Horseback Riding Lessons Can Double Your Riding Pleasure
Equestrian sports can certainly be fiercely competitive. Consider polo and racing for example, but most of the time people just go out and ride for the pleasure of it. Obviously those who want to be top competitors must have expert instruction if they are to be successful. That doesn’t mean people who just ride for fun don’t need horseback riding lessons. Lessons are a key to riding more comfortably, enjoyably and safely. They are important for your horse too because the way you ride can have a huge influence on how your horse feels and how much effort he has to make to carry you. If your balance is wrong and you aren’t moving with the motion of the horse it makes it much more difficult for him to move smoothly and effortlessly. I rider who just sits in the saddle at a fast trot and bounces up and down without posting is causing his horse as well as himself considerable extra stress. Racing jockeys keep their weight in the stirrups because that way the horse can run faster since the jolt of the horse’s gait is mostly absorbed by his knees rather than having his buttocks jarring the saddle at each stride. Pleasure riders need to be up in their stirrups too at the gallop and canter for their own sakes as well as that of the horse.
