Learning to ride is an exciting adventure for a child or adult! Due to the inherent risks involved in riding, be sure to choose a riding academy or instructor with a good reputation for safety, fun and competition, if showing is among your goals.
As we have learned from Ann Romney, riding has therapeutic health benefits. The complex system of balancing, moving with the motion of the horse, is an excellent form of exercise. Bonding with a horse is similar to the bond with a cat or a dog, there is affection and friendship, but there is the additional process of communicating to achieve the desired movements.
There are different styles of riding: English saddleseat is a formal, glamorous style of riding with a great emphasis on style, on appearance, on the grace, beauty and expression of the horse. Western riding offers the very beginner friendly division of western pleasure with a wide comfortable saddle, fun western clothes, and slow, easy to ride gaits. Gaits are the movements of the horse such as walk, trot and lope. Working Western includes cutting, reining and reined cow horse and is much more athletic, requiring more advanced riding skills. Hunter jumper is derived from the English tradition with a forward seat, meaning a short stirrup, the upper body is tilted at a forward angle over the shoulders of the horse, and the rider’s legs are clamped firmly with the heels consistently held down and the toes up. Dressage is a continental tradition which evolved from military cavalry riding and involves maximum control of the horse’s movements and body positions. Jumping is an exciting division requiring maximum athletic ability from both horse and rider.
Some people choose their riding division by the apparel! And this is perfectly fine! There is no question the person who prefers a tailored, traditional riding habit will be happy in the hunter division. The person who admires chaps and a cowboy hat will be perfectly happy in either western pleasure or working western riding under a turquoise sky! And the person who admires the shadbilly and elegant hat, white breeches and gloves of the dressage rider will always enjoy the formality and complexity of that division.
In the last 25 years, “natural horsemanship” has been taught and this is a very good beginning to a horseman’s career. It teaches communication skills that apply to all divisions and it emphasizes using communications rather than physical force or pain in training.
Riding can be a tremendous family recreation! Generations of families participate in horse shows, trail rides, gymkhanas, rodeos and camping with their horses. You will enjoy exploring not only the different kinds of riding but also the different breeds of horses.
Visit www.HorseCouncil.org for information about horses in the United States. If you are interested in competitions, visit www.USEF.org., the site for the US Equestrian Federation. You may also want to visit www.USET.org, the site for the US Equestrian Team who will be competing at the London Olympics next week.
Enjoying Equestrian Life 