How to Ride a Horse Safely

Learning to ride a horse from a website, book, or video is not effective. The best way to learn is with a competent coach or instructor. They can catch bad habits before they become ingrained, advise you of any mistakes, encourage you, and offer advice to keep you safe and comfortable.

Before learning riding skills, it’s important to master essential skills such as tying, grooming, and leading a horse. These skills help you understand horses, stay safe, and increase your enjoyment.

Once your horse is safely tied and groomed, you can saddle up with either an English or Western saddle and bridle. It’s important to learn the proper technique for each.

After saddling up, you will need to understand how to mount your horse and sit correctly in the saddle as you ride. Take your time to avoid rushing things.

When you first begin riding, you may feel awkward and unbalanced. It takes practice to walk, halt, and turn with your horse. Your instructor will teach you how to cue the horse to walk, halt, and turn. This may take some time if you’ve never ridden before.

As you gain confidence and skill, you can learn to ride at faster paces such as trotting, jogging, cantering, or loping. Remember, learning to ride is supposed to be fun, not scary. Safety should always be the first priority.

Beyond the basics, you can learn additional skills like backing up, riding bareback, and how to fall off and do an emergency dismount. Always wear a horse riding helmet and proper boots for safety.

Being a good horse rider also involves looking after your horse even after the ride is over. Properly dismounting, cooling down your horse, grooming it, and rewarding it with safe treats are all part of good horsemanship.