Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Professional Horse Riding Lessons California Offers Begin With The Basics For Children And Adults

By Mattie Knight


A child can take equestrian classes as soon as he reaches the age of four. Ponies are the suitable mount at that early age. Ponies and horses have their height measured at the withers. They are measured in increments of four inches, which is referred to as a hand. Ponies are generally under fourteen hands high while horses are taller than that. Horse riding lessons California offers will provide a horse or pony appropriate to the size and skill of the rider.

Lessons are usually given for an hour at a time for children above the age of seven or adults. Younger than seven, the children will take shorter lessons. The first part of each lesson is spent tacking up the horse. Tacking up is brushing, saddling and putting on the bridle.

About forty minutes are spent receiving instructions on how to ride. Lastly the students untack their horses and return them to a pasture or stall. A brushing over the back will leave the horse feeling comfortable.

There are rules about what to wear for a riding lesson. A shirt with sleeves is good, but a tank top is not. Jeans are worn but shorts are not. If the child has no jeans in her wardrobe, long pants are fine. Shoes or boots should have at least a one-inch heel. A helmet is mandatory.

The first class is used to observe and evaluate riders and place them in a class that matches their skills. The instructor will demonstrate how to interact with the mount while standing with him. At first, you should hold your hand out to him, keeping the palm down. He will perceive this as a friendly gesture.

If taking him out of a slip stall make a noise or talk to let him know you are there. A slip stall is for one horse. You should always saddle and mount from the left side. When in a slip stall, he is secured by attaching the halter to the hay manger using a knot called the slip knot.

To mount the horse, put your left foot in the left stirrup. Then lift yourself up and throw the right leg over his back and place your feet firmly into the stirrups. Use the reins to signal him to turn left, turn right, move forward or stop. Pull back to stop, usually saying whoa is customary.

To signal go, you loosen the reins and nudge gently with your heels or make a clicking sound. He should respond to the sound since it is a common practice to use it. If you are riding Western you will have single reins and hold them in your left hand. If riding English you will hold one rein in each hand.

Early lessons are held in an enclosed indoor arena or an outside ring, which is a fenced-in circle. The students learn to turn the mount to the right and left in addition to moving forward and stopping. These signals are repeated until both student and horse are performing them correctly. The student must learn to be in control and is responsible for how well the animal performs.




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