Is Your Horse Attentive During Horseback Riding Lessons?
No matter if you are engaged in horseback riding lessons on a horse provided by your school or riding your own animal, it is critical that you are able to maintain the horse’s complete attention. If not, you will not get much out of your lessons.
When using a school horse you will find it may often doze during a lesson, this is because they have done the routine so many times and it is simply bored. When first taking horseback riding lessons, as a beginner it can be difficult to change a sequence of movements because your full attention is on steering the horse and producing the correct aids.
However, a major component of learning to ride is to gain the ability to change the routine sufficiently to prevent the horse from dozing off during the session. Luckily, several techniques exists which will help maintain the horse’s attention and focus.
You need to know what your ability is and choose exercises within it, then use them to keep the lessons interesting for you and the horse.
When taking horseback riding lessons request from your instructor permission to try the following exercises, or at least those that are within your skill level. Perhaps the entire class would like to try them.
1. Walk Exercises
Take your horse and walk it with a light contact around the arena on both reins. After this take it on a 20 meter circle with a strong contact, begin with the easiest side. Get the horse to walk in long strides followed by short strides, then long strides to finish.
Slow down and then turn in the other direction and circle that way. Before you turn the horse around walk it for at least one horse length in a straight line. Swap between long and short strides again.
Your horse should now be alert to your aids because you’re switching movements and he has to pay attention.
Next, ride the horse in figure eight patterns, maintaining a constant cadence and focusing on easy changes between the left and right sides. Be sure to walk a full horse length prior to switching course, and get the horse ready for the next bend.
2. Trot
The above exercises can also be performed in trot, and are an excellent way to prevent your horse from getting ’stuck’ in one direction and leaning on one rein.
Transition between walk and trot continually. The change between walk to trot should be very smooth, work on getting it as smooth as possible as this means the horse is really paying attention to you.
Riders of a more advanced level may perform trotting serpentines in the arena in three equal loops. Riding from one longer side to the other one, request that the horse complete a couple of walking strides prior to ramping back up to a trot. The horse will begin to anticipate your aids, which is a positive thing, though you should make use of your legs to assure that you are always moving forward. It is important that the horse not become anxious as he begins to expect a shift downward. Therefore, you do not want to consistently request walking at the same spot.
3. Canter Exercises
Request lengthening as you reach the long side, and gain control of the horse prior to reaching the short side. Consistent switching from canter to trot and then a resumption of canter, incorporating cantering changing to walking, will help your horse remain at attention, as lengthening and shortening the horse’s stride on the circular 20 meter paths.
Each of the exercises mentioned will keep your horse attentive during horseback riding lessons because it avoids the horse doing the same routine continually. If the horse enjoys the lessons then the chances of you having a nice lesson will increase.
On his horseback lessons website, Jim provides simple and comprehensive lessons with video instructions. Learn how to ride a horse the safe and the confident way.
