Before their first lesson, new riders are often afraid of their horses bolting into the blue. But the usual problem during horseback riding for beginners is the opposite: the horse is hard to get going.
This is decidedly disheartening for the beginning rider, who has not cultivated sufficient leg power to successfully handle a sluggish horse. The only thing that he knows to do is to kick and hope that it works.
Teaching new riders how to goad the horse with the legs is not the purpose of horseback riding lessons, but what can be done concerning the issue of laziness in the horse?
Reasons Why Horses May Be Lazy
Determine just what is causing the horse to be lazy. When a horse is working daily for several hours in the process of horseback riding lessons for beginners, he will be conditioned to “switch off.” This is his only available method of dealing with the continuous flow of unstable riders using the reins for support, neglecting to consider that his mouth is at the other end.
Being overweight, a frequent and obvious cause of lethargy, or having feed or health issues are additional reasons that a horse may evidence laziness. Should you be the owner of the horse, investigate the potential source of the issue and determine how you can increase his energy level.
Waking Up the Lazy Horse
Bring a short whip with you to the horseback riding lessons, but make certain that you do not accidentally hit the horse with it.
Using a quiet leg command ask your horse to begin walking, if there is no respond try using a quick jab of your heels to get him moving. If the horse complies and begins walking, make sure to stroke his neck and praise him.
Should he fail to respond appropriately, poke him on his shoulder as you apply your legs. It should not be necessary to hit him on his rump, but should you have to, make it a single, quick reinforcement of your leg aid.
Walk for half the length of the arena, then halt. Ask for walk again, repeating the above procedure until he walks off smartly. Continue this exercise until you can merely brush his sides with your legs for him to move energetically into walk. Praise him when he responds immediately.
In the same manner as you got him to start walking in the first place, ask him to move from walking to trotting. By this time the horse ought to be responding to you and paying attention to your aids. Should he “forget,” support your aids with a brisk pop of the whip.
Consistency is very important in teaching your horse to do as you bid the first time you ask. After this relationship is established you and the horse will build a partnership based on trust and respect that will be fun and exciting for both of you.
Beginners, visit Jim Milton’s horseback riding beginners website to learn how to ride a horse and benefit from Milton’s horseback riding lessons.