Your First Horseback Riding Lesson
You’ve decided to take the leap into the horse world and start taking riding lessons. Maybe you’ve been on a horse before, maybe this is your first time even touching a horse (or your child’s first time). Your first lesson, whether it be the very first time, or with a new trainer, can be intimidating and maybe even a little scary. You don’t know me, you don’t know my horses, so the first lesson is all about getting to know each other. I never expect anyone to get on the horse on the first lesson although most students are excited to. If you or your child are uncomfortable, there are plenty of things we can learn off the horse. I try to be very aware of the students comfort level, and though we do want to push past that comfort zone, I also do not want a student riding scared. Just as I would back off and take smaller steps with a nervous horse, I will do the same with my nervous students.
When You Arrive
I always have the lesson horse tied up and ready when you arrive. We’ll have introductions, sign the waiver/release form (I will have one ready, or you can print it here and bring it with you or email it to me) and then go and meet the horse you’ll be working with. We walk calmly to the horse and allow him/her to smell your hand and then I generally have the kids pet her on the neck. I work mostly with children ages 5-13, so I especially have to remind the younger ones not to run up to the horse as that can startle them. Horses are prey animals, and even the calmest horse can get scared if someone, especially someone they don’t know, is running toward them.
Here are some rules I go over first:
- Walk calmly up to the horses head so they can see you and allow her to smell you.
- Pet her on the neck or side. Some horses don’t like they’re face being pet right from the beginning by someone they don’t know.
- Always be quiet and gentle and don’t make unnecessary sudden movements
- Be aware of where your feet are as you walk around the horse to ensure you don’t accidentally get stepped on (Ouch!!)
- When walking around the horse, either walk far behind out of the kicking zone, or right close against their rear with your hand on the rump so the horse knows you are there. Going close against their rear ensures they can’t get too much momentum if they do kick. I always have the smaller kids walk far behind out of the kick zone and I may even hold their hand to make sure they stay safe.
Grooming, Leading, Riding
I will have the student then brush the horse and show them how to pick out the hooves. After that, we will work on learning to lead for about 10-15 min. After leading, I will show the student how to saddle and bridle the horse, then walk her for a couple minutes before finishing tightening the cinch and having the student mount up.
The first lessons may only have 10-15 minutes of riding time as ground work is imperative to getting horse and rider comfortable together. Learning how to handle the horse on the ground is the building blocks for riding.
The riding part of the lesson starts on the lunge line. This is where I have the horse on a long lead line going in a circle around me. Even if the student has ridden before, I always start on the lunge line to first assess the students skill level, second, to work on the riders balance without using the reins. Then in the case of my youngest students and those that are new to riding, we will stay on the lead each lesson until they are comfortable asking the horse to walk, stop and steer.
I absolutely love working with my students and watching them learn and grow. Working with horses is such a confidence builder as well as teaching patience, self discipline, self control, compassion and so much more!
