Will I be able to ride really well?

• That is a great question - riding is a sport as well as an art. The answer is "it is really down to you", but here are a few key points that you will need to accept in order to become a good rider!
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  Although you don't need to be a trained athlete, you do need to have a relative level of physical fitness (you will also discover muscles you never knew you had!)
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  You need to be DEDICATED. This means being willing to devote your time (and pay some money) for your riding lessons. There is also the additional theory which you can gain through reading books, watching instructional/educational DVDs or Videos, attending workshops, clinics and horse expositions.
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  You must have compassion for the horses, if you go think you can "bully" the horse or "make" the horse do something, instead of "asking" - you will not get far.
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  You will need to understand your horse, or at least be interested in learning about him/her.
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  The horse is a powerful, magnificent and sometimes 'dangerous' animal. It uses the "flight or fight" instinct. Unlike a car or motorcycle, the horse has a brain, and he uses it. You must always be respectful and aware of this fact. Your priority is to learn how to approach your horse and know that you are entering "his territory".

Anticipate problems and correct them early! Controlling the horse's thinkng is far easier for us humans than trying to out-muscle his 1000lbs! This is relevant both on and off your horse. The most important concept in horsemanship is learning how to handle a horse.

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There are SO many rules of the barn! What does it mean when the instructor says "Safely lead your horse out of the barn?" ?

The rules are in place for the safety of both you and your horse. The horse could step on dropped reins and hurt himself, he could bang his side or hip on half open doors or protruding latches, he could drag you or walk all over your heels (ouch!) .. and the list goes on. This is how you should "safely lead your horse out of the barn":

• IMPORTANT: First make sure you are wearing your ASTM Approved Helmet.
• Gently take the reins over your horses head, and carry them under the chin. Use two hands. You are standing on the left side of your horse, so your right hand is holding the reins about 4 inches below your horses chin, and the left hand is holding the reins near the buckle. This prevents the reins from dragging on the ground and causing an accident.
• Keep your horse's head a little above shoulder height - any lower and you will find the horse will most likely duck his head down to grab at some grass or hay. This is not only bad manners, but can hurt your shoulder and arm, too.
• Open the stall door ALL THE WAY and push back the latches. You will walk out the door first (leading your horse) because it is unlikely that both you and the horse can squeeze through the door together.
• Once safely out of the door, resume your correct position by walking by horse's left shoulder. If you walk in front of your horse, if he scoots forward, he could hurt you.
  

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My instructor never says "left" or "right" .. only "off side" and "near side" .. what does that mean? ?

All that horse jargon is very confusing and overwhelming at first - but soon you will be talking "horse" like a pro!

• OFF SIDE is always the RIGHT side of the horse.
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  NEAR SIDE is always the LEFT side of the horse. Think about how we always lead and mount the horse from the left. The left side is the NEAREST side to you .. does that help? :-)
  

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There is so much to remember when just SITTING on the horse - what is the correct position to stay in balance? ?

It does seem a lot to remember, but it WILL come with practice. In the meantime, here are the important reminders:

• To "position your legs at the girth", you need to have a straight line going vertically from your shoulder, through to your hips and down to your ankles.
  Face forward and relax your mouth (no tongue sticking through the teeth .. if your horse makes a sudden movement and you clamp down on your tongue ... that will hurt!)
• Your shoulders are relaxed, back and down. I like to think of sitting tall or looking out to the horizon.
• Your elbows are lightly hugging your sides and you are holding the reins correctly.
• The hips are relaxed so you can follow the horse's movement (if you are stiff, do some warm up exercises before mounting your horse)
• Your thighs and knees are pointing down as much as possible, not gripping the horse but rather resting lightly on your horse. I like to think of "breathing legs" or even imagine your legs are wet towels draped over the horse. This way, your position should feel more like you are kneeling rather than sitting.
• Your upper calves are resting against the horse - don't be constantly squeezing as this is the command to make the horse move faster!
• Keep your heels lower than your toes (yes, your calves will be a little sore in the initial days of learning to ride)
• Try to keep your toes pointing in the general direction you are going ... if your toes are pointing down, and your eyes are looking down ... good chance you are going where? Down!
  

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I have seen the cowboy movies where the rider kicks the horse hard with his spurs and yells "yeehaw", my instructor tells me this is not correct. ?

Argh!! How would you like to be the horse and have someone leap on you, kick you hard in the ribs, dig their spurs into your side and scream at you to run? Well, your horse feels the same!

To ask your horse to move forward quietly into the walk from a halt, imagine you are sitting on a swing and your feet are not touching the ground. How would you get that swing to move? You would push from your back, right? Now we combine that by simultaneously sitting down deep in your saddle, SQUEEZING (no "yee-haw" unless you want to hit the turbo injectors and probably hit the dirt!) both your lower legs and slightly give with the hands. Once your horse moves on into the walk, you resume your correct riding alignment and regain a soft, steady and elastic contact with the mouth. All of these movements that are required to make your horse walk are called the "aids". To ask your horse to walk a little quicker, try squeezing your left and right leg alternately on the horse (I sometimes picture that I am walking on the ground ... left, right, left, right) and I allow the horse to move by following through with my hips. Sometimes it is easy to block your horses movement by holding your body in a stiff and tense way. Note: when I say squeeze with your legs, I mean your calves. Try it for yourself and see the difference in your horse's reaction when you squeeze with the legs (he will probably stop or slow down) and when you squeeze with the calves! Not to mention, your inner thighs will be shaking like a chihuahua if you ride an entire lesson trying to squeeze and grip your horse with your inner thighs and he thinks you want to just walk around at a snails pace!!

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My instructor sounds like a broken record telling me my reins are too long, but I am scared of hurting the horse's mouth. ?

Ah - the oldest problem since time! This is perhaps the most common problem with english riding, especially with beginners. It is important to remember, if you cannot make your horse turn, stop or change direction without lifting your hands up, to the side or pulling back behind your hips .. then trust your instructor .. your reins are too long! You do not wish to hold the reins in a death grip, nor do you use them as a lever to pull your body out of the saddle. If you are unbalanced and jerking in the poor horse's mouth, then you need to go back one step and re-establish a good foundation before you progress any further. A soft, quiet hand giving an "elastic" rein is appreciated by your horse!]

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