Riding With Care
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
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My absolute favourite thing about owning a horse is being able to ride him. There is no better feeling than leaving the yard on a sunny morning to go out for a hack across the countryside. Most well loved and well cared for horses enjoy the experience as much as the rider. If you have done your work right in training your horse he will understand your every movement, and in time a good partnership develops with each one of you understanding the others moods and feelings, and your horse will respond to your slightest touch. This relationship is an important part of keeping both you and your horse well and enjoying your rides.
Make sure you always use good tack, and that it is properly maintained. You need a Saddle that fits well and a Bridle and Bit that are comfortable for the horse and communicate your wishes to him well. You should never have to drag on your horse’s mouth to direct him – imagine how it would feel if someone did that to you! Never ask more of your horse than he can give, we can sometimes get a bit carried away! If your horse is young (or old) it is easy to expect too much of them. Make sure you only expect him to do those things which he is capable of and that you have worked on together. The temptation to take chances is easy to give in to, and it is not fair on either you or your horse and places you both at risk – for no good reason. In time you can work with your horse so that he is capable of almost everything you want – don’t take the chance and injure one or both of you.
Horses are renowned for not stepping on fallen humans but when travelling at speed they sometimes miss potholes and dangerous ground – it is your responsibility as the rider not to take your horse anywhere he could be hurt. The chances are that you would be too. There are times when you do have to cross bad ground so make sure you do it at a sensible speed and keep your eyes open for hidden dangers.
A few sensible precautions such as these make for a good, fun ride for you and your horse.
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