How to Be a Successful Horse Rider

Success is a word we hear a lot of these days but often in a context, which is quite irrelevant to many people. It does not necessarily mean competitive success; it simply means that you have attained standards or goals you have set yourself.

It is a quantum leap from not being able to get your horse out of the yard to going for an enjoyable hack in the countryside, or from being utterly overawed by dressage to realizing that you have become quite good enough to get a rosette at preliminary level.

If you ride well and your horse is well schooled, trusts your judgement and, therefore, is co-operative, you are more likely not only to be successful, but also safe because you are in reasonable control and can prevent or minimize mishaps.

Mental Attitude

In order to set yourself up for success with horses, certain things have to be borne in mind all the time:

Remember what kind of animal a horse or pony is.

The horse is a prey animal evolved to be chased to death in open country by a predator, which will give as little warning as possible. This has produced an animal which runs first and thinks later, which can get to a speed of 30mph in three or four seconds (faster than a family car) and weighs about half a ton. That's rather a sobering thought, isn't it?

Horses need leadership

As herd animals most horses are followers, not leaders. They are also born into an environment alien to their evolutionary one, human society, and so are not really equipped to make reasoned decisions in a man-made world, because domestication has not changed them.

They speak and think in �€˜Horse' and behave like horses, if they have been raised with other horses and have learned equine herd manners. By assuming the role as a leader or supporter we have a great responsibility to always be fair, reliable, trustworthy and consistent, otherwise horses become confused and defensive, which can be dangerous.

Ultimately, when you are together, your horse must rely on you for security, not other horses.

You must give horses clear parameters