Beginner's Guide to Horses
Getting involved with horses is a long term, often lifelong commitment. What starts out with a weekly lesson at the local stables can evolve into more frequent lessons and then the desire to own your own horse. (In the words of a certain potato chip commercial - "Once you pop, you can't stop!")
Taking Riding Lessons
Once you have decided that you want to ride horses, there a number of things to think about, from whether you want to ride English or Western, to what to wear.
Where to Ride
Depending on where you live, you may have a wide variety of riding stables to choose from, or a very limited selection. Some stables concentrate on either English or Western lessons and some have trainers that can teach both. We, at Summit Stables, teach Western. The discipline you choose will depend on a.) what's available in your area and b) what your own aspirations are.
Regardless of discipline, standards of teaching vary considerably and your main concern should be safety of both rider and horse. Talk to pupils at the stables you are considering. Ask them about the horses, the instructors and the level of instruction. If any of their answers bother you, then you would be advised to select another facility.
Safety
Horses can be unpredictable animals and safety should be an important part of any lesson program and in your future life with and around horses.
First Lessons
New Rider is an excellent English Website which is dedicated to the beginning rider. As well as advice on what to wear, from safety equipment and other riding clothes, it gives a good account of what to expect from your first lessons. Although the site is geared to the English rider, most of the information is pertinent to both English and Western riders, covering such topics as how to lead a horse and preparing to mount.
Offline Reading
In addition to the online resources mentioned above, there are number of good books for beginning riders. The following selections are from my Horses Bookstore.
Getting the Most from Riding Lessons
Designed as a companion guide to a weekly lesson program, this book is will complement and reinforce the ideas and techniques introduced by your instructor.
Learning to Ride Horses & Ponies
This book, written by Jackie budd, gives a guide to riding horses and ponies, discussing such topics as getting started, how to mount and dismount, sitting correctly, riding in a group, and jumping.
Riding for the Rest of Us
Jessica's easy to understand style and the information contained in this book make it an excellent reference for the "average" rider.
Taking Up Riding As An Adult
Diana Delmar, who herself got hooked on horses and riding as an adult, takes the novice through selecting the right barn and instructor, what to expect from lessons and how to expand the horse riding experience to horse ownership.
