The uptake of horse riding as a hobby or pastime seems to have increased dramatically in the recent past. While popular belief may be that such activities have taken a back seat in favor of other more preferred pastimes such as watching television or spending time on social networks, the truth is that there is a huge populace out there which is just as enthusiastic and excited about horse riding and taking on riding lessons as a lot out there may be inclined for other, more sedentary activities.

Entrepreneurs in this arena have of course latched on to this trend in very quick time and spared no effort in ensuring the establishment of very high quality riding schools. And they have done so in a manner which is well and truly professional, looking into all the various aspects of riding in an ambiance which is truly befitting.

For instance, there are a multitude of courses which have been specially designed, keeping in mind the needs of learners. Further, they have employed high quality trainers with years of experience in the realm behind them. And most of all, these entrepreneurs have bought a select breed of only the best quality horses which are maximally conducive to riding.

Of course, the rapid uptake of the pastime of horse riding among the general populace has definitely had a very big say in the way these schools or training institutions have themselves mushroomed. Notwithstanding the fact that today there are plentiful avenues to spend one’s time in various ways such as watching television or spending time on the Internet, many actually prefer opt for a healthier alternative such as taking riding lessons since it allows them to rekindle their connect with nature in a manner which is often irreplaceable.

Moreover, it is the wide range of competitions centered round horse riding which have also had a major say in the way horse riding per se has increased in popularity. Besides pure play horse riding simply for pastime sake, there are many other who ride horses more for the sake of professional pursuits such as becoming professional players of the game of equestrian or polo, etc. Further, with gambling stakes in horse racing going in only one direction which is up, up and away, more and more individuals are opting for a professional career as jockeys, which in turn mandates that they take up riding lessons.

Riding lessons

Defense services around the world which often have cavalry battalions of their own, viz. forces that ride back on horses have also made an important contribution to the uptake of horse riding, as have the inclusion of horse racing related sporting activities in professional sports competitions, including the Olympics.

Overall, it is visibly clear that the uptake of horse riding as a pastime…or indeed as a professional sport is unlikely to witness any abetment. And with that being the case, we are only likely to see more and more rising schools coming up in the near future, imparting quality riding lessons.

Among the various aspects that are crucial to learning how to ride horses the best way, the setting or ambiance in which you learn would certainly be right up there in the priority list. In fact, a lot of riding aficionados rank riding ambiance as the number one priority for all budding horse riders, more than even the instructor who actually imparts riding lessons.

If we look closely, we find that there are various reasons for such a belief. First up, riding horses requires a certain amount of space which a lot of urban settings typically do not proffer in the very first place. That is the reason; you will invariably find horse farms and institutions that provide lessons in horse riding, located in far flung areas in the suburbs or in many cases, in remote, rural areas. These are places where there is practically no traffic and congestion and land is available with reasonable ease, including big chunks of it, making them ideal setups for establishing riding schools.

That said, just the availability of land in a quaint setting is certainly not adequate. What you do require beyond just land is a certain degree of landscaping which is done in a manner which is maximally befitting to imparting riding lessons. For instance, specified paths should be made which would be meant specifically for the horses to ride along. These would essentially be paths which you as a budding horse rider can take with maximal ease, knowing full well that these paths have been made up in a manner which the horse in question would also be most comfortable trotting along.

Further, we need to appreciate the fact that riding lessons are often taken by various individuals, for an eclectic mix of often, very specialized needs and purposes. For instance, some riders take these lessons in order to play games such as equestrian or polo. Still others foresee a career as a jockey for themselves. Depending on the specific purpose at hand, it is imperative that efforts are made towards ensuring tracks or riding courses that are conducive as well as especially designed for these very purposes in mind. For instance, a budding horse racer would need a path which is designed in a manner which suitably replicates an actual horse race setting as acclimatization in that case while competing in professional horse races would be that much easier.

Riding lessons

Similar mention also needs to be made of the special needs of children taking riding lessons. Remember that children are often prone to making mistakes, especially at the initial stages of their riding endeavors. This in turn leads to situations wherein there could be accidents, etc. whereby it is in everyone’s best interest to have paths that are designed in such a manner that can ensure maximal safety of children. The instructors too should take adequate steps towards ensuring the safety and upkeep of children taking on riding courses and proper riding paths would definitely be an integral part of all such steps being taken.

Isn’t horse riding something that one can teach oneself? The cowboys…and indeed even the cowgirls of Texas never quite took formal riding lessons did they?

These are just some of the thoughts that frequent the minds of many individuals who question the need for taking formal lessons in learning the ropes of riding horses. And indeed, while the same may be true to some extent, viz. you can teach yourself to ride horses and many of the cowboys and cowgirls did not actually take formal lessons towards learning ways and means to riding horses, fact remains that if you want to do things the right way, then the best approach for you would be to take up formal riding lessons.

This is especially true for those of us who live in urban settings and are used to a way of life where most of our daily needs are provided for. And at the same time, life is fast paced where there is little time or scope for learning by trial and error. In such a scenario, it makes perfect sense that one puts in adequate effort towards formalizing the modes and channels for learning, instead of trying to adopt an approach that can not only prove much more long winding, can also end up proving to be potentially dangerous to our safety and well being.

Mention also needs to be made of the individuals responsible for charting the course of riding lessons. In most cases, these are individuals who have themselves been through the grind of learning how to ride horses and thus know exactly the steps and processes that are involved. They also know the respective stages that one needs to go through before being considered as formally acquainted with all of the various facets of horse riding. They are also sensitive to the needs of different kinds of individuals for learning the ropes about riding horses; for instance, the needs of children in most cases are reasonably different from those of adults when it comes to riding horses and thus such courses are structured accordingly, keeping the special needs of children in mind.

Overall, as you can clearly note, riding lessons offer all budding horse riders the perfect opportunity to build up and eventually hone their skills for riding horses in a manner which is befitting to their needs. Considering the scenario in which these lessons are imparted – most often on a horse farm, the all round ambiance is also such that is extremely conducive to learning.

Riding lessons

Thus you have an ideal setting; the right kind of professionals imparting quality information on ways and means of learning how to ride horses and you also have an overall structure of the course which is tailored, keeping your own requirement in mind. Considering all of these various facets, it is hard to as much as imagine as to why you would even want to question the need for taking formal lessons in riding when that quite clearly seems to be the only feasible way to learn the skill effectively.

Riding lessons sure require immense practice as you go through each step of the entire process. That is because; you simply cannot master all of these steps or stages in one go – you have to go step by step and stop at each step to practice…and practice some more!

A lot of budding riders often end up being unable to ride horses in real life once their course gets over, simply because they did not practice adequately.

And just in case you are wondering as to why these individuals do not practice as much as desired, it is often to do with the costs associated with hiring horses and instructors for longer durations since in most cases, pay by the hour for the services.

But the broad advice that we can give is to not skip practice at any cost, if you are to really master the art of riding horses. Look at it this way – if you practice, you can actually be able to ride horses in the future, all by yourself as well. And as a corollary, if you do not practice, then there is every chance that you will really not be able to get to the level of proficiency that you would have desired right at the outset.

Not only that, you can pretty much look at the entire investment that you made on taking riding lessons a waste since you eventually will not be riding horses in real life and even if you do so, you will not possess the kind of expertise and deftness that is expected of a professional of your caliber.

Overall, you need to understand and appreciate the fact that horse riding is not only a skill; it is a skill of veritable degree. That is the reason, you actually find very few individuals who can really ride horses with the kind of deftness that you expect them to be able to ride at. And these individuals have attained that level of finesse and expertise only after grueling hours of practice.

The practice that we mention can of course take up many forms, beyond just formal riding lessons alone. For instance if you or someone else among your friends and family happens to own a horse, you can easily spend considerable amount of time practicing various aspects of horse riding. The one aspect that bothers a lot of us when it comes to formal classes for horse riding – cost, is also taken care of in this case since you will actually not be paying out any money to ride these horses which you would in other cases.

Riding lessons

Overall, even after you have got a reasonable hang of things it would be useful for you to continue practicing. After all, it is not for nothing that you have the metaphor that practice makes a man perfect! When it comes to horse riding, whether in the form of formal riding lessons or as casual ways to keep yourself entertained and charged up, nothing could be more vital to the entire scheme of things than practice.

As attractive and exciting the prospect of riding a horse may seem, fact of the matter is that it does take sufficient effort to get onto the bandwagon of riding a horse perfectly. In fact, as you set off in your quest for taking riding lessons, you will face challenges of various kinds. This article endeavors to present some of those likely challenges upfront so that you can prepare yourself well in advance as to how best to tackle them.

Maintaining heels in a downward position

This is a common challenge faced by most budding riders; they are simply not able to bring themselves to keep their heels down in the manner in which they ideally should. The reason this aspect holds absolute importance is the fact that maintaining one’s feet in any other manner can actually be dangerous as far as ensuring balance and stability is concerned. No doubt, this takes a lot of practice and getting used to but once you do, you can be assured that you will never look back!

Getting your stance right – riding lessons

While taking riding lessons it is vital that you maintain the right posture – something that will eventually remain with you as you go through all the respective stages of learning to ride a horse the right way. For instance, you should never be slouching while on a horse. Instead, you should maintain an upright posture and not make the mistake of rounding up your shoulders.

Look where you are going!

This is vital – and a very common pitfall, both at the same time! Many riders while learning the ropes at the initial stages often make the mistake of looking down at the horse rather than the path ahead that the horse would be taking. The problem with doing so is that you might end up being totally unaware of problematic situations that lay ahead such as a crevice in the ground which could prove to be a stumbling block for the horse to go on smoothly.

Keep your legs straight and steady!

This is yet another mistake commonly made by a lot of learners taking riding lessons. Remember that unsteady or shaking legs would only convey wrong signals to the horse that you are riding. That is the reason; it is always well advised to ensure that your legs remain straight and uptight while you are riding the horse, especially while you are at the level of a relatively novice beginner.

Hold the reins tightly!

This is absolutely critical as you take your riding lessons; you must make every effort to ensure that you hold the reins of the horse as tightly as possible. The mistakes that occur are largely due to the fact that riders concentrate more on the positioning of their legs or heels and not the extent of control that they have over the reins. Remember that if you do not hold the reins tightly, you run the risk of losing control over the horse altogether.

Among the various career prospects that have held steadfast and even grown in recent years, notwithstanding the economic downturn and its ramifications, has been imparting horse riding lessons. This is a profession which continues to grow by leaps and bounds and with incessant demand for professionals in the realm, there seems absolutely no looking back as far as career prospects and earnings are concerned.

That said there are many variations which affect – if not the career prospects, then definitely the earnings. For instance, if you are located in an upscale, urban area and have high flying clients coming to you to learn horse riding, no matter what the price, then you will certainly be making an enormous amount of money. Similarly, if you are located in a remote or rural area with numerous horse farms in the vicinity, your earnings could dwindle significantly, given the competition around you, because of which you will have to keep prices really low.

Coming down to specifics, the general observation has been that the money one makes in a month would depend to a large extent on the number of horses that are available for training, since the charges are generally per horse. Taking an average amount of say $300 a month being charged for each horse, with 5 horses, earnings would go up to $1500 a month while the same with 10 horses would go up to as much as $3000 a month.

Further, when it comes to sessions as a riding lessons instructor, the pay would usually be per hour, which can vary anywhere between say $25 to $75 an hour, per student. Depending on the number of students that one has within one’s fold as well as the number of hours of learning that these students take, instructors could certainly be looking at making a substantial amount of money for themselves, which could go up to as much as $180000 a year, viz. $15000 a month.

Clearly, imparting riding lessons can certainly be very lucrative!

A word of caution though – it will take you some effort to get to this stage where you are actually able to make this kind of money. For instance, you must have CPR and First Aid training as well as certification in order to be able to make the kind of money that you are aspiring to make. Further – and something which is rather obvious, you certainly need to be very adept with handling horses yourself. This includes being able to control them, even in the most challenging situations where the horse may choose to behave in an extremely erratic manner.

Riding lessons – final words

You also need to have a pleasing personality which will in turn ensure that you have students flocking back to you regularly; you will be surprised at the extent to which word about this line of work spreads faster through word of mouth and informal recommendations than through any other means!

Overall, get yourself up to the mark on all these aspects and you should certainly a bright and rewarding career, giving riding lessons!

When you decide to sign on for a course of riding lessons, one of the most important aspects that you need to look into is that of the quality of the riding instructor whom you will be learning under. After all, when it comes to a niche activity such as riding horses, the guidance you receive is probably what will eventually go onto determining your own ride quality. That is the reason, it is always emphasized that be on the lookout for a high quality riding instructor and only when you receive one, should you actually sign up for the course in question.

Take the instance of CPR and First Aid certification. This is something that the instructor you are going to be learning under, must be qualified for. You cannot be obtaining the right kind of quality of riding lessons if you do not have an instructor who is qualified in these aspects. In case these aspects are not directly obvious upfront, do not hesitate to inquire from the instructor about the same. Remember that accidents do occur while learning how to ride and some of these happenstances can be rather serious. You do not want to take a chance and then fall privy to events that you never bargained for in the very first place.

In case these lessons are scheduled to be taken not by you but by your kids, then the aspect of safety gets all the more paramount, especially since kids are actually prone to a lot of unforeseen happenstances which adults may not really be privy to. For instance, kids may try to run their horses a little too fast and in the process, possibly fall and injure themselves. Again, in all these situations, it becomes imperative that you look into the aspect of safety and security, for which, you in turn need to look up the quality of the instructor at hand who will in turn ensure all of these aspects.

The instructor should also be upfront with you, with regard to the format of the classes that you or your kids would be taking. When we say format, we essentially refer to the breakup between say practical sessions and theoretical classes. You should also know about the exact number of individuals who will be taking riding lessons along with you so that you are well equipped accordingly. You should also be made aware of the structure of the course, upfront, so that you know what you can expect and the way your learning and knowledge process will shape up, as you progress through the entire course.

Riding lessons

Finally, do spend some time speaking with the instructor whom you or your kids will be taking riding lessons under. You certainly do not want to be learning under a person who may not be able to impart learning properly or may be ill equipped to teach, or has an unpleasant personality or any such undesirable occurrence. The best way to clear your mind about these aspects would be to have a candid chat with the instructor directly.

Just as kids have specialized needs in virtually any sphere, taking riding lessons is certainly no different. The similarities and parallels of adult and child riding notwithstanding, there certainly are some very clear cut aspects that you need to consider, while having kids to take on these lessons. In this article, we will talk about those aspects.

First up, you need to inquire with the riding institution about prior experience in imparting lessons in riding to children. As we mentioned earlier, kids do have specialized needs and accordingly, it is best to opt for such an institution that already has prior experience in imparting lessons in riding to kids. If not, then it would actually be advisable not to opt for such a facility.

Next, once you have shortlisted the riding farms or institutions that actually have prior experience in imparting riding lessons to children, it is ideal that you make a trip to these places. See the time and effort it will take you to get to these places. Also note the kind of facilities that these places provide. Do they have smaller horses which children can ride more easily? Do they have ponies? How are the children who are already learning there, being treated? How is the safety provision at the farm? What is the teacher student ratio at the farm…ideally it should one for each child, given the special needs of children. It is questions like these that you need to ask yourself at every juncture.

Next, you need to take a close look at the horses themselves from other points of view such as their hygiene and cleanliness as well. You should also try and assess if the horses seem calm, pleasant and generally happy, versus remaining in an agitated state. Remember that this aspect is extremely important; agitated and aggressive horses can spell potential danger to your child and you certainly do not want to take such a risk.

You also need to check on equipment that the farm would have and use at the time of imparting riding lessons. This would include body protectors, head gears, gloves and riding crops. Essentially, you need to check for the fact that whether this equipment would be provided by the school or institution or you will have to make arrangements for them. Ideally, it is the institution that should be providing all of this equipment. At the same time, do check for size and fit. If the gear is too small or too big, it might get your child to get agitated and restless and cause a host of other problems which in turn you certainly do not want.

Riding lessons

Overall, as you can clearly see, there are numerous aspects that need to be looked into, while getting children to take on riding lessons. Broadly, you as a parent or guardian need to ensure that all norms and expectations are followed by the institution in question. Do not forget that any occurrence at the time of riding horseback can always have major repercussions.

As you first begin on your quest for obtaining quality riding lessons, it is imperative that you make every possible effort to ensure that you get all these lessons right. After all, it is the knowledge and training that you gain right at the outset which will keep you in very good stead as far as the more advanced portions of the riding course would be concerned. That is the reason we always advise the young and old alike to pay special attention and extra care while beginning their riding course.

Take for instance, the aspect of setting the horse’s pace while you are trotting. It is vital that you get this speed right – initially, it is well advised to maintain a very slow pace and gradually speed up proceedings, only when you gain sufficient knowledge and information about riding as a whole. The slow initial pace of trotting is important also from the point of view safety; if you try to gallop fast without having properly learnt the ropes of horse riding, then you are certainly taking a very big risk. Remember that injuries sustained at the time of horseback riding can in fact be rather serious and thus you should take every possible precaution to ensure that you do not face such a situation in the very first place.

As you go through the stages of obtaining quality riding lessons, you will also learn to canter at a relatively faster pace than mere trotting. Again, this transitory stage requires careful mastery so that you get each element right without making a hasty attempt at overriding stages in order to learn faster.

At this stage, you should already be in a position to get onto a horse without any difficulty whatsoever. This includes being able to do so, without any assistance per se. In other words, mounting as well as dismounting from any horse should definitely form an integral part of your horse riding lessons at this stage.

As you go through the various stages of learning how to ride a horse effectively, you will also find that you will yourself grow immensely in confidence. That is to say, you will be able to ride effectively, sans a guide as well as sans any fear. Overall, you must keep in mind that lack of fear is perhaps the key to being able to learn how to ride smoothly and effectively.

Riding lessons

Towards the final stages of your sojourn in obtaining suitable riding lessons, you will find that you will be able to ride a horse with incredible speeds, without losing control or balance. Till the time you are not actually able to do this, you should not consider yourself an expert in the domain. As you gain more and more expertise and proficiency – as well as practice more and more, you will actually find yourself being able to hop onto a running horse as well, which is probably the true test of character as far as horse riding is concerned, along with the ability to tame a horse which is behaving rather erratically.

While embarking on an endeavor to take on lessons in horseback riding, it is imperative that you pay maximum heed to getting yourself a very high quality riding lessons instructor. After all, the learning and knowledge that you will gain will certainly be commensurate with the quality of the instructor. In this article, we look at some of the specific aspects that you need to look into, in order to obtain quality lessons:

Check certification

The instructor must have the necessary credentials and certification in order to be deemed suitable of being a riding instructor. This would include aspects such as training obtained in the realms of First Aid and administering CPR; experience in managing classes with reasonably large numbers of students; horse handling ability and so on. Without these vital elements, you must have sufficient doubts in your mind with regard to the quality and competency of the instructor.

Quality of horses

The riding lessons instructor must also be able to instill adequate confidence in you, with regard to the quality of the horses at his or her disposal. Before you sign up for the course, you must have the opportunity to look up the horses first hand and be able to judge or assess their quality upfront. Besides the look and feel of these horses, their behavior must also be such that novices in the field should not receive any kind of bodily harm or injury as a result of handling these horses. Overall, it is the responsibility of the instructor to ensure this aspect.

Format of the classes

Any competent riding lessons instructor must be able to impart lessons in a manner which is formal and structured. In this regard, it is your personal endeavor to find out about the format of the classes in advance. Ideally, you will notice that the format of these horse riding classes will take the form of aspects such as the length of each class; the break up between theory lessons and practical riding sessions; the content of each class; the size of each class; the kind of individual attention that each student will be able to obtain and so on. It is only when you have the necessary information on all these aspects should you actively consider the option of taking on these horse riding lessons.

Inspection of the facility – riding lessons

A competent horse riding instructor should take the initiative to show you around the facilities where you will be gaining all the necessary knowledge and information. Remember that a proper look at the places where you would be obtaining the requisite training must be undertaken, prior to signing up for the course. Parents in particular must be wary about this aspect, whenever they consider having their child to sign on for horse riding lessons. That is because; poor facilities would make it very difficult for children to gain necessary knowledge and information suitably. Not only that, it can also be dangerous to children, if the facilities are not conducive to riding.