How To Be A Good Equestrian?

Whether you have loved horses all your life or whether you are just starting out on your journey, you will of course want to know how to be a good equestrian.

Hopefully you know some of the basics, but we are going to go through with you the finer points and details on how you can be the best you can be!

How To Be A Good Equestrian?

One of the most important things to remember is that a horse is NOT a motorbike – it is a living, breathing being, with thoughts and feelings and a personality.

The number one thing you need to do in order to be a good equestrian is to treat your horse with kindness and respect. After all, you wouldn’t expect anything else would you?

Make sure that you are sensitive to your horses’ needs and moods on any given day, as you would expect someone to show you the same respect.

Devote time to spend with your horse – even on the days when you are not riding. Building connection is key.

Make sure you check on your horse every day, and keep an eye out for health issues or anything else that might be bothering them.

Don’t blame your horse if a ride doesn’t go as well as you wanted it to. They are living creatures, just like we are – sometimes everyone has an “off” day!

Remember that all life is a learning curve – and horses are no different. Don’t be afraid to admit you have been doing something wrong, and never feel bad for asking for advice.

Being a good equestrian is very similar to being a good human being – take care of your friends and those around you, and treat yourself with kindness too. That’s about it, really!

Here is a comprehensive article showcasing just about everything about horse behavior, to help you to understand them better.

How To Be The Best Equestrian?

Being a “good” equestrian is one thing, being “the best” is only one step further – and it’s not that far removed from being “good!”

One of the most important things to remember is that it doesn’t matter if you are competing at Badminton and clearing jumps every single time – it’s about how you treat your horse that is the most important.

• If your horse trusts you, you are up there with the greats. Horses are prey animals, so they are wired to see everything as a threat – if your horse feels safe with you, you are doing a good job.
• Take time to see things from your horse’s perspective. Yes, we know it’s only a crisp packet stuck in the hedge – but to your horse it is probably a vicious dragon!
• Don’t take out your frustrations on your horse. Yes, it’s frustrating when you don’t jump clear – but remember that you wouldn’t even be there is it wasn’t for your horse. They’re trying.
• Keep an eye on your aids. The vast amount of riding is non-verbal clues, so if you are confusing your horse by asking him to go on with your leg but holding his mouth, chances are he will get frustrated and confused.

How To Tell If Someone Is A Good Horse Rider?

There are a great many different styles of riding, and each one can be hard to decipher in terms of “good” horse riding.

However, there are some universal things that all the best horse riders do, and from this you can tell that they are a good rider:

• They leave their ego in the tack room and don’t take it on the ride.
• Their horse trusts them.
• They never take out their frustrations on the horse.
• Their movements are confident, yet calm.
• They make sure their horse’s welfare is the number one priority.
• Their horse is calm, confident and ready to do what they are being asked.
• They are willing to learn from their mistakes, and willing to learn to do better.

Obviously, a good horse rider will have to spend years training and learning how to actually ride the horse, but if the above traits are in place then you can be sure that they will be a good rider – and a good person.

How Do I Get Better At Horse Riding?

As with everything in life, the answer to this is: Just keep doing it! Remember that phrase, “Practice makes perfect?” Well, never a truer word was spoken!

You need to be having regular riding lessons – either on your own horse or at a local riding school – to be able to hone your skills.

• Read as much as you can. New literature is coming out every day, and if you can’t physically be there in the saddle, then reading about it is the next best thing.
• Sit with your horses. OK, this one isn’t necessarily about riding – but actually a lot about horses is way more than just leaping on and riding off into the sunset.
• Watch videos of people riding. Luckily, there is a lot of footage of the best riding stars that we have; studying their form and how they ride can help you a lot.
• Don’t push yourself to hard too fast. Trying something you or your horse are not yet ready for can be a recipe for disaster, and can lead to a lack of confidence.

How Can I Be A Confident Equestrian?

Being an equestrian is about so much more than just riding – you have to genuinely enjoy being around horses.

Unlike motorbikes, cars or other things that move us around, horses are sentient beings – this can be both a blessing and a curse!

In being a confident equestrian, one of the key points to remember is that a horse is a prey animal, and as such they are constantly on the lookout for threats and danger.

You will need to build a bond with the horse so that they trust you, and make sure that you have a calm, confident way of being.

This way, the horse will trust you enough to know that nothing bad is going to happen to them, and you can get on with everything else!

This video will help you learn strategies to become more confident around your horses:

Horse riding can be tough, there’s no doubt about it. But, if you follow our advice you will find yourself improving – both in terms of riding and also being good to your horse and getting the most out of your relationship.

Hopefully, now that you have some tips under your belt about how to be a good equestrian, you can put these into practice and become the very best that you can be.