Horse Riding Tips

Basic horse riding tips can benefit any rider at any level. Have you ever sat ringside at a show and watched a few classes? If you are just starting out in the whole horse show thing you will find yourself acting more as a spectator than an exhibitor. Even the most experienced riders benefit from some type of feedback on their riding style.

If you have been riding a while and have been taking lessons, you may notice that every trainer or instructor has a different teaching style. However different these teaching techniques may be, there are some basic riding principles that are the foundation for any good rider training program.

Another great idea is to check out how each horse class is judged.

Body Alignment

Topping the list of all horse riding tips is the basic rider body position that you must strive to maintain while in the saddle. When sitting on your horse you should maintain a straight line from your heel to your hip to your shoulder to your ear. This demonstrates proper riding posture and keeps your center of gravity or balance point over your hips.

Most novice riders (I myself have been guilty of this) have a tendancy to want to lean forward in the saddle when getting used to the horse's movement. The problem with this positioning is that it shifts your balance point higher than your hips. Now when your horse moves forward it causes increased difficulty to maintain a solid seat which causes you to flop around a little in the saddle.

Your low back needs to remain relaxed when riding to prevent you from leaning forward. Hips need to remain nice and loose to flow with the horse's movement while keeping stability in the saddle through the activation of key core muscles (mostly stomach and rear).

Your feet are in the stirrups to the ball of your foot with your heels down to help keep this balanced position. Shoulders and arms also needs to maintain a relaxed position with a nice bend at the elbow. If you are stiff through the shoulders and arms you will likely be continuously bumping your horse in the mouth.

At the shows you will see some very talented riders not miss a beat from this body position during a class, even if their horse is acting up. You may also never know the horse is being a problem because the rider is so solid in their seat.

Balance

Once you understand the basic concepts of your position in the saddle, your next horse riding tip is to keep yourself balanced while the horse is moving. When discussing balance, you can apply it to both horse and rider. Of course how well you maintain your balance in the saddle will determine how balanced your horse is underneath you.

When first starting this process, it may be easiest if you work with a professional on a lunge line. This way you only have to focus on yourself and your position in the saddle while the instructor or trainer controls the horse.

This way you can become more comfortable with your seat at the three different gaits which boosts your confidence as a rider. Yes I have been on the lunge line a few times and have found it to be very helpful.

Keeping a balanced seat is easier said than done. The true key to getting that effortless balance and position is to log a ton of hours in the saddle. There is no better horse riding tip than to practice, practice, practice.

Feel & Timing

Feel and timing are two horse riding tips that go hand in hand. Once you have some balance to your horse's movement concentrate on your "feel" in the saddle. Just as you develope a feel over time to the sounds and vibrations while driving a car, so too develope a sense of feel for your horse.

For example, lets say you have been driving the same car for the last couple years every day. You will eventually start to notice any thing out of the ordinary such as strange sounds. When you have been riding the same horse for a year or two you start to notice small things in each stride and transition.

Getting a good feel for your horse will help you out when at a horse show. I highly recommend getting another pair of eyes to coach you while working with your horse. If you plan to show (especially at a high level) and have not been riding since you were in diapers, a trainer can really help give you the horse riding tips you need on what good movment from your horse should feel like.

Once you have a sense of what you want out of your horse, pay attention to your horse at all times. You will now be able to correct your horse to keep him more consistent during a class.

Here is where your "timing" comes in. When you feel your horse change at certain points during your ride you need to have the timing to correct him as soon as possible to minimize the overall correction and keep consistency in your ride. An even more important horse riding tip than feeling and making the correction is timing the release of the correction as soon as your horse gives you what you are asking.

For example, if your horse has a tendancy to look around a little while riding he may bring his head up and out of frame. This will hollow out his back, he'll lose his hind end, and will stop using himself effectively. If you have good feel for this horse you will notice what he is about to do before it happens and make the correction to keep him in frame. Once you feel him give to your request make sure you release him and let him travel on as normal.

If you do not release as soon as you get what you want, you may confuse your horse (especially if he is younger) causing some possible problems in the future when you make the same request.

Helpful Exercises

Helpful horse riding tips should also involve a few exercises that you can do on your own. When first in your saddle and before you head to your class there are a couple simple things you can do to loosen yourself up.

Simple shoulder circles and stretches will help loosen up the shoulders and upper back. Next try a few trunk rotations to loosen those hips and the low back. Start by getting your body in better alignment. Turn to both the right and the left while keeping your hips as still as possible. This will help you around the corners in the ring.

Next try leaning forward and back, keeping your hips and legs as still as possible. These last two exercises separate your pelvis and hips from your upper body. When you are riding in the ring your pelvis and hips need to move with the horse and your upper body has to remain as still and relaxed as possible. To get this separation you need to have the flexibility available in your low back, hips, and legs.

Out of the saddle, simple stretches on a regular basis for the calves, hips, and low back can help keep the flexibility.

These are simple, BASIC components found in MOST riding programs. As I stated above, horse riding lessons vary depending on who teaches you and what discipline you are preparing for. These horse riding tips are in no way meant to replace the information you can get from a professional trainer and I highly recommend consulting a professional before attempting any of this at home.

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