Saturday, October 17, 2015

Professional Horse Riding Lessons California Begin With The Basics

By Mattie Knight


Children as young as four can take equestrian classes. They will be mounted on ponies that are suitable in size. Horses and ponies are measured in height at the withers in increments of four inches. The withers is the place where the neck meets the back. A hand is equal to four inches. For example, a pony can be thirteen hands high and a tall horse can be seventeen hands high. Most horse riding lessons California provides will teach this to all 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.

The riding instructions take up the major amount of time. When the lesson is over, the students untack their mount and sometimes take him to the barn or the pasture. A horse will enjoy having his back brushed after a lesson.

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 frequently requires each student to be evaluated to determine what level of skills he or she has. There are also basic instructions on how to interact with your horse before mounting. When facing him hold out a hand, palm down, for him to smell. He will perceive this as a friendly gesture.

Always approach the horse from the left side whether walking up behind him or getting up on the saddle. Stand on the left as you get him tacked up. If entering a slip stall, walk up on the left side. Always talk to him or make a sound to alert him that you are behind him. It may startle the animal if you fail to make your presence known.

Placing your left foot in the left stirrup of the saddle, you lift yourself up, swing your right leg over the saddle and put both feet in the stirrups. The reins are used to give signals to your mount. For example, to stop you pull back on the reins, but gently. Too much pressure may cause a horse to rear up on its hind legs.

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.

Initially, lessons are conducted in an area that is enclosed. The instructor will teach new riders how to signal for a right turn and a left turn in addition to stopping and moving forward. The students will practice their reining skills until they do it naturally and are comfortable with controlling the horse. This is the first lesson for those learning to ride.




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