How to stay on

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cowgirl Ibara

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I dont own a horse but i love to ride whenever the Opportunity pesents itself. But I still havent learned how to stay on. The first time I learned how to ride I had just got the hang of walking when the horse started to trot and I went face first into the round pen panneling. Stupid me I wasnt wearing a helment since my teacher didnt have any at the time but you could say the side of my face was black and blue while i couldnt even brush the horse without being terrified. Ive riden only twice since then and I still am terrifed when I fisrt saddle up. Any stories, suggestions or anything is welcome ^_^
 
are you riding english or western?? have you foot on the stirrup so the ball of your foot is in contact with the stirrup, point you toes up, so your heel is down. your stirrups have to be the right length so you can put weight on then with out having to strech your leg, and hold on with your knees. lol Its a lot easier to do it than to tell some one how to do it.

I was 12 or so and i had this stubborn horse, this one spot in teh ring he hated, and i knew that so we would walk by he would see there was nothing the matter, after we got by we would trot or lope or what ever, well after about 2 weeks of this i thought he was good to go by at a trot so by we went and he was good did this a couple times and he was fine. so i picked up a lope and went by the first couple times he was good so i relaxed, and he felt this, couple more times we went by then he decided he didnt want to so were lopping along, and he jumps sideways and of course i was excpeting this and i totaly whiped out, hit the ground, and he stands there and looks at me like hes says "what are you doing on the ground" i was mad, but couldnt stay mad at that little guy he only did it a couple more times, then he tried again and didnt get me off and he never did it again. Mom always said" Anyone can fall off but the real riders will get back on and keep going" I cant count the number of times iv fallen off or got bucked off, but i still ride and wont ever stop.

Hope this helped :)

Katy
 
horses can sense your feelings in some ways. they feel your every move. if you think you will fall off, the horse knows it. just think that you will stay on and focus on what you are doing. the more nervous you are, the more nervous your horse will be. hope this makes a little sense.
 
I ride mostly Western but I've riden English a few times. Ive noticed it only a few times but when the horse does something that supries me or scares me my heals go up and I lean forward. Been working on breaking that habit. But thanks Miss Daisy it makes a lot of sence. ^_^ Ive noticed a few times when i finally do relax the horse will let out a sigh as well. Its just a matter of getting relax that has me penned.
 
Personally I would find a new trainer. No trainer in his/her right mind should ever allow someone with your experience on a horse with no helmet.

Yes, there are many of us that learned to ride without them mainly because they were not invented yet. :shock: We survived but I bet there are many of us that took some pretty severe hits. Technology marches on and we should use whatever we available to keep us safe.

If you really want to learn to ride. Find someone with a pony. Ride it bareback and a lot. If you fall, you don't fall far plus those little guys will give you all you want.

Other than that my only advice is to keep your feet under you and not in front. By this I mean, don't push the stirrups forward with you feet. Oh, and start bareback walking, then trotting.

Hips to your knees are for you to stay on, knees to toes are used to tell the horse what you want him to do.
 
I agree with flaboy? about finding a new trainer and safety first.

Riding with the horse on a lungeline with a knowledgeable experienced trainer (horsemand or horse woman) can help give you confidence.

Having a saddle that fits you with proper stirrup length can make a difference too.

Good luck.
 
If you are riding western you have to get the feel of how the horse moves. You need to make sure your stirrups are right for you( when you stand up in the stirrups
you should be able to put your hand sideways between you and the saddle) no more and no less. You need to put some weight on your legs and use them to keep your butt in the saddle. Don't let your legs get behind you. If you do 1 little move will get you dumped. You need a horse you can trust and to relax and enjoy it. It will come to you with time. Good luck.
 
After that experiance I have never riden without a helmet again and my riding hasnt gotten much better either ^_^. The horse that I first was learning how to ride was owned by my trainer but it was a green horse. She was a 2 year old mustange mare who was just learning as well. So not very smart on my or her part.

Also its strange when it comes to stirrups my right foot is just fine but my left foot always slips out even after the stirrups are readjusted. Is there anything I can do about that?
 
What kinda trainer lets a new rider ride a green horse? :shock: :shock: :shock: :x :x Thats kinda dumb!! Expecily with out a helmet!! Or am i the only one that finds that totaly and udderly stupid????

Katy
 
when I use to barrel race girls would use rubber bands on there
feet. They will break easy if you fall off but are just enough to hold your feet in the stirrups. You put your foot in the stirrup and put a rubber band around the toe of your boot then twist the rubber band put it under the stirrup and hook it around the heel on your boot.
You should find an older horse to learn on.
 
Personally I think you need to gain experience and lessons from real live people and horses. Coming to a BB to find out how to stay on a horse is not how you learn. Find someone in your area to give you lessons, with a helmet!! ;-) Good luck and enjoy.
 
Canadian_Cowgirl":2udn5p5y said:
What kinda trainer lets a new rider ride a green horse? :shock: :shock: :shock: :x :x Thats kinda dumb!! Expecily with out a helmet!! Or am i the only one that finds that totaly and udderly stupid????

Katy

:clap:
 
J&T Farm":2tqntw94 said:
when I use to barrel race girls would use rubber bands on there
feet. They will break easy if you fall off but are just enough to hold your feet in the stirrups. You put your foot in the stirrup and put a rubber band around the toe of your boot then twist the rubber band put it under the stirrup and hook it around the heel on your boot.
You should find an older horse to learn on.

Thanks I'll try that next time ^_^ Its just hard to find a good trainer for a price I can afford. The closest stables are 30 mins away and their prices are way out of my range but I would rather pay for safe lessions then dangerous cheap lessions.
 
Canadian_Cowgirl":yr1eo78s said:
What kinda trainer lets a new rider ride a green horse? :shock: :shock: :shock: :x :x Thats kinda dumb!! Expecily with out a helmet!! Or am i the only one that finds that totaly and udderly stupid????

Katy

No, you're not the only one. On a sidenote, I also agree wholeheartedly with Flaboy on finding a new trainer.
 
cowgirl Ibara":p5uixiid said:
I dont own a horse but i love to ride whenever the Opportunity pesents itself. But I still havent learned how to stay on. The first time I learned how to ride I had just got the hang of walking when the horse started to trot and I went face first into the round pen panneling. Stupid me I wasnt wearing a helment since my teacher didnt have any at the time but you could say the side of my face was black and blue while i couldnt even brush the horse without being terrified. Ive riden only twice since then and I still am terrifed when I fisrt saddle up. Any stories, suggestions or anything is welcome ^_^

you obviously need a more qualified riding instructor that will not allow things like that to happen and control the situation better. Fear is really hard to get over. But to learn to stay on a horse you need to learn to balance with your base of support area of your lower thigh and knee area, this is the fulcrum that you balance your weight on and is the best method to keep your center of gravity in balance with that of the horses. Things you want to avoid is to hold on with your hands and also gripping with your lower calf and legs.
 
flaboy?":16e2cgjh said:
Personally I would find a new trainer. No trainer in his/her right mind should ever allow someone with your experience on a horse with no helmet.

Yes, there are many of us that learned to ride without them mainly because they were not invented yet. :shock: We survived but I bet there are many of us that took some pretty severe hits. Technology marches on and we should use whatever we available to keep us safe.

If you really want to learn to ride. Find someone with a pony. Ride it bareback and a lot. If you fall, you don't fall far plus those little guys will give you all you want.

Other than that my only advice is to keep your feet under you and not in front. By this I mean, don't push the stirrups forward with you feet. Oh, and start bareback walking, then trotting.

Hips to your knees are for you to stay on, knees to toes are used to tell the horse what you want him to do.

I agree with Flayboy about everything including riding bareback.
Bareback the trot is easier to learn because you have nothing to brace against. Also with bareback you will either learn balance or fall off really quick.
Same deal with the lope, you have nothing to brace against riding bareback. You will either get with your horse or fall off.
 
Find a new trainer, one with more patient and quiet horses, and more knowledge to help you through your issues. Definitely invest in your own helmet ;-).

The key to staying on when you're first learning is to RELAX and stay back over your hips. If you tense up and lean forward (which is many people's first reaction to going faster than a walk), then you will end up in the dirt. Always look up, in the direction you want to go (not at the ground), BREATHE, concetrate on relaxing your back, shoulders, and hips, try to feel the horse's movement, and keep your shoulders back.

http://www.gfdressage.com/articles.html
This web site has three VERY good artilce on "Seat." They are geared toward the Dressage rider (english riding), but the concepts are universal. Print them out, read them, and take them with you to your next lesson. See if your trainer will help you work on the exercises described. I am teaching my daughter using these fundamentals and she is catching on quicker than any kid I've taught! It really works.

Good luck! And watch the "Dog Whisperer"! Use Ceasar's "Calm-Assertive" attitude toward horses, and you'll get the same kind of respect he does from dogs ;-).
 

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