Horse Riding Instruction
Make Stable Management Part of Your Horseback Riding Instruction
Learning to ride a horse is an adventure in itself. But this is only one part of being around horses.
There is a whole other side to horsemanship, and the best way to become familiar with this is while you’re at the barn for horse riding instruction.
What is Stable Management?
‘Stable management’ is the art of taking care of horses. For example:
Feeding correctly according to age, temperament, size and work-load
Providing the right amount of good quality hay
Providing access to fresh water at all times
Knowing how large stalls should be
Keeping the stalls clean with appropriate bedding
Sweeping the aisles clean and putting away dangerous objects such as wheelbarrows and pitchforks
Ensuring sufficient access to proper grazing
making sure the paddocks are clear of debris and poisonous plants and have safe fencing round their perimeters
Knowing how to groom and saddle a horse
Knowing how and when to worm a horse
Understanding basic illnesses and lameness issues
Knowing how to apply first aid, and when to call the vet
This is to give you an idea of how much more there is to horses than just riding them! If you intend to own a horse at some point, it’s a good idea to start acquiring these skills and this depth of knowledge when you learn to ride.
How Can You Learn About Stable Management?
Start by finding books on horseback riding with sections on the care of the horse. Read through them several times to become familiar with the material, and when you go to the barn, watch how those principles are put into practice.
Ask if you can help around the barn. Most commercial barns will be glad of your assistance and more than happy to explain how to take care of the horses.
If a horse is lame, ask to be shown how to spot lameness and which leg is affected. Help out with a sick horse and learn the basics of equine first aid.
Your increasing skills will be much valued around the barn, and you’ll become knowledgeable about horses without having paid money to gain this expertise.
It takes time and experience to become a well-rounded horse person, and we never stop learning how to take care of our horses. They are always inventing new challenges for us. But including the basics of stable management in your horseback riding instruction will give you a solid foundation in horse ownership.
You Can’t Run or Canter Before You Can Walk!
Posted on 2010-05-15
In order to ride well, you need to master the basics. This can seem tedious and slow when you watch more experienced students during their horse riding instruction. It’s so tempting to see if you can reproduce their advanced movements before you’re ready.
But there are no shortcuts in riding (or any other sport, for that matter) and you need to follow a sensible plan. Either do this with a riding instructor or, if you can’t afford regular lessons right now, there’s an excellent opportunity for horseback riding lessons online.
Your Online Riding Instructor
The ebook Horse Riding Lessons: Teaching Yourself to Ride is like a ‘downloadable riding instructor’ who leads you through a series of structured horseback lessons. You take your own time mastering each step before moving onto the next.
Often in group lessons you have to wait for the others to reach the same level before you can all move on. With Horse Riding Lessons: Teaching Yourself to Ride you advance to the next phase as soon as you’re ready.
A Safe Training Structure
The book gives a suggested time frame for practicing what you learn in each lesson before moving onto the next phase. This stops you from rushing through the lessons, and keeps you safe in the saddle.
Watch and Learn
The accompanying video follows the pattern of the ebook, and shows you how to ask your horse to walk, trot, canter, turn and halt in the order they’re explained in the book. You can see exactly how to ride your horse properly, and watch the video several times to reinforce the concepts in your mind.
It’s easy to spot riders who were impatient learners: they’ve developed bad habits which are hard to kick and prevent them from becoming truly competent. If you take time to learn the correct way thoroughly, you’ll become one of those more advanced riders you admire.
