|
Horseback Riding – An Exciting Hobby
There’s a
fabulous sense of adventure associated with
horseback riding because it instantly brings to
mind a feeling of freedom with the wind blowing
in your hair as your horse trots or gallops!
When you decide to take up horseback riding as a
hobby, you also enjoy many other benefits. Your
perception of nature improves manifold as you
also enjoy several health benefits. Look at
these:
-
Fitness and
health – horse riding is a great exercise
that tones your body
-
Weight loss
-
Reducing
stress as horse riding helps you get rid of
stress
-
Horse riding
is an excellent confidence builder as well
as making you more disciplined.
You get to meet likeminded people when you go
horseback riding. Spending time with a horse and
therefore with nature can be a pleasant
experience. Horses are known for their
intelligence and loyalty. Learning horseback
riding is not difficult or expensive, so you can
rest assured that your hobby will not burn a
hole in your pocket. It is not necessary to own
a horse to learn to ride it since you can rent
both the horse and the accessories you need to
go riding.
In addition to
all the above advantages, your hobby of
horseback riding could well open up
opportunities for you to take part in polo,
racing, dressage, rodeo, fox hunting, etc.
turning your hobby into a part time or full time
profession depending on how much time you want
to spend on it.
Getting Started With The Hobby
Apart from being a lot of fun, horseback riding
can be a rewarding experience letting you
discover the horse lover in you. All you need is
the right gear, a good instructor to get
started. Did you know there are different styles
of horseback riding? We basically hear about the
Western and English style. People usually feel
that western can be learned more easily since
the English style can be tough. If your aim is
to learn horse riding for fun, go in for the
western. If you intend participating in shows,
etc. then it would be a good idea to learn the
English style. Children invariably start with
bareback. The English and western differ in that
western riders hold the reins with one hand and
English hold the reins with both hands. But no
matter which style you decide to learn, you must
remember to sit up straight with your toes
pointed forward and your heels down. Also, never
forget to look where you are heading. You must,
at all times, show kindness towards the horse
and make sure you don’t lose your temper or get
irritated.
What You Will Need In Terms Of Horseback Riding Gear
You will need
some basic gear, starting with the saddle, reins
and stirrups and you can rent these from
wherever you plan to learn. At the time of
enrolling you can check for a good fit so that
you have a comfortable ride. It is necessary to
ensure that your horseback riding lessons are
safe, so don’t forget to wear a helmet. Here’s
a must-have list:
·
Well fitting clothing with your shirt tucked in
·
Breeches or thick leg wear. Jeans are okay but
the stitches down the inside of the legs can
chafe and hurt.
·
Preferably go in for an ASTM approved helmet
·
Riding boots that have about a one-inch heel so
that you can avoid your foot from slipping
through the stirrup.
·
Accessories, which are optional, are riding
gloves, chaps, boots etc.
Choosing Your
Riding Stable
You can look
around or ask for the stables in your locality,
shortlist a few and personally check them out.
You can take a look at the horses and their
stalls here. Good stables will take proper care
of their horses. Check whether the staff readily
answers questions you might have. Most stables
require you to sign a liability waiver. Get all
the information about schedule for the lessons
and the fees applicable.
Other things you
can take a note of are whether the horses and
their stalls are clean. Since this is a hobby
where safety is very important there’s no harm
in clearing any doubts you might have.
Your First Lesson
Do not forget to
inform your instruction if you are learning
horseback riding for the first time. This will
help them choose a horse that is gentle, slow
and well trained. First lessons are generally
one on one and last a maximum of half an hour.
During the first few lessons you will also learn
to saddle your horse and be instructed on how to
ride safely. The instructor will show you how to
lead the horse and how to mount and dismount
your horse. You are also asked to practice
walking the horse. Your instructor will teach
you how to ask your horse to move forward and
stop in your first lesson. You will learn the
right thing to do when there are other riders
around. Most horseback riding lessons are once a
week and this is preferable, as it will help you
keep in touch with what you learn.
Horseback riding
as a hobby is a very pleasurable thing and with
the right instructor there’s no limit to your
enjoyment. You must remember that you and your
horse are a team and both must understand each
other to ride as one, communicating with ease.
Over time, you will realize that you are relaxed
on your horse and who knows, you might just end
up doing shows!
This
information is just a trigger to start you off
on your hobby learning horseback riding. For
exhaustive information and tips, click here. you
will not only be able to see instructional
videos, but will also find some fantastic books
and links that will help you tremendously and
tell you all you need to know about horseback
riding. Happy horseback riding!
more |
