In our last post we talked about all of the things a new rider should wear or bring with them on their first horseback ride! If you haven’t already read that post, I suggest that you go take a look at our overview, here.

But, in short, I suggested long pants, closed-toed shoes, and layered clothing. I also suggested that everyone should bring a bottle of water and wear sunscreen!

If you have all of that, we can go ahead and talk about getting on the horse and what to do once you are on horseback:

Trust Your Guide’s Choice when it comes to Horses

First of all, it’s important to always remember that the guides at your barn or stable of choice work with their horses every single day, and therefore know their quirks, personalities and traits. So, trust them! Your first ride is going to be a lot less stressful if you let the guides worry about what is “normal,” and you simply enjoy the experience!

Secondly, because the guides and wranglers know their animals so well, they know what that animal’s carrying capacity and experience rating is. That is to say, just because you see a horse that you think would be a better fit for you (whether that’s because it is smaller or taller or your favorite color) doesn’t mean that it is. Trust your guides! They don’t want anything bad to happen to you or their animals, either.

Getting up there

You are going to get sick of hearing this but, despite whatever I say here, listen to your guide! Every barn does things a little differently, so no matter what instruction I give you here, just do what your wrangler tells you! The following tips are just some general guidance.

Getting onto a horse or mule or donkey or zebra… is called “mounting.”

Your tour guide and/or one of their assistants will lead you to a “staircase” (called a “block” in the horse world) or a ramp.

They will probably be holding the horse still so that the horse’s left side is facing you and lined up with the block or ramp.

Do not climb this block or ramp before you are invited to!

Horses can be finicky animals, and some do not like approaching the mounting area when someone waiting there already looks taller than them. Besides, sometimes the guide will have a series of last minute adjustments to make to the horse’s gear before they are ready for you.

When everything is ready, you will be invited up to the horse and instructed to step into the stirrup.

The stirrup is a triangular place for your foot to rest, often made of metal or leather. It looks flimsy but – I promise you – a stirrup in good condition can support more than the weight of an adult male. So step with confidence! Think of it like a stair and not a swinging piece of leather.

From here, it’s a simple “up and over.” With all of your weight placed confidently on your left foot, swing your right leg up and over the back of the horse. Sitting down is the easy part. Just relax!

Steering your Horse

Once you are up in the saddle, your wrangler will most likely buzz around you for a minute adjusting straps and making sure the stirrups fit you correctly and that your water, sunscreen and phone have found a happy place to stay. Then, they will give you some instruction on how your particular horse operates.

As I said before, listen to your wrangler. Some horses have different requirements or come with special instructions. The following is just a general overview of how some horses operate.

I like to tell my guests that the reins are a joystick. Hold both of them in one hand (either hand will do – you can even change it up!) so that both reins are the same length. Hold that hand out in front of you so that is ahead of the saddle horn.

If you want to go right, press your entire hand to the right. Keep pressing to the right until your horse turns his head that way!

If you want to go left, press your entire hand to the left. Keep pressing to the right until your horse turns his head that way!

To hit the brakes – whether you want to slow down or stop – pull straight back with the reins towards your belly button. Keep pulling until the horse is going the speed you want. Even if it feels like you are pulling hard or for a long time, just keep pulling until you have slowed down or stopped.

And last but certainly not least, going forward. To tell your horse that you want it to start walking, you should take your heels and kick the horse in the belly with both heels at the same time. Simply stretch out your lower leg and then bring it in sharply. I know this sounds strange to say, but it is perfectly okay to kick a horse when you are riding it! It does not injure them, and it is a cue that nearly every rideable horse in the world is trained to respond to. In fact, for most equines, nothing else even means “go” to them. Do not shake the reins. Do not say “please go”. Just kick.

On The Trail

Believe it or not, by the time you get to this point you are just about ready! Most likely you will be on a tour with other people and, of course, your guide. Since your horse will generally prefer to be with the other horses, for the most part he will simply follow them! However, I must remind you:

Horseback Riding is an interactive experience and your participation is absolutely required!

If your horse is walking in the wrong direction, walking too fast, or has stopped altogether, you will have to use the turning, braking and kicking I described to remedy the situation.

Remember, this horse was picked for you with your experience level in mind. You can handle it! As long as you go into the experience confident that everything has been setup for your success, you will do absolutely fine!

Oh yeah, and listen to your guide!

Interested in going on your first horseback ride? You can book with Tattered Saddle today!

Did you miss our first post? Find it here!