Why Do I Have To Ride Correctly?

Riding correctly is healthy for horse and rider. If you ride your horse correct, he will get stronger. If you ride your horse incorrectly he will eventually break down.

By riding with proper posture as rider and proper collection for the horse each ride will be like the horse and rider are working with a professional trainer at the gym. Building the muscles and strength training the entire body.

By training with good communication between the horse and rider, the mental state of the horse and rider improves. You will have more of a sense of accomplishment. You and your horse will have less stress, more security, and higher self-esteem.

Riding incorrectly with poor posture leads to the body breaking down. This goes equally for the rider and the horse. Just picture yourself lifting and carrying heavy weights. Thirty pounds in one hand, and twenty pounds in the other, lifting with your back instead of your legs. Now imagine that you do this every day. Even though you are working out, you are harming your body instead of strengthening it. You may not feel it when you are younger, but as the years go by those aches and pains will start to make themselves known.

This is what happens to a horse who continually carries an unbalanced rider, keeps all his weight on the forehand, lets his belly hang out without supporting his back, and goes through his exercises incorrectly year after year. Horses are strong, and it is their job to deal with a rider who is learning, but it is our responsibility to do the best job we can do to improve our riding. That is healthy for our bodies, and the horses body.

When we constantly have miscommunication with a horse, it results in stress. Imagine you speak only English, and were working on a complicated project with someone who spoke no English what so ever. You both want to be able to communicate, but it would be extremely difficult, scary, and stressful. The same is for the horse and rider when they do not speak the same language of communication.

This is why I feel it is necessary to learn to ride correctly. So it can be fun and safe for the horse and rider. Over the years, you and your horse will age more slowly and have more peace and respect for one another.

You will have to find your own path to communication, balance, timing, and feel with the horse. Hopefully I can be here to help you achieve that goal in some small way. That's really my mission, to hopefully say something once in a while that will turn on a light bulb, or at least give a rider some insight into why they must work so hard to be the best they can be doing what they love.

Until next time,

Deanna