Horse riding is one of the most challenging sports even though many non-horse riders consider it just sitting in the saddle and letting the horse do everything. Starting from the moment you sit in the saddle, you have a lot to do and consider about riding safely and accurately.
Making mistakes isn’t always a bad thing. It’s quite realistic to make mistakes while we learn unique skills, and usually, they send us onto more relevant paths. However, in horseback riding, there are blunders and then – there are Blunders.
The sort of Mistakes that end to generate more distress than growth. The reinventing-the-wheel ones that you don’t have to go through personally to adapt from. The Mistakes that you’d rather not go through – but unfortunately, many people do.
Here are the top 10 mistakes to avoid while learning to ride
1. Holding your breath
Another common mistake is holding your breath when you focus too hard and handle tension. Even many experienced riders make this mistake when they encounter something new or when they are worried a lot. If you have the same trouble, try to smile and settle down yourself. You can also endeavor to inhale and exhale in tune with the horse’s strides.
2. Being Ruthless with the horse
The first important lesson anyone should understand about horses is that they’re as peaceful as they are strong-headed. You will never be capable of strongly climbing on a horse and riding it without any resistance. Having a light hand and a patient attitude will support you to set a meaningful connection from the beginning. Approach him gradually from the front with your hands in front of you and disburse some time talking to him. Let him see you, sense you, and become pleased with you before you start your ride, and he’ll return the favor by appreciating you as an equivalent.
3. Wearing no protecting gear
Wearing a helmet, long pants, and a good set of riding boots, paired with a safety vest if new to riding is mandatory for new horse riders. Never endeavor to ride a horse without a covering for the head and without suitable gear. Even if you’ve ridden horses before under supervision and are secure in your abilities – don’t do it. Wearing a helmet provides protection if you fall – which you very well might – you reduce the risk of harming yourself. Candid trauma from a fall from a horse is something you won’t like to encounter. This doesn’t mean you should bypass horse-riding outright – just be as secure as feasible while doing so.
4. Gripping too tightly with your legs
Quite naturally, this mistake is one that considerable new horse riders do, only out of the fear of falling off.
Gripping or squeezing with the lower leg will technically make you feel more protected on the horse, but the horse may understand this as a sign to move.
Another concern with clenching legs is that the horse will likely negatively feel this if it occurs a lot, and this will damage your capability to ride as the horse will become nervous due to being skittish.
The solution to this problem is to let your leg hang down the side of the horse as naturally as you can, and ensure that it stays relatively straight as you ride, not swinging backward and forwards.
Let your weight flow through your leg to the bottom to keep this position.
5. ReinsToo Loose In The Hand
This is one of the most typical and frustrating beginner horse riding mistakes. As you ride your horse the head naturally nods up and down. This will pull the harnesses through your hands, and you will end up with your hands away from the horse, with little to no control.
The solution to this problem that beginner riders can obey is to have their arms loosened and down by their sides. Then, if you imagine your arms reacting to the horse head movement, the purpose is to allow them to move as freely as feasible as the movement happens; so you feel it but are not prohibiting it.
As you know this technique requires you to gather more rein with your hands many times to shorten the distance to the horse.
This does take training but once learned becomes a second character.
6. Wrong Riding Posture
Slumping or hunching over when riding makes it tough for you to see where you are going, and it can make it completely difficult for you to handle your horse.
It’s necessary to sit up straight but stay relaxed. Many trainers will tell their beginner rider students to imagine a line that drives from the ceiling to the top of their helmet, just ever so slightly keeping them stretched up straight to hold correct riding posture.
This is an extremely useful visualization that enables riders to remember how they should be sitting in the saddle while riding. Another strategy is having a companion or your trainer video you during your ride which can be quite helpful. It is also a great idea to think about practicing riding in a secure arena with a mirror so that you can see your riding posture in real-time. This will help you determine what it is that requires to be corrected.
7. Making your body Tensed up
While riding, horses respond closely to both physical aids and signs, as well as our body language. If you are offering off tense or stressed-out energy, your horse will pick up on this and quickly become tense or worried as well, as they will begin to think about what it is that makes you feel that way.
It is very typical for new riders to tense up due to nervousness. This stress often drives an individual to hold their breath or tense up their whole body, which makes it tough for them to effectively communicate with their horse via their body language.
When riding, rehearse taking regular deep breaths; periodically even making a point to count your breaths in and out can make a considerable positive difference in your movement to hold your breath.
If you see that you have a problem with tensing up while you ride, make a point to do deep breathing, buzz or sing a melody, or even count the rhythms of your riding out loud.
If you can, a useful idea is to have a friend record your riding on a phone or tablet. Thereafter, take a look at the footage and take notice of the distinction between the body language of both you and your horse before and after practicing your comfortable practices while riding.
8. Looking down
Some beginner riders look down when learning to ride. Often they’ll concentrate on the horse’s head or neck, or hands. Whether they are endeavoring to focus on what they are doing with their hands, or are simply glimpsing at the horse as after all, horses are pretty cool and calming! Looking down isn’t right for balance or position. Focus on gazing through your horse’s ears and looking where you are going provides a much better experience for the horse and rider.
9. Being frightened to create mistakes.
Has this ever occurred to you? Everything appeared to be just wonderful until your instructor asked you to do something different. In one short lesson, you went from being on top of it all to feel like you’ve failed everything you’ve accomplished so hard for.
The problem is that while we aim for perfection, we might sidestep trying new and additional things that can help us find new skills. Sometimes, trying something new feels more like a setback than progress. Maybe you lose some aspect of your position or your aids. Maybe your horse feels stiffer or more braced through the back.
If you are going through a learning phase, though, it might be just what you ought to do before you can put it all back together – more suitable!
10. Carrying your ego into the ring.
One of the foremost things you’ll learn from horses is how to be modest. Whether you ride in a lesson, on the paths, or at a show, do yourself and your horse a favor, and park your ego at the entrance. Go to the ride in a cheerful, pleasing mood. Respect your horse, your instructor, and the other individuals around you. Enjoy yourself, what you can do that day, and how you are growing your skills over time.
And recognize that each day is but a shot of progression in your overall riding career. Even if you feel like you might be running through a setback, do what you can during that ride, give your horse a well-earned rest, and come at it again another day. You might be amazed at how you and your horse progress if you can let things go at the most crucial times.
Wind-Up Views
It is worth taking these and other generally seen beginner horse riding mistakes seriously. It is difficult to qualify yourself for riding as nothing else in life mimics the essence of the experience.
So, try and maintain in your mind some of these key points, a little harder to recognize and stick to once you are up there on the back of the horse. And always listen to your instructor.
Learning to ride is an unfolding narrative and much of it won’t always make significance at the beginning.
