Im going to teach my friend how to ride a horse to day?

Question

my friend really wants me to teach her but im a little nervous about this because shes never had much experience around many animals and she tends to get scared easily,ive had her around the horses brushing them and now shes ready to ride.

any advice one how to help her learn and what to do if she freaks out while riding??

also i have 2 horses and cant decide which one to have her ride,one horse is shorter and wider so she'd have better balance probably,the only problem is shes different for everyone like for me shes really lazy but for one of my friends she tries to trot all the time when she doesnt want her to

my other horse is a little taller i guess but i never noticed a big difference,hes the sweetest horse ive ever owned,but he can be a little stubborn sumtimes if u dont know what your doing,but i was thinking i would probably help her lead him around anyway her first time because she has no clue what shes doing

which horse do u think sounds like a better horse for her to

Answer 1

I've given riding lessons to young people who want to learn.

1st ensure she realizes that riding isn't a first step - riding is the end result of a LOT of work becoming accustomed to the animal from the ground - if she's still shaky around the horse on the ground, you're asking for trouble putting her on.  She needs to be fully in control without any sort of fear from the ground.

If you are confident she's ready to get on - ensure you're in an enclosed area that's controllable a round pen works very well.

Then, I suggest you start with baby steps.  Lead her around while she gets her "horse legs" (kinda like getting your sea legs, ya know - it's a highly technical term  ;-)    )

When you and she are confident she can control the horse, only then allow her to take the reins and ride alone.

You must consider that you are teaching her much more than to ride.  In learning to ride (as in learning to do about anything) one must have some goals.  Too many times people think "I can ride a horse" even if they have never been around them because they think they're just a big stupid animal or they're a big friendly dog - and they are neither.

Set a goal for what you will accomplish today.  Something small.  If she's still shaky a bit but you're determined to get her on, start with getting on and sitting quietly for 5 minutes.  Focus her on her heartbeat and the rigidity of her spine.  She needs to be calm (normal heart rate) as possible and not rigid in her spine. Since you ride with your spine with or against the horse, she must be supple and be able to move with the horse to keep balanced, in control and thus secure.

Show her how to communicate with the horse through use of the proper muscles - tilt of the pelvis, how are the legs used, how to hold the reins.

Riding is a science in itself - teach it to her.

I would suggest starting with the horse that's likely to be calmer and better controlled,  height and width aren't that big a consideration -heck, falling off a 14 hand horse probably doesn't feel much better than falling off a 15 hand horse - and I'm here to tell ya, if you get thrown from a 14 hand horse or a 17 hand horse, either way it's gonna hurt - the idea is to AVOID leaving the horse until you're ready.

Also reinforce that to her - a good option is NOT leaving the horse in a hurry.  Getting off when a horse is moving is the worst option - staying on and gaining control should be the goal.

Go slowly, use your head - and don't progress to fast - consider the value gained in the time spent - going too fast will NOT build the horse's confidence in her - which is equally as important as building her confidence in the horse.

I could go on, but good luck.   Try to always remember too - it's not RIDING that's all-fired important.  To have valuable time with your horse doesn't require riding.  Spending time at leisure doing fun things together is what's important.  Walking out in the pasture and simply petting the horse or leading it to graze builds as much relationship as riding.  You can learn more about a horse's nature, his thoughts and how his mind works as well as his "personality" by observing him than by riding him.