Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Professional Horse Riding Lessons California Offers Begin With The Basics And Progress Over Time

By Mattie Knight


Equestrian training is started when children are as young as four. Of course, they are put on ponies that fit their smaller stature. Height measurements are taken at the withers and each four inch increment is a hand. Ponies are thirteen hands and tall horses may reach seventeen hands or more. The Horse Riding Lessons California Instructors give will teach facts such as this to beginners.

A lesson for that child will ordinarily last for a half hour. Children older than seven will take a one hour class. Both adults and children start by brushing and tacking up their mount. This includes brushing, putting the saddle blanket and pad on, then the saddle and bridle.

About forty minutes are spent receiving instructions on how to ride. Lastly the students untack their horses and return them to a pasture or stall. A brushing over the back will leave the horse feeling comfortable.

There are rules about what to wear for a riding lesson. A shirt with sleeves is good, but a tank top is not. Jeans are worn but shorts are not. If the child has no jeans in her wardrobe, long pants are fine. Shoes or boots should have at least a one-inch heel. A helmet is mandatory.

A riding instructor will take the time to evaluate each student for the purpose of placing him or her in the right class. Those with similar skills belong in the same class. Basic instructions include how to approach the mount while you are still on the ground. Hold out one hand with the palm down which is perceived as a friendly gesture.

The correct way to approach the animal is on the left side. You will brush, saddle and bridle him from the left, except while brushing the right side. If you are walking into a slip stall, make a sound to alert him that someone is behind him. A slip stall is one that is wide enough to accommodate one horse.

To mount up, put your left foot in the stirrup on the left side. Then placing your weight in the stirrup, swing the right leg up and over the saddle. Settle both feet comfortably in the stirrups. Hold the reins in the left hand if riding Western style. Hold one rein in each hand if you ride English style.

Use the reins to signal the horse as to what you want him to do. To signal that you want to move forward, hold the reins loosely and shake them against the horses neck. Another signal for go is to make a clicking sound. Pulling back on the reins signals him to stop. Be careful not to pull back too hard as this may cause some horses to rear up.

Early lessons are held in an enclosed indoor arena or an outside ring, which is a fenced-in circle. The students learn to turn the mount to the right and left in addition to moving forward and stopping. These signals are repeated until both student and horse are performing them correctly. The student must learn to be in control and is responsible for how well the animal performs.




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