How to Break a Horse to Ride

Please verify that your young horse is ready to ride before you begin any training or your horse may get what is called a "sway back". Only follow these steps if you have spent many, many hours with this horse and you feel comfortable trying to train the horse yourself. Keep in mind that this method will not work if you do not have patience and determination.

1 Get your horse into a stall and practice putting a halter on your horse. Once the horse has gotten used to the halter try adding the bit. This requires some patience and love, the horse does not initially like the feel of the bit. Practice this step for a few days, and make sure you stay with your horse while he is wearing these items.

2 Add the western saddle, the horse will probably not like the tightening of the Saddle. Use positive reinforcement, hold the halter and talk very calm while someone tightens the saddle. Stay around the barn and let the horse wear the saddle to get comfortable with it on. After several days of doing these same steps, the horse should be used to the Halter, Bit, Blanket and Saddle.

3 Lead the horse (wearing the halter, bit and saddle) to a corral. This is where you will add two empty milk jugs that you have pre-filled 1/3 of the way up with small stones. The two jugs need to be tied together with a rope, allowing enough slack so that they can hang down about a foot on each side of the saddle horn when placed around the saddle horn by the rope/twine. This will allow the horse to get used to the noise and the movement of something in the saddle. Do NOT get in the Corral with him, stand on the outside of the fence and take the lead rope off after adding the jugs. The horse will more than likely do a LOT of bucking and eventually wear them self out and calm down. The next day do the same method and you should get a much milder reaction. Repeat until you get no reaction to the jugs.

                                                     

4 Add another set of two milk jugs pre-filled to the top with sand this time. This is to adjust the horse to more weight. The horse will barely even notice the weight and you should certainly got a much milder reaction. After a few days you should feel comfortable enough to lead the horse around in the corral.

5 Decide who will be the first in the saddle to ride the horse. Have someone hold the halter while you slowly get onto the saddle (while your horse is next to the fence). DO NOT put your feet in the stirrups in case your horse reacts to you being on him and you have to make a quick leap back to the fence. Exercise safety and be the judge of if you need to stay next to the fence for a long period of time the first day in the saddle.

6 Ride your horse around the corral with someone leading the horse with a lead rope until you are ready to ride alone. Be proud of yourself and your horse and happy trails to you both.

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How to Dress for English Riding

Like other sports, riding horses is easier and safer when the rider wears apparel and gear designed to protect him from injuries. A fall from a horse can occur at a speed of 20 to 30 miles per hour so not only should horse riding apparel be functional, it should protect the rider.

1 Choose your headgear by riding discipline or strictly for safety's sake. Beginning riders should wear a trail helmet at all times. English show riders wear helmets disguised under cloth caps. Western rodeo participants usually forego the helmet and wear a cowboy hat, despite the fact that it will not protect them from a head impact.

2 Select a tight-fitting shirt and tuck it into your pants. Long shirttails can catch on portions of the saddle, become entangled in the reins or snag on stable latches. Cotton fabric is cool and comfortable. In addition, long sleeved shirts with fitted cuffs protect your arms from sunburn and insect bites.

3 Pull on those long pants before mounting your horse. Even in swelteringly hot weather, shorts are inappropriate riding apparel. Your legs can easily chaff from the coarse sweaty hair on the horse's side. Boot-cut jeans fit into the top of riding boots and English riding apparel includes breeches that fit snugly around your calves. Baggy pants, like shirts, are not advisable.

4 Try on as many riding boots as needed until you find a pair that fits like a glove. Whether you choose a Western or English style boot, you will be safer. The heel of a riding boot is designed to prevent your foot from slipping too far into the stirrup and it will allow your foot to slip out should you fall. Avoid wearing tennis shoes when riding.

5  Remove any dangling jewelry or large rings when riding. Small stud earrings are permissible but loose jewelry can become entangled in the reins or on stable apparatus. In addition, large rings may catch on portions of the saddle, the reins or stable latches and, once caught, the momentum of a moving horse may unseat you or severe a finger.

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How to Tack Up any Horse

Tie up your horse in cross-ties, a single tie or tie the lead rope to a railing to keep your horse from wandering away.

2 Groom your horse in preparation for a ride.

3 Place protective boots or wraps on horse's legs.

4 Saddle up the horse.

5 Put on schooling aids such as a running martingale or drop noseband.

6 Untie the horse's halter and remove from horse's face.

7 Replace halter around horse's neck to keep him from wandering off.

8 Stand on near (left) side of horse and place right hand over horse's head and gently press downward to get horse to drop his head.

9 Hold bit in left hand while separating the bit from the reins with your fingers.

10 Hold the bit to the horse's mouth. A well trained horse should open his mouth. Give the "Open" command. If your horse won't open his mouth, slip your right thumb in between the lips and gums at the back of the mouth. There are no teeth there. If you wiggle your thumb, your horse should open his mouth.

11 Gently slip the bit into the horse's mouth. Don't force the bit.

12 Gently slip the headstall over the horses ears and buckle latch of throat strap.

13 Thread reins through running martingale loops if you are using one.

14 Check to make sure everything is attached and properly fitted.

15 Ride and have fun!

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How to ride English style

Riding a horse is fun and great exercise. There are many ways to ride, and this article will give you some tips on how to explore the Art of English riding

1 Riding a horse English style is challenging, fun, and fantastic exercise that will tone your muscles and increase your ability to balance. Unlike the Western or Australian saddle, the English saddle has very little to "keep you in the seat", and you will rely on your own sense of balance and your own leg muscles to keep you seated. The English saddle does not have a horn, and consists of a form fitting saddle that hugs your rear end and thighs, while allowing you the additional security of stirrups. Besides this, you are on your own!

2 To ride English, you must sit erect and maintain excellent posture. Direct your weight into your seat and channel the energy of your movement down your thighs and into the balls of your feet, which will be resting in your stirrups. The shoulder, hip, and heel should form a perfectly straight line. Knees are slightly bent, and toes are directed inward while the heel is pressed down. Expect to be quite sore the first few times you ride in an English saddle, as it makes you bend your leg in the opposite fashion you think it should go.



3 Using your reins while riding English is also very different from Western style riding. You do not "neck" rein, but use both hands on the reins independently - sometimes this is called "plow reining". But the art of proper English reining is not coarse in the least. The reins are delicately handled to communicate fine instructions to the horse through an English bit - such as the Pelham or the Snaffle. All of the Dressage schools in the world ride English style.

4 When trotting in an English saddle, one is taught to "post" at the trot. This is another major difference from other forms of riding, and means that the thighs are used to "lift" the seat out of the saddle as the outside shoulder rises up in the horses gait. This uses the natural motion of the horse to help raise you up, and also allows you to ride this gait in a smoother fashion than trying to "sit" the trot.

5 Having a professional instructor through all this makes learning infinitely easier, and your learning curve much shorter. Take the time to explore some local farms and ask for referrals to riding instructors who teach English. Whether you travel to their farm, or they come to yours, it is well worth the time and the money to have the assistance of a highly qualified trainer.

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How to Bridle a Horse

Put your horse in a halter while you prepare to bridle her.

Use cross-ties, a single tie down, or tie the lead line to a post to keep your horse in place. Attach cross-ties to the side rings of the halter.

Attach a single tie down to the ring at the throat of the halter.

Stand on the near (left) side of the horse when putting on the bridle.

Put on a running martingale (helps to keep horse from throwing its head up), drop noseband (helps keep horse's mouth closed) or any other schooling aids.

Check to make sure all other tack is adjusted properly. The cinch should be snug and the back cinch (if you're using one) should be attached.

Remove halter from face and replace around neck to prevent horse from wandering off. 

Place your right hand on top of the horse's head. (Use a mounting block if you can't reach.) With your wrist between the horse's ears and your fingers facing the nose, press gently downward to get the horse to drop its head.    

Grab the top of the headstall (the piece that fits over the horse's head) with your right hand. Separate the mouthpiece (the piece that actually goes in the horse's mouth) from the reins and hold it to the horse's lips. A trained horse should automatically open its mouth. Ask the horse to "Open."

Slip the bit gently into the horse's mouth. Don't force. Once the bit is in place, slip the top part of the headstall over the horse's ears.

Adjust the length of the face strap so there are one or two wrinkles in the skin at the corner of the horse's mouth.

Adjust the chin strap (if your headstall has one). You should be able to fit two fingers between the horse's throat and the strap when the horse's head is facing forward.

Hold both reins in your left hand while undoing the halter with your right hand. When walking with the horse, keep the horse on your right side and hold the reins in your right hand.

Warning and Tips

If you can't reach the top of your horse's head, either stand on a mounting block or slip the mouthpiece inside the horse's mouth and then gently lower your horse's head to fit the headstall.

If your horse fights having the bit put in its mouth, have your horse's teeth checked. Horses' teeth continually grow; the mouthpiece may be rubbing against a tooth.

If your horse refuses to open its mouth, hold the mouthpiece in your left hand and slip the thumb of your right hand into the left side of your horse's mouth, where the lips meet. There are no teeth back there. Wiggle your thumb in the horse's mouth; this may coax the animal to open wide.

Headstalls come with or without chin straps. The headstall either will have one or two ear loops, or will have a brow band that fits across the forehead and a strap that goes over the head behind the ears.

Be careful with a horse's ears when you are putting on the headstall. Horses' ears are sensitive and many do not like their ears touched.

Make sure the mouthpiece you use does not pinch the side of the horse's mouth.

Never force a mouthpiece into a horse's mouth. Allow the horse a few seconds to position the mouthpiece in its mouth.

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Learning How To ride a Horse

Learning to ride a horse can be one of the most thrilling experiences of your life, as long as you do it safely. The payoff lies not only in the freedom of galloping across a field on the back of an animal but also in enjoying the wondrous bond between human and horse.

Find a competent teacher by talking to friends who have horses, visiting boarding facilities or looking in the yellow pages under Horses, Lessons or Riding.

Talk to the instructor. Ask what type of lessons he or she gives. Make sure the instructor knows you are a beginner and need a well-trained horse.

Ask the instructor about his or her riding experience. Does the instructor have formal training? Seek out an instructor who has taught riders of all levels so that he or she can help you as you improve.

Discuss your goals with your teacher. Do you just want to learn to ride so that you can borrow a friend's horse or so that you can go on a long trail ride?

Watch other riders taking lessons to observe your instructor's personality. Does he or she give instructions in easy-to-understand language? Is he or she patient?

Begin Lessons

Start with English-style riding, which requires more balance and is a strong foundation for all varieties of riding. Once you have mastered these skills, it will be easier to learn other riding styles.

Stick with it. Learning to ride a horse can be slow and tedious. Often you will feel like you are making progress, and other times you will feel completely uncoordinated. Don't give up.

If you are not happy with your progress, consider switching instructors. You have every right to find an instructor who meets your needs.


Tips

Just because a person is a good rider does not mean he or she is a good teacher. The instructor must be able to communicate effectively.

Be careful. Wear protective gear such as a helmet and long pants for protection in case of a fall.

Always treat a horse with respect. Never abuse a horse, and never let a horse abuse you. Horses are powerful animals and will try to get away with anything if you let them. Be firm.

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