Common Horseback Riding FAQs
Horseback riding is very different from other sports – the biggest difference, of course, is the thousand-pound animal that is involved! If you’re new to horseback riding, you are sure to have some questions.
What is horseback riding like? Horseback riding is a physically and mentally demanding sport, and no matter your skill level you will find it’s a great workout. While there are risks involved in the sport and climbing into the saddle can seem intimidating at first, your confidence will grow with each lesson. As is the case with any new discipline, finding a knowledgeable instructor is important to building upon your skills and growing as an equestrian.
Keep reading to learn the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about horseback riding, including what you should wear when riding, how safe horseback riding is, and the type of horse that is ideal for a beginner rider.
FAQ: How Long Does it Take to Learn How to Ride a Horse?
As long as you ride horses, you will never stop learning. Even Olympic-level equestrians have professional trainers. Your level of confidence will only increase with each lesson, however, and you should expect to feel comfortable in the saddle very quickly. Once you are proficient at steering your animal, you will learn to trot. You may find that this takes only a lesson or two.
Once you are comfortable both sitting and posting the trot, you will begin to learn how to canter. Some riders will begin cantering in only a couple of months. Others may stay at the trot for up to a year before learning to canter. Your rate of growth will depend on how often you practice and how athletic and coordinated you are.
FAQ: Is Horseback Riding a Good Workout?
Horseback riding is a great workout! Nothing turns my legs into jello like an hour of trotting around the arena. Because riding is a whole-body workout, you may find yourself sore not just in your legs but also in your glutes, core, arms, and your shoulders.
This doesn’t mean you are limited to muscle conditioning when you’re riding, either – it’s also a great cardio workout, increasing your heart and lung health. It is estimated that horseback riding for one hour can burn up to 500 calories – that is more than an equivalent amount of time walking, biking, and swimming laps (and is also much more enjoyable, in my humble opinion). I have found that horseback riding is a more than adequate substitute for a gym membership!
FAQ: Is Horseback Riding Safe?
The risks associated with horseback riding will vary greatly depending on whether you are wearing a helmet. Horseback riding is the #1 cause of traumatic brain injuries in adults and #3 in children. It can be unnerving looking at the statistics around the safety of horseback riding, but a large percentage of the most serious of these injuries occur in riders who do not wear helmets – in fact, helmets are shown to reduce the risk of injury in riders fivefold.
A good instructor will teach you how to ride safely and will help you build upon a solid foundation so that you are not riding beyond your skill. A responsible instructor will not allow you to progress until you have mastered the skills necessary to safely move forward.
FAQ: What to Wear When Horseback Riding?
Appropriate riding attire not only keeps you comfortable and flexible but also keeps you safe. Even as an experienced adult, I ride a helmet every time I ride. It greatly reduces the risk of a serious injury and therefore keeps me sound and in the saddle. If you don’t have your own horseback riding-appropriate helmet, you will probably be able to borrow one from the lesson or trail barn where you will be riding – most have loaner helmets on hand for such situations. And if you’re under eighteen, the barn you are visiting may require it anyway.
You will also want to wear appropriate footwear. Boots with a 1.5” or greater heel will allow you to safely use stirrups without the risk of your foot slipping through and becoming trapped. This is important, as you will find yourself dragged and at the mercy of your horse if you lose your balance while your foot is stuck in a stirrup. If you don’t have boots, wear close-toed tennis shoes – you can ride without stirrups, but you will still need appropriate footwear in which to work with your horse on the ground.
Finally, make sure you wear pants, and not shorts. I like to ride in jodhpurs when I’m riding English and in jeans when I’m riding Western. Of course, if you’re just starting out and you do not have jodhpurs, jeans or leggings will work just fine. Make sure your pants, shirt, and sweatshirt (if you have one) are form-fitting and not baggy so that your clothing will not get in the way of your flexibility. Both too-tight and too-loose clothing will require frequent adjustments which can be very distracting when you’re in the saddle.
FAQ: What is the Best Horse for a Beginner Rider?
The best horse for a beginner rider will be mature, experienced in schooling, forgiving, and “more whoa than go”. In other words, it is really all about experience and temperament, and you can find a great schooling horse in just about any breed.
At the barn where I learned to ride, there were a few excellent schooling horses that worked wonderfully for beginners – a chestnut that was a former parade horse, a palomino that was a former police mount, and a paint that was found on the side of the road (seriously).
The best horse for a beginner is typically not a young horse, a spooky horse, a horse with limited experience, a horse that is herd sour, or a horse that is “more go than whoa”. A horse needs to be confident, patient, and easy-going to forgive the mistakes a beginner will inevitably make.
FAQ: Is There a Weight Limit to Horseback Riding?
Horses are strong, but they do have their limits. A horse should not carry more than 15-20% of its body weight, and this limit includes rider and tack. This means that a 1,000-pound horse (an average size for a light-riding horse) should not carry more than a total of 200 pounds. If you assume that your tack will weigh approximately 40 pounds, this means that you as a rider will need to weigh 160 pounds or less.
Of course, that’s a rough example of an average riding horse. Many lesson and trail barns have a variety of horses. A larger rider may be able to safely ride a draft cross, a draft horse, or even a heavier Quarter horse. If you’re concerned about your riding weight, have an honest conversation with your instructor and inquire about whether there is a horse that would be appropriate for you. There more than likely is, but you want to make sure that horse is prepared for you when you ride.
FAQ: How Expensive is Horseback Riding?
Equestrian sports have a reputation for being financially unattainable for much of society. What I’ve personally found to be true, though, is that horseback riding isn’t much more expensive (if at all) than most other individual sports.
In my area, horseback riding lessons are comparable in price to mid-level gym memberships, gymnastics lessons, and martial arts. It is generally less expensive than tennis or golf lessons. So, while the price of a horseback riding lesson or a trail ride will vary significantly by region, you may be surprised to find that equestrian sports are not only for those in the highest income brackets.
FAQ: What is Groundwork?
The majority of an equestrian’s time is not spent in the saddle but on the ground with her horse. You may be wondering what “groundwork” means if you’ve heard the term around the barn. Groundwork means to work with your horse while your feet are on the ground instead of in the stirrups.
Groundwork is incredibly important, and many problems that you may encounter in the saddle can be worked on or even solved on the ground. Some of the most important lessons you can teach your horse on the ground will include manners, respect, and patience. Groundwork can help you build trust with a new horse, it can help an uncertain horse gain confidence, and it can introduce new concepts in a safe(r) environment.
Bonus FAQ: Is Horseback Riding Fun?
Okay, the answer to this question may be obvious, but it’s worth mentioning – horseback riding is so fun! Yes, it takes a lot of practice to become proficient. Yes, it requires patience, confidence, and a calm disposition. And yes, it can be intimidating to entrust yourself to an animal that weighs half a ton. But there is nothing in the world like horseback riding. Even after many years of riding, I am still learning, and it is still thrilling.
Save this article to your “Horseback Riding” board on Pinterest!
