Some accidents are unavoidable. The horse trips and you are thrown off
balance enough to come off, or he departs a bit quicker into the canter
than you were expecting him to. No one can predict when something like
that is going to happen.
Other times when you get thrown there
were red warning flags out long before you got pitched. It’s in your
gut, you know the feeling.
This is one of the best horseback riding tips that people ignore:
Go with your instincts and get off the horse.
Try and regroup on the ground and if that doesn’t
work, be done and start again another day. That way you will
leave your confidence in tact, and possibly avoid escalating an already
dangerous situation with your horse.
“Get back up on that horse so he doesn’t think he’s won” is a common phrase touted by instructors across the nation when a rider falls off when both horse and rider are seemingly un-hurt enough to continue.
This is outdated and ridiculous advice.
If you are scared, the horse will be
scared by you being scared! If you get back on when you don’t feel like
you should, no matter what your instructor or friends say, you are just
setting yourself up to blow what little confidence you do have left. By
all means if you feel fine and WANT to get back on, do so if it is not
going to be dangerous for you or the horse
The horse is not going to think he’s “won” because horses don’t
think like that. Horses run on instinct. For instance when bucking there could
be many reasons why. His saddle might be pinching, you may have changed
tack and he doesn’t like the feel of it. He could have a back problem.
He didn’t want to move forward when you asked and so started bucking
instead. Especially if the behavior was unusual for that horse try and
figure out what triggered it. Then and go back and fix it through
quality
ground training
and/or a veterinary diagnosis first before returning to riding.
For a moment put yourself in your horses’ hooves. It’s 100 degrees
outside, you’re hot, sweaty and itchy from a soaked saddle pad and heavy
saddle and your rider is making you practice spins each direction 1000
times. If you don’t, your rider insists not so kindly with his spurs and
whip that you do it again. Doesn’t sound like much fun does it?
While riders should be natural leaders for their horses and
direct and ask things of them, they shouldn’t be drill sergeants or
dictators. Horses learn 8 times faster than people do. They do learn by
repetition, but also need variety. Keeping your horses’ feelings and
limits in mind will make for a happier horse who will perform better
each time for you. This is much better than one that eventually won’t
come to the gate to greet you because he’s tired of your “training.”
Contrary to popular riding belief you do not have to have a deep heels
down posture to stay safe in the saddle. The reason instructors teach
this is to keep your foot from sliding through and getting caught up in
the stirrup which is dangerous. Having your heels way down is also
believed to give you a firmer foundation. A firmer foundation should
come from the way your behind sits in the saddle and how well you move
with your horse, not how low your heel is.
Balance and the
ability to flow with your horse is much more important than having your
heels down. An artificially deep heel, especially in a beginner rider,
will cause tension in the ankle, knee, hips, and up to the lower back.
Riders will often get pain in one of these areas from straining too much
to keep the heels way down. It almost always causes you to brace
through your lower back as well. Keeping the heels slightly lowered
will keep your foundation strong, your foot from sliding through the
stirrup but not cause you any additional problems with bracing, pain and
stiffness.
Our heads weight something like twenty pounds! Now that probably doesn’t seem like too much in comparison to the rest of our bodies, but our horse should be following our focus whether that is over the next jump or somewhere down the trail. If you are looking nowhere (down) you are going to throw your balance too far forward, putting you at risk for falling forward should your horse stop suddenly. You could wind up on your horses’ neck! Keep your eyes and head up, and remember you should always look first to where you want to steer your horse. If you are looking nowhere, your horse should be going nowhere.
I hope you have enjoyed these tips for horseback riding. Here are some other articles you may enjoy:
First Time Horse Owner
-Check out this page to get you started with your dream of owning a
horse. If you haven't picked a horse yet or are just getting started
with your first horse, this is the place to go!
The History of Horseback Riding
-Horses have been with people for 10,000 years now, but riding them is a
newer idea than that. Read this article to get a brief glimpse into the
colorful history of horseback riding!
Show Grooming Tips- Preparation is key! Guest Article by Andrea Wise of Pony Glam™