Horseback Riding – English or Western?
Learning how to ride is a very rewarding experience, but it can often be a bit confusing as to which type of riding is most suited to your goals with regards to what you want to do with your horse. Talking to experienced riders is one option, but you need to understand that most riders have one riding style, either English or western, and they tend to prefer their style over the other one. Becoming competent will take lots of hours in the saddle for either style, and becoming competitive will require even more practice.
If you are going to compete, knowing what you want to do in the competition is essential before choosing a riding style. If you like the more formal style of dressage, hunt seat and saddle seat, than your choice will be the English riding style. But if you like a less formal style including wearing jeans and cowboy shirts and riding the trails or competing in western pleasure events or working cow horse events then the western style is your best choice. If you want to just be able to get out and enjoy seeing different country and riding with friends you can select either option.
Besides just what events you can compete in there are also differences to the actual riding styles. Riding the western style is a more casual style designed to allow the rider to ride for hours and hours over varied terrain. The stirrups are longer and the rider sits deep in the seat. Western riding also has the reins held in one hand, leaving the other hand free for using a rope. With English riding the rider has shorter stirrups that keep the rider erect and forward in the saddle with reins in both hands. Some English riding will require double reins, one set to direct the motion of the horse and one set to control the head position. English riding also has several different styles including hunt seat, dressage, saddleseat, and endurance. Each of these disciplines has their own style of tack – a dressage saddle, jumping saddle, all purpose saddle, and so on.
Whichever style you choose, proper safety equipment, especially a helmet should be part of your routine. This is a must for all junior and novice riders. When you select a style you can always decide to learn the other style at a later date, after all your horse can certainly learn another style, but learning both at the same time is overwhelming and can lead to confusion.
Getting Ready To Ride
The first time that you have to put your tack on a horse it may seem a bit confusing and difficult, but it is actually a very simple routine that is quick to establish and helps the horse understand what is happening. Having your horse secured with a set of crossties that fasten to the halter from opposite sides at about normal head height is really helpful as this leaves the rider with both hands to work with the tack.
Before putting on the tack it is important to quickly examine your horse and make sure there are no injuries or leg or foot problems. Run your hand down each of your horse’s legs. Pick our each hoof, checking for stones and any soreness. This will give you a chance to check over your horse’s foot for any problems that could cause lameness under saddle. Now that you’ve checked your horse’s legs and hooves, it’s time to give a good brushing to his back and body. Give your horse a good scrub with a stiff brush to get rid of all of the built up hair and dirt, especially around the saddle area where it can cause particular irritation.
Since the halter is securing the horse to the crossties, you may want to start with the saddle. Place the saddle pad or blanket straight down on the horses back, just on the highest point of the withers and slide it straight back a fraction of an inch to position it. This ensures that the hair is all flat, if you have to reposition the blanket lift it off the horse, smooth down the hair again with a brush or your hand, then start over.
With the saddle pad or blanket in place, pick up the saddle with your left hand on the horn or pommel and the left hand under the back skirt or the cantle, depending on the saddle type. Make sure you’ve secured the stirrups before placing the saddle. Then place the saddle in the center of the pad just back of the withers. The saddle should be placed in the natural depression that occurs on a horse’s back. If you have a western style saddle, reach under the horse’s belly and grasp the cinch, make sure it is straight and tighten the saddle from the left side. With an English saddle you may need to walk around to the right side and affix the cinch, then move back around to the left to tighten it.
Because of prior bad handling, many horses can be challenging to bridle. Moving quietly, slowly and gently will correct this problem. Don’t become agitated or irritated. Unbuckle the throatlatch and noseband if there is one, then standing in the same direction as the horse on the left side, hold the bit in your left hand and the top of the bridle in your right. Bring the browband of the bridle above your horse’s head with your right hand, thereby positioning the bit below the lips. Gently insert the bit by raising the top up and over the ears. Position both the bit and the headstall in the right place, then latch the throatlatch and noseband. Avoid banging the horse’s teeth with the bit as this will hurt.
Mounting and dismounting should be done in a smooth, fluid manner without excessively yanking on the horse. With the reins in your left hand, grasp your horse’s mane in your right hand. Using the right hand to hold the stirrup, place your left foot in the stirrup, swing your body up and your right leg up and over the back of the horse, gentle sitting down into the saddle. Put the right foot in the right stirrup and you are all ready to go.
Horse Riding Lessons – What You Need to Know
If you appreciate watching others ride horses, you may be the type of individual who wishes to experience it for them self. If that’s the case, you should be somewhat surprised to see that is an enjoyable and fulfilling way to spend some spare time. Horse riding, should teach you to experience what beautiful creatures horses are, as well as help you learn a skill which very few people have been able to master. Spending time around a variety of horses, and having the opportunity to ride them, is something that really can’t compare to so many others available. When it’s time to start your riding hobby, you need to start by taking a few simple steps.
Step One – Riding Basics
As with most endeavors, you must first find out about the basics when taking up horseback riding. You need to do your home work as well as perform your due diligence to find out what may be required, before you sign up for any type of horse riding lesson program. Your top consideration is whether you truly are interested in horseback, or really just enjoy looking at these wonderful animals. As an example, horseback riding is not an activity for the timid and there is some risk involved.
Riding Camp or Private Lessons
As a beginner, your top two choices are to start with group lessons at a horse riding camp, or invest in individual lessons. Each option has its benefits and disadvantages. Group lessons are generally less costly, but you might not get as much attention as in a private lesson. Private lessons almost always cost more, but you will be able to get much more out of them, especially with a qualified trainer. You may even be better off trying both group as well as individual lessons to find out what works best for you.
Research
You can use the web to do your homework, and just learn the different tricks to horse riding and of course always remind yourself of the different safety precautions that you need to take when riding horses.
Horseback riding is a wonderful activity that everyone should try at least once, and if you have kids this is something that you are will want to consider getting them into.
Whatever option you pick, please remember that you are taking up this activity for enjoyment, not as a job.
To find out more about horse riding lessons as well as learn more about horse riding, please visit our horse riding site, where you will find information, tips, and products.
Ariat Shoes – The Choice of Riding Experts
Ariat riding boots are made for people who are riding experts. They make a wide variety of diverse boot styles so as to suit the needs of the various kinds of jobs out there where people ride for a living or for recreation. You don’t need to be a professional to purchase Ariats, nevertheless, you just need to want to have the finest possible riding footwear.
Ariat riding boots are seperated into a couple different categories. The major categories are English, Western, Work, Motor, and Casuals. Within some of these categories you can further narrow down your choices in order to make it easier to find the right boot for you. For English riding boots, you can select either paddock boots, tall boots, climate control boots, or kids boots. In the Western group, you can decide on professional boots, exotic leathers, crepe sole, lace up, traditional western, roper boots, fashion western, rugged west, and kids boots. Inside the work footwear category there are options for 6 inch lace up, 8 inch lace up, farm and ranch, work western, hiking, impermeable, non steel toe, and steel toe boots. There are Motor boots, while there aren’t a lot of choices available in this group. Casual footwear includes Ariat clogs, sandals, mules, and boots.
The options for Ariat riding boots really do include something for one and all if you choose that you are willing to pay for quality and comfort. If you frequently have to ride in terrible weather conditions, such as when it is cold or wet, the climate control boots would be the ideal choice. The selections in this grouping give you options for insulated and/or waterproof shoes that should work for any weather condition you may encounter. They have shoes for men and women and children who work on farms and ranches, and they possess boots for those who are functioning cowboys and those that participate in riding contests.
Get Ariats, Aquatalia shoes and many more brands at various online stores…The bulk of the Ariat riding boots are produced with extra features and support to guarantee the most sturdy and comfortable boots possible. They make their boots out of superior materials as well, and use sophisticated technology so that you get the finest possible footwear.
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Article marketing what you do here is writing an article relevant to the product the website that you are promoting. At the end of the article in the resource area is where you have opportunity to leave a link directing people to your website.
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