Learn English Horse Riding for Beginners

How to safely move around and stand beside your horse. 

What you need to know on meeting your horse at the start of your lesson

Basic parts of the saddle.  Best to learn these as they will be used throughout your riding experience

A vital subject for which everyone who gets on a horse should have a basic knowledge if we are to avoid inflicting pain. If you're keen to see the riding videos, skip this but please come back when you've got some time to concentrate on this video. 

Its much easier to watch this repeatedly at home than trying to learn this during your lesson.  I make it look simple but its actually quite difficult.  Please don't let your riding school allow you to change your stirrup length by taking your feet out.  Initially its slow when you first learn but in the long run much the speedier method - and safer.

How to mount a horse SAFELY AND KINDLY.  I despair watching many learners being allowed to mount holding the back and not even holding the reins.

One of the most important lectures in this course.  It is vital that the rider sits with a "neutral pelvis".  A good description is imagining your pelvis is a cup...... tilted forward or back, the tea slops out.

Adjusting your stirrups and girth when you're mounted

I see more riders out of balance than in balance - even those that are teaching or have ridden for years.  Often they were taught heels down, sit up straight which has ruined their riding.

Practice this endlessly at home using dog leads or bits of string until it feels natural. 

Please dont kick your horse.  They are just as sensitive - if not more - than you.  Would you like to be kicked?  May I suggest you leave a school where the instructors encourage you to kick.

How to safely dismount.  Remember your legs will be far more stiff in your first lessons than you realise so you may stagger when you reach the ground.  If you already notice the soreness at the end of your ride, ask your instructor to stand behind you to catch you!

In this video you see me walking this horse.  It has become the fashion to encourage the riders to ask the horse to go "on the bit" and "in an outline".  The reality is the neck is bent into an unnatural shape, damaging the horse in the long term, and riders hold heavy weight in their hands.  A horse's mouth has 4 billion nerve endings and does not need to be held more than the weight of the reins.  Please find another instructor if you are being encouraged to harm your horse in this way.

A useful video explaining how to control those horses who forever wander off the track!  Make sure its not your own crookedness causing this.

Most riding school horses love to stop working!  So its a shock when riders get on private owned horses to find out the horse wont stop.  Sitting heavily as often advised actually drives the horse faster.  Rather than a continuous pull, ask and release, ask and release.  If you're totally out of control use one rein only and turn the horse on a very tight circle - but hold onto the saddle with the other so you dont get thrown to the outside.

Its often helpful to try turning your horse's head gentlyto both sides whilst he's stood still.  This will give you an idea of how supple he is throughout his neck and body.  The horse can only turn in the size circle that he can bend through his body so don't allow instructors to shout at you for not riding a good 10m circle if you are riding a stiff horse!

This video talks about the moral issues behind the whip.  Classical masters use the whip and spurs to make subtle aids - not as a method of violence upon the horse.

Short description about the arena/school and the safety aspects of waiting at the gate before entering.

Good to learn these details about the arena as it gets very confusing at the start

Don't worry about learning the letters at the start but understand the various way to change the rein.

Such a useful video!  Everyone struggles at the start to work out where they are supposed to change the rein so much easier to learn this at home.

Hopefully by now you'll have worked out where in the school you should turn to change the rein.

Please remember this is for UK rulings.  In the EU they turn right to right.  Please establish your own country's rules.

Rising trot need not be a nightmare at the beginning!

Angle of joints is the difference between comfort and discomfort; balance and imbalance; safety and danger.  Please do not allow an instructor to tell you to sit in the wrong position.  You must ride taking account of your own suppleness.  Supple riders WILL be almost upright but you can't force your body into the "right" posture against your own balance.

Description of angles in the saddle

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK YOUR GIRTH - it really is a matter of life and death!

You will feel so much safer and secure doing rising trot with a neckstrap.  Ask and insist if your school doesn't use them regularly.  They can always use a leadrope as a neckstrap.

This is just sooooo difficult to learn at the beginning.  Once you can see this in my video you should find it easy to do when on the horse.

This is what diagonals look like from the ground

So many people forget to change their diagonals on a hack which can damage the horse in the long-term.

Now it's getting complicated  :-)   Remembering the double bounce to change your diagonal should always be at X (the very central point of the school)

Now it's getting fun!  Make sure you hold onto the saddle at the start to prevent damage to the horse's mouth and to keep you safer and more secure.  If you are a stiff, unsupple rider I recommend you do not attempt this without having done some serious suppling at home using yoya or pilates or hoola-hoops.  You are going to bounce and be worryingly insecure if you are stiff as well as making it unpleasant for the horse.  Done well, cantering and galloping is the most wonderful and exciting experience  but if you are stiff it can be terrifying.  Please don't be pressured by friends or instructors to do this too early if you are not supple.

Doing the canter transition in the correct place in the school is vital.

Most beginners lean forward in canter so I advise them to feel like they are leaning back.  As you can see, the rider should remain vertical as in walk.

A supple rider showing canter on this unsupple riding school horse.  Note she makes no attempt to interfere with the horse's natural head carriage.