Prior to the first horseback riding lesson, new riders frequently worry about their horse making a break for it and running off. However, the more typical issue during horseback riding for beginners is just the reverse: it is difficult to get the horse moving.

This is particularly demoralizing for the raw beginner, who hasn't developed enough leg power to deal effectively with a sluggish animal. He doesn't know what else to but kick and hope for the best.

Learning to nag your horse with your legs is not the aim of horseback riding lessons, but what else can you do about the problem of laziness in your horse?

Potential Causes of Laziness

Determine just what is causing the horse to be lazy. When a horse is working daily for several hours in the process of horseback riding lessons for beginners, he will be conditioned to "switch off." This is his only available method of dealing with the continuous flow of unstable riders using the reins for support, neglecting to consider that his mouth is at the other end.

Being overweight, a frequent and obvious cause of lethargy, or having feed or health issues are additional reasons that a horse may evidence laziness. Should you be the owner of the horse, investigate the potential source of the issue and determine how you can increase his energy level.

Energizing the Lazy Horse

One way to get your horse moving is to always carry a riding crop to your lessons, but make sure not to swat your horse inadvertently.

Using a quiet leg command ask your horse to begin walking, if there is no respond try using a quick jab of your heels to get him moving. If the horse complies and begins walking, make sure to stroke his neck and praise him.

If he doesn't move, tap him on the shoulder with the crop while tightening your legs. Your horse should begin moving without you having to swat him on the rear with the crop. But if he resists use one swift reinforcement along with your legs.

Walk for half the length of the arena, then halt. Ask for walk again, repeating the above procedure until he walks off smartly. Continue this exercise until you can merely brush his sides with your legs for him to move energetically into walk. Praise him when he responds immediately.

Use the same methods to work your horse from a walk into a trot. At this time your horse should be listening to you and responding to your commands and body language cues. If your horse forgets and decides to be obstinate again, use your body to make commands and swift tap of the crop to remind him.

If you're consistent with this approach your horse will soon learn that it's in his interests to do as you ask first time. Then you'll start to build a riding partnership based on mutual respect that both of you can enjoy.

Beginners, check Jim Milton's horseback riding training website to learn how to ride a horse and benefit from Milton's horseback riding lessons.

Posted under Horses

Horseback training is an ongoing process that many times can see to put us in a rut. There is no rhyme or reason why "riders block" occurs, but it does happen. Sometimes it is just impossible to learn a new movement, such as transitioning from inside to shoulder in flexion.

At times like this a horse riding video can help you get out of that rut and move forward.

A horse riding video can be used in 3 different ways to improve your riding skills.

1. Your Own Horse Riding Video

Ask your instructor, or a friend, to videotape you as you're riding, especially getting footage of when you're attempting to perform whatever that elusive movement is. Make sure they know to record the entire session, not just the part that's not working for you.

This will enable you to see whether any bad habits have crept into your general style. Are you balanced in the saddle? Do either of your heels come up, making your legs go back and causing you to lean forwards? Or do you lean too far back with your legs pushed forwards?

If any riding issues are not immediately obvious to you, take the next step and replay your home horse riding video afterwards.

2. Take Time To Watch Professionals Ride

Many riding professionals have sets of training videos that you can invest in.

For beginners there is a wonderful eBook, Horse Riding Lessons: Teaching Yourself to Ride, that will give you everything you need to get started. This eBook includes a horse riding video which features professional riders demonstrating the basics of horseback riding.

For those of you who are ready to advance to higher levels of dressage, you'll find training videos online. A good horse riding video to watch is On the Levels produced by the United States Dressage Federation (https://usdf.org) with a judge's commentary giving you excellent insight into what's expected when you advance through the levels.

Watch the rider's overall style in your chosen video. See how supple the horse is and how easy he finds the movements as a result. Observe the quietness of the rider's aids and how effective they are. These are things to aim for when you ride.

Now look specifically at how the rider asks the horse for your 'tricky' movement. Play that part over and over, to better understand how the rider applies the aids for it.

3. Be Sure To Compare The Two

Watch the professional horse riding video until you understand the area you are having trouble with, then play your video. Note how your style and skill differs from the professional rider.

This gives you the opportunity to see what you need to do to improve your own riding. Note what you're doing differently on a piece of paper as you're watching your own video, so you don't forget, and then return to the professional video to reinforce the right way of doing it.

When you ride again apply the changes and see how the move works when you approach it differently. Many issues you will face as a horseback rider can be worked through using horse riding videos. Your riding will improve and you will move right past your "riders block".

Visit Jim's horseback riding for beginners website for a comprehensive horseback riding instructions along with horse riding videos.

Posted under Horses

No matter if you are engaged in horseback riding lessons on a horse provided by your school or riding your own animal, it is critical that you are able to maintain the horse's complete attention. If not, you will not get much out of your lessons.

When using a school horse you will find it may often doze during a lesson, this is because they have done the routine so many times and it is simply bored. When first taking horseback riding lessons, as a beginner it can be difficult to change a sequence of movements because your full attention is on steering the horse and producing the correct aids.

However if you want to keep your horse interested while learning to ride a horse you need to vary the routine a bit. There are a number of easy things you can do to keep your horse awake and interested during these lessons.

Choose the exercises within the scope of your abilities and use them to make riding more interesting for both of you.

When taking horseback riding lessons request from your instructor permission to try the following exercises, or at least those that are within your skill level. Perhaps the entire class would like to try them.

1. Walking Techniques

Walk your horse on a light contact once around the arena on both reins. Then walk a 20 meter circle - starting with his easier side - taking up a stronger contact. Ask for longer strides, then shorter strides, then longer ones again.

Slow down and then turn in the other direction and circle that way. Before you turn the horse around walk it for at least one horse length in a straight line. Swap between long and short strides again.

Your horse should now be alert to your aids because you're switching movements and he has to pay attention.

Now ride figures of eight, keeping a steady rhythm and concentrating on smooth transitions between left and right bend. Remember to walk one horse's length before changing direction, and prepare your horse properly for the new bend.

2. Trot Exercises

The walking exercise can be done at a trot as well as a walk, it is a great way to avoid leaning on one rein and getting the horse bogged down in one direction.

Introduce changes between trotting and walking, and then return to trotting once more. Try hard to make easy changes, in order to get the horse to listen compliantly to our aids and starts to accede to your contact.

More advanced riders can ride trot serpentines across the arena in three even loops. As you ride from one long side to the other, ask your horse for a few strides of walk before transitioning up to trot again. Your horse will start to wait for your aids - which you want - but use your legs to ensure forwards movement at all times. You don't want him to become hesitant as he anticipates a downward transition. For that reason, don't always ask for walk in the same place.

3. Canter Exercises

Ask for lengthenings down the long side, and collect your horse before the short side. Frequent transitions from canter to trot and back to canter, with canter transitions from walk, will keep your horse attentive, as will lengthening and shortening his stride on 20 meter circles.

The preceding techniques will assist in maintaining your horse's attention, as it changes his accustomed routines and acclimates his body to the desired movements, facilitating his cooperation. Helping the horse enjoy the things asked of him will result in more enjoyable horseback riding lessons for you.

Through his how to horse ride website, Milton provides simple and comprehensive lessons with video instructions. Learn how to ride a horse the easy and the comfortable way.

Posted under Horses