Horse Riding Next Week

JoeyPeeps

I'm planning to go horse riding next week. I have never done it before but would like some advice on what to expect. I've ridden motorbikes before just wondering is it more or less dangerous?

Ave Sodalis

Welcome to the mad world of horses!

Your first few lessons will be on school horses (trained for beginners) with someone leading you around until you get the feel of a horse and learn your balance. It often takes people a few lessons before the can let go off the saddle at walk so it goes very slow and steady.

Horse riding is a risk sport. There will be accidents, there will be falls. There's no if, buts, or maybes about it. However, there's a saying that it takes 7 falls to make a rider. Horse riding itself can be as risky as you want to make it. We tend to take as many safety precautions around horses as possible but there's still a risk of an accident. In terms of motorcycling... yes and no. It really depends. Hacking around your own field on an old bombproof horse that's used the same route every day is considerably safer than jumping a 4* eventing course or breaking a young horse. There's statistically more casualties in horse riding than motorbike riding. It's a while ago now, but in 2007, a report by a leading spinal consultant put horse riding as 20 times more dangerous than riding a motorbike. That's only the people who go to hospital, which many equestrians don't do.

Be that as it may, I think it's worth pointing out that when something goes wrong with a motorbike, it goes badly wrong. There's a lot higher speeds involved and often harder surfaces. There are certain horse riding activities that are more dangerous than the other. While it's never going to be very safe, it doesn't have to be particularly dangerous either. If I were to give my own (anecdotal) opinion, I'd say the average motorbike rider is more at risk of serious injury than the average equestrian. The problem with the report above is it doesn't say that horse riders tend to only go to hospital if it's very bad, where-as motorbike riders only really have it very bad.


Having said all that, and you will have to excuse the blatant biasm here, it's one of the most rewarding sports in the world and I would take it with the risks and injuries over some safer sport any day. There is so much to learn that you never stop learning (anyone who tells you they know everything about horses is either ignorant or a liar). No other sport do you have something so huge and noble trust you with its life, despite not speaking your language. It's one of the best forms of therapy; being both exciting and exhilarating, and calming and relaxing. Alas, I could waffle on all day about the benefits of horse riding but I would probably bore you to tears!

Esroh

Sup-D has laid it all out above.
With Health and Saftey now a days every possible precaution is taken.
Its nothing like riding a MBike but as addictive:D.
Riding is unique because you have to be able to have your Hands,Arms, Legs , Seat (pelvis,Hips), Upper Body work independently and together at the same time staying relaxed while keeping your Balance on a moving Animal with a mind of its own.
Go with an open mind and enjoy .

JoeyPeeps

How long does it take to learn how to ride?

Ave Sodalis

JoeyPeeps wrote:

How long does it take to learn how to ride?

How long is a piece of string?

You should have the basics down within a year of regular riding. By that I mean walk, trot, canter, and small jumps without becoming unsteady. After that, it depends on experience types, how far you want to go, and how quick you learn. You don't ever stop learning. Those competing at top levels still get lessons every now and again. There's hundreds of methods and tips and tricks to achieve the same result. However, someone riding school horses for years is going to be behind someone riding competition horses for less. Someone riding the same horse for years is going to be behind someone riding a several different horses a day. Some people riding 10 years are better than some people riding 20. Sometimes they don't have to be better. Someone competing at international level is going to need a higher standard of riding than someone pottering around with their cob.

But something that never changes is that even when you think you know it all, you don't. There's always a way to improve, there's always a way to learn.

JoeyPeeps

If I enjoy this I think I will enrol in an intensive horse riding course as part of a package holiday somewhere abroad.

byhookorbycrook

JoeyPeeps wrote: »

How long does it take to learn how to ride?

Well, I've been taking lesson for over 40 years!It depends on what you mean by "learning to ride"- it's a never ending process, but if you want to learn to walk, trot and canter in an enclosed space, we could say ten lessons, depending on your balance and confidence. To jump 1 m 20 will take far longer, to gallop over cross country fences, to compete at a reasonably good standard at dressage= who knows, it will depend on yourself and the horse.

isaos

JoeyPeeps wrote: »

I'm planning to go horse riding next week. I have never done it before but would like some advice on what to expect. I've ridden motorbikes before just wondering is it more or less dangerous?

Just a question: what do you expect from horse riding? most of us have started because we liked / loved horses, so the notion of "is it dangerous" didn't quite hit us, I guess. You can't compare it with riding a motorcycle, as you are now on a living creature with a mind of its own.. That's what makes us tick! the feeling of the horse, the heat from the neck, the muscles felt under the saddle, the smell, the.. everything! which makes us accept the odd fall, the scares, the mucking..

If your first time on a horse back happens in proper conditions, you don't risk anything, as beginners are given very quiet horses and are taken real good care of. Now either you will love it or you won't!
It's also a question of age, the older you are, the more you might get afraid of falling: which is normal, we get stiffer and we think too much..

Keep us posted!!

JoeyPeeps

It's about the challenge. Taking up a new hobby.

isaos

I don't feel the love... but.. ok.. Just remember that a horse is a living creature, unlike a motorbike.. It is not just about what he could do to you.
I do do hope you won't be like some that just jump on a horse and canter for hours then just drop the horse back without realising the consequences of what the horse has possibly gone through: sore mouth, sore back, exhaustion.. Horse riding is so much more about becoming a team with your horse, not really a challange - because actually anybody can ride a horse.
Enjoy anyway! and good luck.. you might after all become addicted to horses!

convert

isaos wrote: »

I don't feel the love... but.. ok.. Just remember that a horse is a living creature, unlike a motorbike.. It is not just about what he could do to you.
I do do hope you won't be like some that just jump on a horse and canter for hours then just drop the horse back without realising the consequences of what the horse has possibly gone through: sore mouth, sore back, exhaustion.. Horse riding is so much more about becoming a team with your horse, not really a challange - because actually anybody can ride a horse.
Enjoy anyway! and good luck.. you might after all become addicted to horses!

Given that the OP has come here for advice on starting our horse riding, I don't think they're at the point where they'll be galloping out across the plains and then just dropping the horse back to the riding school without a care in the world.

As a beginner, most places will take the horse from the rider and look after it. However, as the rider becomes more experienced and attends more regularly, they'll also be introduced to the 'care' aspect and how to look after a horse after exercise.

Ave Sodalis

It's also worth pointing out that when people come from a non-horsey background, it usually starts with an interest, or just curiousness. Love/obsession/addiction develops later. It's reasonable not to have the wild enthusiasm us more experienced riders have when you haven't even sat on a horse before. I know I started out because my cousin went for a pony ride at the local riding school once so then I wanted a go. I spent my confirmation money on a set of seven lessons, and haven't looked back since. Nobody in the family has had horses except my grandfather as a child when they were necessary. I'd only ever even sat on a pony once. So when I started, it was because my cousin did it so why can't I, not really because of any overwhelmingly obvious love for horses.