Are you interested in riding a horse? Balancing while riding a horse can be extra challenging if you’re a first-timer. Learning the right technique and fixing some niggly issues also takes time. You might have a habit of making several horse-riding mistakes. That’s why exploring some horseback riding tips for beginners is essential to help you navigate these challenges effectively and enjoy your riding experience to the fullest.
When I started riding my Palomino as a girl, it felt like I’d take two steps forward and two steps back. Sometimes, something would work, like keeping Jessie still while I mounted her, and the next day, I was chasing after her with my foot in the stirrup! It happens.
Starting your journey into horse riding is a thrilling experience, full of new skills to learn and connections to build with these magnificent animals. As a beginner, you must know common mistakes that can hinder your progress or even lead to unsafe situations.
Horse Riding Mistakes You Should Avoid:
1. Disregarding Safety Measures
Riding a horse without a helmet may be tempting, but it is always essential to consider your safety. Even if your horse has never thrown anyone or done anything terrible, it could still trip and fall, causing you to lose balance and fall with them. So, wearing a helmet is a must to avoid massive brain injuries and trauma in different parts of your head.
Safety Tips:
We recommend using appropriate footwear and a horseback riding helmet that can cover your entire skull. It should be ASTM-approved, meaning it complies with the American Society of Testing and Materials standards. Remembering these safety measures, you can have a fun and rewarding ride.
2. Staring At the Horse
When you always look down and stare at your horse while in the saddle, you won’t see where you’re going, and your neck will be bent as you turn your head down. It can cause stiffness in your spine and body, making it harder for your horse to carry you. It can also distract you, and your horse can feel your smallest movement. As the saying in the horse world says, eyes communicate your confidence to your horse, so if you lack confidence, you can’t ride with your full ability.
Tip:
The best way to prevent this habit is to look ahead to where you’re going so you can easily see the potential obstacles and dangers. Getting your aids straightforward with chin up when cueing for a turn will help you to have better balance and make the horse more confident with your cues.
3. Killing The Reins
This can be a bit of trouble for beginners because pulling too hard on the reins can frustrate and confuse your horse because your legs and seat may say “go,” but the hands may signal to stop. Training this habit for a long time will cause your horse to ignore your commands because their mouth will become desensitized, and they might toss their heads to avoid the pressure and pain of hard tugging. And it can make your horse balky or rear.
Tip:
Try to feel the horse’s mouth without pulling and tugging, and learn to adjust the rein as the horse moves. Your grip must be firm but still light.
4. Loose With The Reins
When horses move, they move their heads, too, and if you can’t keep up with its movement, the reins might be pulled through your hands. If that happens, you won’t be able to steer your horse or give it directional cues.
Tip:
To prevent this situation, always look closely and observe your horse’s movement. A horse’s head will bob up and down as it walks, so try to keep up with the pace and adjust the rein when needed so you won’t leave too much slack. You’ll get better at it if you spend more time with your horse, and you’ll be able to recognize when to give more reins to the horse and when to shorten it.
5. Holding Your Breath
As a beginner, getting nervous and tense when concentrating very hard is normal, and you might tend to hold your breath. However, you should break such a habit immediately because you may become light-headed and fall off your horse.
Tip: Try to relax, smile, hum, and breathe in rhythm with the horse’s strides.
6. Riding With a Bad Posture
Slouching in the saddle can cause difficulties. It can compromise your cues, affect your balance, and cause muscle soreness. It can be uncomfortable and might hinder you from riding.
Tip:
The best way to deal with this is to sit up straight and tall in the saddle, keep your head up to watch your destination, and relax your shoulders. If you ride with a good posture, you can maintain your balance and effectively communicate your cues.
7. Scrunching Your Knees
Drawing your knees up like a jockey sitting on a chair is not ideal when riding. It can make you uncomfortable because it will force your heels to point either up or down with your feet pushed forward.
Tip:
Keep the proper leg alignment, let your feet lay flat, and your legs dangle loosely from the hips, but not too loose.
8. Standing On Your Toes
It usually happens when beginners have learned how to trot and try to lift themselves out of the saddle and stand on their tippy toes. This position is not good as it puts you behind your horse’s rhythmic movement and out of balance.
Tip:
You can avoid such a habit by keeping your lower leg still, your feet flat, and your knees slightly bent. Learn to rest the ball of your feet in the stirrups and utilize your core muscles to post the trot.
9. Clenching Tightly With Your Legs
Squeezing your horse with your upper or lower leg with your leg is not a good habit because it will make you feel uncomfortable. Your legs will also tire and lose balance; your horse may understand it as a sign to move forward.
Tip:
Let your legs hang down when sitting in a saddle and allow its weight to fall to your heels. But don’t force your heels down either because you might clench your legs and knees. Form an imaginary straight line following your ear to your shoulder, hip, and heel to keep your legs in the proper position.
10. Shoving Your Feet Into The Stirrups
This habit is uncomfortable and dangerous, especially if you’re not using a safety stirrup and proper footwear and are slightly off-balance.
Tip:
You can fix it by ensuring the stirrups are even and at the proper length. You can measure it by dandling your legs, as the stirrups should lightly hit your ankles. You also need to work on an appropriate leg position by placing your foot in the stirrup so the bottom part can hold your foot’s ball(the widest part).
11. Lifting Your Elbows Out
Beginners who struggle to balance tend to lift their hands and arms and stick their elbows out when riding a horse. It is our instinct to use our hands and arms, but it gives too much slack on the reins, which makes it difficult to control your horse and remain balanced in the saddle.
Tip:
To prevent it from happening, maintain the same rhythm as your horse. Your elbows, forearms, wrists, hands, and reins should align with the bit in your horse’s mouth. That is the height your arms should be at whenever you ride.
12. Overlooking Tack Inspections & Maintenance
Another common mistake that new riders often make is ignoring tack inspections. While most tack pieces are made of leather, they can wear, shred, and snap if not handled properly. It can be very dangerous, especially if the leather pieces start fraying and the girth buckle and stirrup leather detach from the metal piece that holds it to the saddle. However, you can improve the longevity and quality of your tack through regular inspection and cleaning.
Tip:
Clean your tack regularly with tack cleaners to keep the elasticity and suppleness of the leather pieces, especially if they have gotten wet because wet leather will crack and stiffen when the water dries out. You can also clean the saddle pads to remove dirt, fungi, and molds that cause wear. Scrubbing and cleaning the metal pieces, such as bits and stirrups, will also prevent them from rusting.
13. Trying a Difficult Challenge Too Early
Another mistake to avoid is trying tough challenges like jumping a new height or going over a new obstacle when you and your horse are not yet ready. It can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing because it can cause your horse to crash or land incorrectly.
Tip:
Try to look at your form when doing lower jumps before attempting to make higher jumps. With constant practice and expert guidance, you can learn more as you spend more time with your horse.
Embarking on your horse riding adventure is an exciting and rewarding journey that offers countless opportunities for growth and connection with your horse. By being mindful of common mistakes, such as neglecting proper groundwork or inconsistent communication, you set yourself up for success and foster a strong, positive relationship with your horse.
