Teaching Yourself to Ride

 Teaching Yourself to Ride Well

Written By: Bonnie Marlewski-Probert

I received a letter from Brittany in Alberta Canada recently that reminded me that not all riders have access to professional training and they still become good riders, in many cases. One of my best friends in the Midwest had never had a single riding lesson in her life, but if I had to choose a rider to join me in a dangerous situation, she was always first on my list. First because what she may have lacked in formal training, she more than compensated for in common sense and instinct.

Here is a part of Brittany?s letter:

"Dear Bonnie,

I do not get professional riding lessons because I am too far away from town. I am not too sure how to become a good rider and learn the things I need to know, without the lessons. Please help,

Brittany"

Dear Brittany,

While I think riding lessons with a good instructor can give you a huge head start in your career with horses, it is not always possible. Consider that one hundred years ago when horses were used on a daily basis for transportation and for farm work, I don?t ever recall reading about riding lessons being offered. I believe the concept of riding lessons began after the horse was no longer a part of daily life and daily survival. When people had more time, they could focus on the finer things in life and hone their riding skills for competition, rather than just for survival.

With that said, there are basic safety issues that all riders should know about, in the same way that there are basic safety issues that all automobile drivers should adhere to. So, how do you learn these things as well as the finer points of the posting trot? Below are a few tips that will help you and all other riders who ARE already in a riding lesson program:

1. Borrow a video camera and have a friend video tape your rides. Specifically, you are looking for video to be shot when you are on a straightaway. The camera should be in the center of the ring, following you along the long wall. This will allow YOU to review the tape after your ride and study your form.

2. Visit the local library and check out books on horsemanship, dressage, jumping and western riding. These will teach you secrets that more seasoned riders use and will introduce you to the language of riding. Just as in flying a plane, there is a somewhat secret language that develops within each sport and if you are not familiar with that language, it is hard to grasp basic concepts. By reading many books, you will start to become familiar with that language and better understand what you are reading.

3. Rent or buy videotapes on any type of riding you can find. Study the form of the riders in the videos as you would study your own form in your barn videos. You can learn a lot by watching a rider and then watching the reaction they get from their horse.

4. Visit horse shows and try to figure out which buttons the riders are using to queue their horses. Just like driving a car, there are buttons that you push and gears that you shift in order to get the result you seek. Horses are no different; if you watch carefully (pay special attention to the limbs on the rail side of the ring) you can see where people are placing their buttons and learn from it. In the show ring, most of the riders choose to place their buttons on the side closest to the rail so the judge can?t see them asking, so pay special attention to the hand and leg closest to the rail.

5. Audit clinics that come to your town. I don?t care if they are cutting horse clinics, dressage or jumping clinics. You can learn from all riding disciplines and the most successful riders are those who study other riding styles outside of their own and use the techniques from each that will enhance their own riding. I suggest auditing, rather than participating because you need to watch and study without the distraction of traffic in the ring.

6. Take your video camera with you to special events. Position yourself either in the middle of the ring or at the very end of the long wall (outside the ring so that you can see the horses coming right at you). You are looking to see how riders are queuing their horses and how those horses react to those queues. Just as football players "study the films" after a game to learn as much as they can about the other team, I recommend doing the same with horses.

7. Keep your common sense with you at all times. I suggest this because not all books or videos or clinicians make sense. In other words, you don?t only learn what to do from others, but you also can learn "what NOT to do".

For example, many years ago, I met a Tennessee Walker "trainer" from a very small town when walkers were just becoming popular. He wanted to show me how "he" trained his horses. I was thrilled at the possibility of learning from everyone and spent the day with him. Oddly enough, when he queued his horses to canter, he leaned way over the horse?s inside shoulder as though he were looking at the horse?s inside foot and then with a mighty swing, he kicked the horse with the toe of his boot in the elbow on the inside. Of course, the horse couldn?t get on the correct lead because there was 200 pounds of weight leaning on the leg he needed to pick up. However, when the trainer kicked him in the inside elbow, the horse responded by moving away and the result was predictable?. The trainer ended up on the ground, face first. Huge surprise.

The good news is that walking horses are more and more popular each year and the level of training has improved along with the popularity of the breed. The same can be said for most breeds but as a rider, your job is to ask yourself, "does this training technique or riding technique make sense?" If the answer is NO, keep reading, keep renting videos, keep visiting shows and clinics until you find the right answers for your riding program.

While I would love to have every horsemen participate in at least one full year of riding lessons, I understand that this is not always possible. However, with a little effort on your part, you can do the next best thing and become a capable, safe, responsible and effective rider. It may take a bit longer to achieve your goals on your own, but it can be done.

I want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments or suggestions that you would like to share with the rest of us, drop me a line at:

Bonnie Marlewski-Probert

P.O. Box 548

Yellville, AR  72687

Or you can contact me directly on the Internet at BRMP@AOL.com