causing left rein to touch the left side of the horse's neck. He is trained to move away from the rein pressure. Brace your feet slightly in the stirrups, touch a heel on the turning side (right), and lean slightly, with the body, to the right, and press lightly with the left leg. Measuring from the ears to the withers, strike a middle line on the neck. Lay the reins against this area to turn. Reverse the procedure in order to turn to the left. At first exaggerate your movements so that the horse will "feel" them. As you improve, your cueing will become smoother and only a slight aid will be needed to move the animal in the direction desired.

To stop the horse, shift the weight slightly back and pull back lightly, then release the reins. The stop should be balanced, and if the horse does not stop, pull harder, forcing the animal to an abrupt halt. By pushing slightly with the balls of the feet and squeezing with the knees, the horse will learn to stop without so much pressure on the reins. If the horse does not stop well with reasonable pressure on the reins, he should be retrained. The reason for releasing the reins when the cue is first given to stop is because constant pressure on the reins means to "back."

To back the horse, the chin should be in and a series of short, easy pulls on the reins will back the horse, a step at a time. The rider's weight should be back. Move the horse forward a few steps after backing. This teaches the animal to expect a forward move and will prevent unnecessary backing.

You learn one gait at a time, and it is wise not to attempt to progress until each step is properly learned. You will be using hands, legs, weight, and voice to control the horse. The aids or cues act together in coordination, each aiding or correcting the use of the other.

Perhaps the hardest part of learning to ride is to move the horse. The tendency of the rider is to "kick." A slight touch of the heel may be necessary in the trot and canter, but shifting the body forward should be sufficient to move the horse into a walk. Use caution in "clucking" to the horse as it may affect other mounts in company. The action of the reins and body should move simultaneously. The shoulders should be erect but relaxed. The legs from the knees down along with the feet should be firm and balanced on the ball of the foot in the stirrup tread. If the body is relaxed, the weight will be well about the hips, so when this weight is shifted forward the animal will feel the movement through the saddle. If the animal does not move at once, lay the rein across the neck, forcing him to take one step and then follow, quickly, with the cue again. If the action is firm enough, the horse will move.

Most beginner riders are afraid they will hurt the horse by being rough. A 1,000-pound animal is not likely to be hurt by firm handling. Being too easy will make the horse sluggish and he will not work if he thinks the rider can't force him. Remember, a good horse will step out in a swinging walk, and for trail riding there is nothing like a "good walker." When you have the horse moving in a walk, it is time to learn to trot.

The trot is not a comfortable gait unless the horse is well collected. It is preferred that the western horse either walk or canter when working. However, in the western trot you sit down in the saddle. The balance must definitely be maintained on the balls of the feet, but the rest of the body must be relaxed. Allow the shoulders to take up the jolt of the trot. Pick up the horse's head with the reins until the trot becomes an easy jog. If you become the least tense you will find yourself popping in the saddle. When someone complains of having a sore rear it is because he has gripped constantly with his knees and was stiff in the saddle. Perhaps the most common fault in trotting is to allow the hands to bob up and down, thus loosening and tightening the reins. This will make the trot rough. The cue for the trot is firmer than for the walk. The position of the body in the saddle is a little farther forward than in the walk. The position of the body is still to maintain balance, so when you feel the center of balance once more you will know you are forward enough.

The canter and the gallop are the same movement but differ in speed. No one gallops a horse unless he is racing or if necessary to make speed. A well-trained western horse is known for its "rocking-chair" canter. It is a comfortable gait if the horse is collected and in the correct lead and the rider is well balanced. The rider must "sit" well down in the saddle but not too far back. The body from the hips up is relaxed to the point where the waist feels slightly as if it is swiveling back and forth. Actually, if the balance is correct, the body will move only with the motion of the saddle and be a part of it. The elbows are well in. Don't flap the arms like a sea gull. It not only looks bad but spoils the center of balance. Don't tighten the thigh muscles. Keep a firm leg and ball of the foot in the stirrup and allow the upper leg and thighs to relax against the movement of the saddle. The body will be slightly forward, and as the speed increases will tend to go farther forward to maintain even balance. At a full gallop the weight of the body should be off the saddle, putting it on the knee and ball of the foot. The horseman will ride with a shorter rein and the hand will be extended farther over the horse's neck. The hands must be light on the reins, adjusting themselves to the movement of the horse's head, controlling but never jerking or pulling.

Should you allow your legs to go back and your toes to point downward you will have lost control of your horse. You will be pulling on the reins to get your balance, which will put a hard mouth on your horse. One should never gallop unless he is proficient in the canter. In learning the canter the rider should be aware of leads.

By leads the horse is said to be cantering on the left front and back leg in advance of the right. In cantering around a circle the animal should be on the inside lead. The correct lead is important in maintaining good balance and maneuverability for the horse and a comfortable ride for the horseman. If the back lead is not in coordination with the front lead, it is possible for the horse to have no support, which might result in a fall. All horses are right- or left-handed, so the lead will come to the accustomed side. Without weight on its back an animal will normally change leads, but not always with a rider. All horses have to be trained to use one lead as well as the other.
To take the lead to the left, turn the horse's head slightly to the right and shift the weight to the left. It is a matter of throwing the horse's balance to the desired lead. If it is difficult to put the animal into the correct lead, follow the above directions on a curve and the horse will go into the correct lead with more ease. When the animal is in the correct lead, straighten his head so he is going straight ahead. To take the right lead, just reverse the above. Like everything else, this takes practice. Riding is not impossible to learn, but those who have good coordination will find learning easier. Always work to improve, and the results will be well worth the effort.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here….