Horse Riding Tips For Beginners
There is nothing more freeing that galloping, on a beautiful horse, over a wide expanse of fields. Besides being a great lower body workout, riding horses is also calming to the troubled soul and many people find that working with horses helps with a variety of ailments from Cerebral Palsy to depression and anxiety.
However, if you don’t take the necessary precautions when you’re riding a fall from a horse could cause you serious damage and even death. In this article, we’ll have a look at a number of tips that beginners to horse riding can follow in order to ensure their safety.
Always Remember Your Helmet
When you’re riding a horse – be it in the yard or on an open trail – make sure that you wear a helmet. Don’t skimp on it. Make sure it fits well and is of the best quality as if, for some reason, you fall off the helmet is the only thing between you and a serious injury.
You need to replace your helmet on a regular basis. If the helmet suffers some sort of impact – for example, if you fall off your horse and hit your head – you should replace this as the integrity of the headpiece will be compromised. Some manufacturers also suggest that you replace your riding helmet every five years.
Keep Your Wits About You
Learning how to ride is some of the best times that you will have in your riding career. However, as the whole process is new to you, you need to be on high alert to make sure that you listen to your instructor and do everything by the book so that you don’t frighten the horse. If the horse is frightened by something, they will bolt – doesn’t matter if you’re holding on or not.
It’s important that you develop a relationship with your horse, while you’re not riding him or her. Try mutual grooming, where you groom your horse and your horse grooms you. This is so that you can get to know each other. They also suggest that you try positive reinforcement and go for a walk with your horse.
Get Proper Riding Boots
You need to have proper riding boots as this will protect your feet. If you get a riding boot with a small heel, this will prevent your foot from slipping through the stirrups. Also, long boots will make sure that your legs don’t chafe against the horse’s coat and will protect your legs from trees and leaves when you trail ride.
If you’re serious about horse riding, you won’t mind paying a lot of money for the proper kit. If you decide to ride in sneakers, you’ll possibly end up causing long-term damage for short-term (financial gains).
You’ll get so much more out of your riding experience than just a new experience for a day outdoors. Your relationship with your horse will add so much to your life as they’ll be a friend who listens to you and loves you unconditionally.