How to control a horse: the rider's rein, necessary commands, body position, whip and spurs

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Humanity has been continuously connected with horses throughout its existence. Before the advent of specialized equipment and cars, these animals were used to perform hard work, transport goods and move around. Today, all this is entrusted to vehicles, and stallions are used for ordinary riding, equestrian sports and walking. Therefore, many people are interested in how to control a horse on horseback. Let's look into this issue in more detail so that even novice riders can quickly master this art.

General recommendations

There are some tips that will make it easier to answer the question of how beginners to ride a horse. Before you sit on a horse, you must first get a comfortable saddle. Undoubtedly, some nationalities can easily cope with a horse without it, but a beginner can have very big problems. Even if the mare has a calm and accommodating disposition, stay onit will be impossible for her in an uncomfortable harness. In addition, you must learn certain commands that the animal understands. They will be discussed in detail a little later.

Preparations

So what are they? If you ask a professional how to manage a horse, he will answer that this activity has many nuances and strict rules that must be observed. It is very important that the future rider learn one thing: a horse is not a transport, therefore, it should be treated accordingly. Each animal has its own characteristics of character and behavior, and if you do not take them into account, you will not be able to find a common language with a stallion or mare.

When first interacting with a horse, pay attention to how it reacts to your presence. First, try to establish contact with the stallion so that he is not afraid of you, and only after that proceed to fixing the ammunition. In this case, the coach must be present. Before riding a horse, make sure that the harness is secure, but not too tight, otherwise it may pinch the animal's chest, preventing it from breathing normally. Adjust the height of the stirrups for your comfort in the saddle. And only after completing all the preparatory activities, you can climb onto the back of your mustang. And you will learn how to properly manage a horse later in this article.

How to saddle a horse?

Let's take a closer look at this. To an animalbehaved obediently and carried out all the commands of the rider, he must be harnessed to the harness.

To make things easier for you, follow these instructions:

1. Carefully inspect the stallion so that there are no dried dirt, scratches and open wounds on his torso. If even the slightest damage is detected, then the equipment can cause pain to the horse, as a result of which he will throw you off his back.
2. Fix the animal in one position with tie-downs.
3. Put a special saddle pad on his back, which is responsible for absorbing sweat and preventing chafing of the torso.
4. Lay the saddle on top so that the front bail is near the back of the mane.
5. Tighten and secure the lower straps so that two fingers can fit freely between them.
6. Adjust the stirrups. If everything is done correctly, then they should be at the same level with your forearm when pulled up.
7. Install the bib and tailpiece. They will fix the saddle, and it will be easier for you to stay in it.
8. If you are a beginner rider and do not yet know how to ride a horse without a bridle, then install it. This item of equipment will greatly simplify the process of riding.

After all that has been done, the animal will be completely ready to go on a horseback ride.

How to stay in the saddle?

So what do you need to know about this? If you are looking for an answer to the question of how to learn to control a horse, thenfirst you must learn the basics of riding a horse. Otherwise, you may not be able to hold on and fall off the stallion to the ground.

When you climb a mustang, follow these rules:

1. Stand on the right side of the horse, facing him, then throw the reins over the neck.
2. Holding on to the pommel of the saddle and putting your left foot into the corresponding stirrup, quickly throw the second lower limb over his torso, thus sitting in the saddle.

When doing this, you should be extremely careful not to touch the horse's croup with your foot, since this is one of the most sensitive parts of it. An animal can react unpredictably even to a small blow and throw the rider off his back. When you climb into the saddle, relax and get into a comfortable position.

It is worth noting that even if you get along with a stallion and saddle him without problems, this does not mean that you will be able to ride him. If you do not know how to properly control a horse, then it simply will not listen to you. The basics of this ancient craft will be discussed a little later.

How to dismount?

After completing your riding session, you will need to get off the animal without falling off. In fact, you need to repeat the above process in reverse. The most important thing to remember is that it is forbidden to dismount immediately. First of all, loosen the reins a little and take your legs out of the stirrups, after which you jump to the ground. Next, you need to remove all ammunition from the animal and take it to the stalls.

Basicsriding

Here, in fact, we have come to the answer to the question of how to control a horse. This may sound complicated, but it's actually very simple. There are only three types of commands that horses respond to.

They are served with the following:

1. Torsos of the rider.
2. His legs.
3. Reins.

It should be noted right away that any signals given by a rider can only be understood by a specially trained horse. At the same time, not only individual commands are used during the ride, but they can also be combined so that the mare understands them better.

Additional controls for the horse are the whip and spurs. They are made of special materials, so they do absolutely no harm to the he alth of the stallion. The person controls the horse and engages them in order to reinforce the commands given. But at the same time, you must correctly calculate your strength, otherwise you can hurt the mustang.

How to use the body correctly?

How to control a horse with the body? It's pretty easy if you sit correctly in the saddle. The center of gravity of the rider and the animal must match, so that they seem to be one, and act in unison.

As for the basic movements, they are as follows:

• lean forward - order the horse to start moving;
• tilt back - vice versa, stop;
• shift of the center of gravity to either side - turn.

All commands must be given exclusively in a sitting position and in the same rhythm. In no case should you rise in the saddle.

Kicking and reins

How to ride a horse with leg and harness? Everything here is no more difficult than in the case of the rider's torso, and with a little practice, you can do everything on full automatism.

The basic rules are as follows:

• when giving commands with the lower limbs, do not tear them off the sides of the horse;
• the severity of the stallion's response depends on the intensity and strength of the movement;
• signaling with your feet is best in the back girth area;
• to tell the mare to move forward, you need to give a command simultaneously from both sides;
• to turn, the leg command is given from the side in which the maneuver is needed.

It is worth noting that first you should give commands with the lower limbs, and only then with the reins. But most often they are used in symbiosis.

The essence is completely the same:

• tighten the reins slightly - stop;
• shake - move forward;
• pull on either side - turn.

It is worth noting that you can not move the reins too hard, because in this case there is a risk of damaging the lips of the animal with the metal mouthpiece of the stirrups. So be sure to calculate your strength.

Basic commands

This aspect needs special attention. We have already covered how to signal a mount, however, as mentioned earlier,each animal has its own personality and character, therefore, contact is not always formed between it and the rider. How to manage a naughty horse, you ask? For this, the commands are used together. There is nothing difficult in this, so even a beginner can handle everything.

To make the horse move forward, you need to slightly loosen the tension on the reins, simultaneously send a message from both sides with your feet and tilt your body forward a little. If you want the mare to run faster, then in this case you need to tighten the belts, thereby raising the head of the horse, then push with the legs and lean even more towards the horse's head.

To perform a turn, you need to pull the rein on the side in which you want to perform the maneuver, and on the other hand, on the contrary, let it go. In this case, you also need to lightly press your foot on the side of the animal. Similarly, a complete turn is made both when standing in one place and while moving.

To come to a complete stop, the rider needs to tighten the reins and lean back a little. If the animal refuses to obey, then signals are given by the legs on the sides of the stallion until the command is completed.

Here, in fact, are all the main commands that are used while riding horses. Let's remember them, and after a little practice, your body will do everything on an intuitive level.

General tips and tricks

We have covered in detail how to control a horse. However, riding is very dangerous.an occupation that is associated with a high risk of injury, so you should also talk about the basic safety rules.

In order not to fall off your horse and break something, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. Try to keep your back perfectly straight and your whole body relaxed. This will make it much easier for you to give commands, and you will feel much more confident in the saddle.
2. Give orders to the mount primarily with reins and legs to maintain a balance point.
3. Do not use too much force when tightening the straps to avoid injury or pain to the mustang.

These simple tips will help you ride your horses perfectly safely and minimize the chance of injury.

Conclusion

Learning to drive horses is very simple and absolutely anyone can do it. The main thing is not to forget that stallions are not cars, so they need careful handling. If you treat them with respect, they will always behave obediently.

A horse is a very sensitive animal that perceives absolutely all your emotions. Therefore, if you are going to ride her in a bad mood, then it is better not to do this.