I have been riding for three years and my instructor teaches us that the horse allways comes first and the you should use your voice and leg pressures rather than the rains. She also has us do a lott of flexing so we will need to use less and less rain when we ride. This article was great because I allways have trouble keeping my hands still at a lope. Pulling and jerking on my horses mouth would be really bad becouse I use a leverage bit with him so the jerking is harder on his mouth. I am really lucky that I have had such a good instructor to start me on a life long love with horses.
Posted By: Morgan
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This is a great article. I try hard to teach horse language, rider balance and light hands. I don't allow students to use whips, spurs or harsh bits. All my lesson horses are special to me and I put their comfort first. My students are to ask nicely first and then apply pressure until they figure out how much they need to use with each specific animal. Sometimes it is difficult to teach feel and does take the rider longer to get results, so they need to be patient. Over the years I have also watched other lessons by (famous) instructors, seeing horses supposedly misbehaving and asked myself why that instructor doesn't just fix the rider's balance. Sometimes the horse is simply under to much mental stress in the situation to perform and needs a break. These things would've eliminated the horses need to be "bad" and made everything alright. I am hopeful more instructors will read your article and make an effort to teach riders to actually watch their horses body language and be more fair. Riding is supposed to be fun for both horse and rider!
Posted By: Deborah
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Thank you, this is so wonderful to read what I also believe in. I have a hard time finding instructors in my area that aren't into the Rolkur method. I don't believe in it.
Posted By: Jackie Rea-Patton
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A MUST FOR ALL BEGINNERS, MYSELF INCLUDED AND ALSO HELPFUL FOR SOME EXPERIENCED RIDERS. tHANKS SO MUCH FOR THE VALUABLE INFORMATION. hORSES NEED LOVE AND CONSIDERATION FOR THEIR WONDERFUL CONTRIBUTION TO MANKIND.
Posted By: /*Nelson Sampey
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I am attempting to teach children how to communicate with horses. I need all the help I can get. This kind of article is invaluable. It is exactly what I want to teach, I need to figure out how - with kids from ages 5 to 18.
Posted By: Ann
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I feel like you raised some good points. I have been riding for 12 yrs and I never has a great instructor. I have been teaching lessons at my current job for 3 yrs under a great trainer. The first day I went to visit the farm I was relived to see how well the school horses were treated and how much respect the students had for there horses. I feel like these things should be common knowledge to every beginner and strive to do the best I can to explain these concepts to my students. I'm glad other people find these things just as important.
Posted By: Kelly
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I am a internationale Trainer in Dressage,Jumping three day event and polo and interested to train people in another country. I have a master of horse riding teacher and come from Germany.
Posted By: Heike Kuban
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I have been riding for 22yrs and I am now teaching beginner and intermediate students. This article was great. When I teach my students they do not even get on a horse until they have been taught about horse safety and can lead and tack up thier horse by themselves. I have been taught by many instructors in Australia and here in the U.S. My current trainer is wonderful and she teaches these principals right from the start. For my first lesson with her she put me on the lead line and had me working on the basics of balance and the riders position. I did not even touch the reins for the first lesson even thought I have been riding for 22yrs. I was amazed and really enjoyed the lesson. To my surprise my muscles were sore the next day which just goes to show that I had relaxed and was not using my body the way I should have been. If she had not done what she did I would have continued to ride the same way. For my students I use excersices and different drills to make the basics fun for them. I can only hope more instructors will read this article and use these very valuable points in thier teaching. Thank you.
Posted By: Kate
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I have recently started training to be an instructor, and sometimes find it hard to explain to riders exactly how they should do something, especially when all they feel they should do is kick and pull the horse around. these five points will definately help me, as I never really felt I had a great riding teacher, which i now realise is a great misfortune. I am returning to a summer cam to teach riding, where we are told to put children on horses without their full understanding or respect for them, because riding time is what their parents have paid for. I would much prefer to teach on the ground about how to ride and about other horse basics to help make these kids feel more comfortable and really get to grips with how a horse moves to make it a more pleasurable experience for both horse and rider. sadly not everyone i work with agrees
Posted By: Maxine
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I am so happy to see that the language of horse riding is universal. I am an instructor from South Africa and am so glad to hear some important fundimentals are filtering into everyday practice! So many more people need to read articles like this to open their eyes and minds! I'm very impressed!
Posted By: Amanda Ritchie
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Your article makes perfect sense, horses are afterall sentient and responsive animals rarely treated with the respect they deserve in riding schools. I have a question which I would love to have some feedback on. My 11 year old daughter has cerebral palsy, spastic diplegia in fact which affects her legs and sense of balance. She walks with a halting gait. She has been learning to ride for 8 months (40 mins per week). For the past 5 weeks she has been doing stirrupless riding for around 5 minutes each week. I am concerned that she will be able to continue and progress but would like to have some ideas on how far she can go and how much she can do. Reading your article has made me think about the difficulties she will have in communicating with the horse as she does not have optimum control of her trunk or lower limbs. Any thoughts?
Posted By: aine wall
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This article was a great eye opener. I have taken riding lessons for at least 10 years and am still uncomfortable with the "whys" of what I am TOLD to do. How does one find a true teacher of horses? I am soon to be 60 years old and am still trying to "find my seat". I live in Berks County PA. if anyone has a recommendation I would be very greatful. Joanna
Posted By: Joanna Knoll
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So many times I see new/novice riders sitting like 'senseless' puddings on horses that are bored. Glad to know that people are doing something about it!
Posted By: Jo-Anne Clarke
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I really enjoyed ur artical,I have been riding for over 20 years and had to stop after a bad accident, after being away from horses for two years i have went back and am really enjoying it, i have also started to teach again but i am finding it very hard to teach to children and adults how to actualy connect with a horse it has always been very natural for me, i think it is important to almost to become part of the horse and think as he dose, how can u teach this? when u say about the excercise in balance where the pupil rides with there eyes closed seems to be working is there anything eles i can get them to do to help to encorage respect and trust between horse and rider?
Posted By: viv
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I loved reading this article. I am a riding instructor, and I work hard to encourage my students to LISTEN to the horse while finding their own VOICE as a rider. I ask them to really feel as they ride and to sense what the horse experiences as they realize their own experience in learning to ride in harmony with the horse. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom! Melanie
Posted By: Melanie
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Your article is very good and should be practice by all instructors, I was wondering if any one or your self had any ideas on some games or fun things for the beginner ride to do to be able to practice his/her skills, ie we play games with flags putting them into different buckets that are sitting on plastic 44's ect.. If any one has any information on some new games or a web site or book which has games or fun things for beginners to do on horse back I would be very thankful, I like my lessons to be fun, safe and kind to the horse, any info greatly appreciated
Posted By: Mandy
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I love everything you said. I started teaching 18 years ago because I saw so much abuse of the horses and hoped to be able to make some kind of difference through teaching awareness and sensitivity. The horse is a living creature with a very big heart and has served mankind extremely well ... they do not deserve or warrant the bad treat they receive in so many cases. Most of the abuse is a result of ignorance (not on the part of the horse) ... so I hoped that maybe I could make a difference through teaching "horsemanship" ... not just learning how to ride, but learning how to understand and communicate WITH the horse ... it's the difference between "breaking" a horse and "bending" a horse ... they are so very sensitive and willing. Teach your horse to respond to "cues" rather than trying to manhandle and force them to respond. The cue is a "signal" gently given, asking the horse to respond in a certain way. A three year old child can stand on the ground beside my horses, touch them lightly on the side with an index finger and ask them verbally to "move over" ... guess what ... they move over ... no pushing them or hitting them or screaming at them ... the light touch of a child's index finger ...
Posted By: Peggy
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This is very helpful. I am teaching my younger brothers how to ride and some neighbor kids and this article gave me a lot of good ideas. If anyone knows of any books or of any more arcticles like this can you post them? This article was amazing!
Posted By: Katherine
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Very well thought out and written! And such good advice. Thank you! I just started teaching again after about a 5 year break. I'm teaching younger beginner riders and I find myself getting too wordy and technical with them (I'm used to teaching older, more advanced riders) Does anyone have any suggestions for me in teaching younger students? Any good websites out there with lesson plans? I know this should be very simple but I'm having a hard time keeping it basic and fun while incorporating all the fundamentals. Suggestions for age appropriate instruction would be much appreciated! Thank you!
Posted By: Phoebe
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I have just read your article and agree wholeheartedly with the 5 points. I am an instructor and what I see time & time again is riders who have not developed core strength or a balanced seat, despite this they demand more from the horse. The belief seems to be that the horse is getting it wrong. Giving complex instruction to a rider who had not developed the seat is not recommended it results in the bad habits of heavy hands no strength in the saddle, rider reliant on props(stirrups) and makes no sense to the horse. Most riders come to me and the first adjustment I make is the pelvis they tip forward or back- get that centered and sitting bones engaging, without a seat the upper body will be closed and struggle constantly for balance. My flat work includes bareback/ no stirrups / no reins on lunge. Always encouraging riders to use breath and trust in their natural ability to balance. I've also watched many instructors bark instructions like heels down - without explaining how to get the heel down - it starts up in the groin - work the abdomen, align the hips and tail bone -explain more of what is required and you will see the riders body become more responsive and aware. Thnk you for your article.
Posted By: Mel Gregory
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Beautiful. Just Beautiful! I have taugh lessons to younger children for almost a year now, and when I began there were a certain number of things I knew I had to teach these kids- and these were exactly the points you described. Thank the Lord someone else has eyes in their head, and the nerve to address what they see!
Posted By: anonymous
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What a great article! I would consider myself an experienced instructor and try hard to get across to clients all the great points you make, however it is difficult in a busy riding school. Does anyone have any new ideas for group lesson flat and jumping lessons? I have been teaching for sixteen years, need some inspiration.
Posted By: Phil Bollands
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Great article! I have been riding at two schools for a while now for dressage and jumping. One of my instructors has been very observant of how I use my aids. However, since I started ridign at a later age, I still dont have a firm seat. I understad that I should not be gripping with my knees, but am not sure how much pressure I should be using with my calves when trotting? As a result I tend to use my stirrups a "way lot more" than i should. Do any of you know of an article which instructs on how the legs should be "wrapped" around the horse?
Posted By: sin17
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I loved this article. I think that if more people were to read this article riding lessons would be so much better for the student and the horse... I have a riding instructor who wouldnt let me in the saddle the first few lessons because she wanted me to see how the horse moves, the way he leans into his circle or his turns. At first I hated this because I wanted in the saddle right away but now i think that this is a great learning experience. She also has me ride without holding the reins, in walking trotting and posting... and sometime i cant use my stirrups. She tries to show me very often how important balance is so that i dont injure my horse or myself...
Posted By: Amber Stimpert
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I started riding eleven years ago when I was five. Every time I've moved to a new barn I have considered myself very lucky that my first instructor paid so much attention to teaching us to work -with- our horses rather than against them, and insisted that we spend so much time in the barn focusing on horse care and barn chores. This experience at the very start of my riding career young age has helped me develop as a responsible and skilled horseperson and I am now the youngest staff member at a lesson barn where the trainers teach the way that my first teacher did and the way your outlined in your article. I'm so glad to learn that we're not as much in the minority as it seems!
Posted By: Sarah Allison
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I too am a riding instructor and am glad that this article is out on the internet and that we all agree. However I am hoping that others, who may not have commented, have read this and had not included this in their riding program before are including this currently. Most of us have gotten into the equine world for the love of the horse and it supprises me how common courtsey can be forgotten when it comes to the horse. It is good for us, our horses and students that we include horses (and other animals)as friends who deserve warm treatment as well. Thank you Cheryl for writting this, and thank you, to those who agree and treat horses with respect.
Posted By: Stacey
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Very good article. Most riding lessons begin with mounting a horse. The rider is told what to do with no explanation of how to do it, or why it should be done so. IMHO there needs to be a pre-requisite of X number of hours on the ground just getting a basic under-standing of the horse! Thank you for your article.
Posted By: Brenda
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That was a wonderful article. I have been instructing English and Western riding for 12 years. My students don't get up on the horse until the third lesson because I believe the horse and rider need to get to know each other a bit first. There are safe and effective ways to handle the horse from the ground that are easier to learn and implement once in the saddle. Once in the saddle we work on the lunge line without reins until they can sit in a balanced, relaxed seat. Breathing is very important and the student learns when he breathes out before a downward transition and takes a deep breath before an upward transition the horse can prepare and balance himself to move into the gate requested.
Posted By: Peggy Disner
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Learning to ride at 40 is a challange, your article has made me realize what I can do to make my riding more effective. My question is regarding stirrups. I am rather tall and when my intructor askes if my stirrups are comforatable I really don't know how to answer. Recently I had my first fall, my horse had refused a small jump twice and my instructor said I must take him over. He went over and so did I! Evendently he popped up a bit higher than I am use to (my seat at the jump is still ill timed and rough). Just prior to this jump my instructor raised my stirrups because there was not enough of a bend in my leg, (they felt short to me.) Do you think this could have contributed to my fall? I go back on monday for my next lesson and would very much like to know what I did wrong. Thanks
Posted By: susan
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Very good!! I enjoyed your article very much, especially the stress on 'asking' a horse to do what we would like, then increasing to just enough pressure to get what we are asking for. And the instant release for the reward is also particularly important. I am fairly new at instructing, but have been training horses for many years, and these techniques as well as others are the what I use in the very foundation of starting a young horse. I have been very fortunate with this type of approach and have since started sharing them with others in lessons, and have not seen many other instructors use these methods. Keep up the good work, and I look forward to reading more!!
Posted By: Angela
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I liked your article very much and it made enormous sense. I am a novice and changed trainers recently. I consider myself very fortunate because I was initially taught horsemanship, soft hands and a lower leg squeeze for forward movement followed by a light tap of the heel. I learned alot but the cost was out of my world! I am lucky to have found a wonderful woman who is compassionate to me and the horse and I am progressing favorably. I ride western. However, I do have a question. My toes keep wanting to turn out - besides lots of practice, is there is "secret" to keeping one's toes forward? Thanks for your wonderful article and any advice you can give.
Posted By: Donna
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AWESOME! Finally, someone who understands!
Posted By: Emily
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Thank you for your article. I agree 100%. I am an instructor at a local riding school. Sometimes I am required to take some students of my collegue's classes or assess new riders joining the school. When assessing them at our first lesson together, I usually ask them what to do to walk on, trot on, halt, turn etc. Always - yes always! I get: "You kick" to make them move and "you pull to make them stop or turn". Nobody has ever heard of tact or "asking" kindly - everybody demands and is so very rough. Who on earth teaches teachers to teach brutality from the start? It is very frustrating.
Posted By: Carola
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I agree with your comments, I would also add that teaching the student how to handle a horse on the ground first before letting them on their back is also important. I spend the first half of every lesson having students work with the horse on the ground. If they can't control the horse on the ground how can they do it when they get on their back. Most every thing you do on a horses back you can do on the ground. My students start riding with a bareback pad on the lunge line with no reins. Riding involves control of multiple body parts at the same time. It is confusing for people to have some one telling them do this with your hands, now your feet are wrong, etc. I would also suggest teaching them to stretch their own body parts first, so they are relaxed and do not get so sore. Regarding bits and the lips, I would recommend no wrinkles. This allows the horse to determine where he is most comfortable carrying the bit. How would you like someone pulling on both sides of your mouth continuly for long periods of time? The bit should lay in the bar area, without bumping the teeth and the horse should learn to carry it himself. This is an excellent web site, especially for the beginner, keep up the good work.
Posted By: Mary Tenant
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