5 Safety Tips When Riding A Horse

Safety? Around a horse? You'v'e got to be kidding. Next you are going to tell me I should not drink and ride. The fact is, more accidents occur when riding horses compared to motorcycle accidents, and a fully grown horse is taller than an adult person, weighs over half a ton and can gallop at 30 miles per hour. Anything this big and agile should be treated with respect. Here are 5 safety tips you should know before going horse riding.

1. Bigger is not always better. Always ride a horse that will fit your size, riding style and riding skills. For first time riders, it is more convenient to choose a trained horse rather than one who needs to be schooled. If you are still undecided on what kind of horse riding you want to engage in, look around and try a couple of different horse riding lessons to get the feel of different riding styles to find your niche.

2. Ride with an instructor or a buddy. If its your first time to saddle up, make sure that you learn from experienced instructors. Whether you go decide on recreational horse rides, or want to take up horse riding lessons in dressage or show jumping make sure you learn from the experts. Riding a horse is a liberating activity but subsequently one that requires a streamlined kind of learning. For the more experienced rider, riding horses can be safely accomplished with proper training and skills, however, even the expertly trained steeds can be spooked by there surroundings thus creating a risk of falling off the animal. Having a buddy along will make sure that someone can assist you or even call for help in such events.

3. Wear the gear. My dream of riding the saddle wind flowing through my hair, galloping through vast lands was thwarted by a tacky helmet that I was obliged to wear. Being my first time riding a horse, I was so excited to gallop through trails and feel the magic of the activity. Until such time that the horse was distracted by a couple of barking farm dogs, bucked like a wild Andalusian and I fell off hitting my head on the ground. However, I still love horse riding to this day, but totally obliterated the wind in my hair part. Wear the gear; you will be glad you did.

4. Control the horse and not the other way around. Did you know that the margin of risk when riding horses is greater than that of motorcycle riding? Motorcycles are much faster without a doubt compared to horses. However motorcycles are more predictable machines which mean you have more technical control of them. Horses as living creatures have there own minds and senses that trigger reactions. Horse training is geared towards controlling the steed when these stimuli appear as well as understanding temperament and reaction. Riding a horse is more than just an activity; it is a connection between the rider and the horse in which control is entirely the riders responsibility.

5. Know as much as you can about horses. These amazing animals have a lot of history and good to know facts about them. Before you engage in horse riding lessons, it is best to know as much as you can about breed, utilization and a horses interaction with man and its surroundings. It is similar to learning to drive a car. Its not just enough to know how to manoeuvre it around the metro and park it properly. You need to know how it works, what will make the vehicle run smoothly and more efficiently. You need to know what kind of roads your vehicle will perform at its peak, and what kind of roads will be detrimental to its performance. Same goes for horse riding.

Horse riding is an exciting activity that will definitely get you hooked, and by knowing some important factors for this venture it will keep you riding that saddle as long as your heart desires.