Horse riding is more than an ordinary sport. In my opinion it is an art. In order to comfortably and confidently ride a horse, you’ll need training and the proper mindset. It has to become part of your daily routine along with a serious passion for horses. Once you understand all this, you can only then become a skillful and experienced horse rider.

Before you attempt to ride a horse for the very first time, you’ll want to learn more about the proper clothes and accessories to wear and how to correctly mount and dismount. Here are a few tips:

You’ll to want to make sure you are dressed for safety before you do start anything. This includes horse riding boots, comfortable pants and a helmet to protect your head in case you fall from the horse. Riding boots are often overlooked but very important. Choose a pair which are comfortable but not too wide since you don’t want them becoming stuck in the stirrups. Some riders prefer knee or ankle height boots with a low heel for light riding.
Once you are dressed to rider, it’s time to get the horse ready.

The horse will be equipped with a bridle, a saddle pad, and a saddle. When placing these items on the horse for the first time, take some extra time and care. Extra care is needed in placing these items on your horse. You don’t want to startle the horse so try to move slowly and carefully. When bridling the horse, hold its head near the nose to steady it, and try not to jab its eyes. Lift the saddle pad over the horse and put it in position before lowering the saddle on the horse’s back. This minimizes any shifting in the saddle and makes the saddle much more comfortable for the horse.

Now it is time to mount the horse. Try to position the reins and the stirrups before you attempt this. It ca be dangerous to mount the horse if it doesn’t know you are about to so always let it know beforehand. Get high enough so you can easily grip the saddle. Next, hold the front of the saddle and swing your right leg around the back. Once you are on, put your feet into the stirrups, and adjust the track. This ensures that the saddle won’t slide. In order to correctly dismount, you only need to do these same steps in reverse.  

Hopefully, now you are comfortable enough to feel confident on your first horse ride.

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