Do you enjoy horse riding? Or would you like to learn? If so, keep in mind a few safety tips as you ride.

If You're New to Riding, Get an Instructor It's not a good idea to try to wing it on your own. At least for the first several rides, rely on the expertise of a good instructor to guide you through the care and safety considerations for a horse in youy riding lessons.

Begin With the Horse The first item is choosing a horse. This is one of the many places a qualified instructor helps immensely. The instructor will know how to help you find a horse that will be the appropriate for your age and skill level.

Riding a horse that is too independent or advanced for the rider can be a frightening experience, as well as one that is dangerous. Choose a horse that complements your skill level, and you'll enjoy learning as much as the horse will enjoy the walk (or run) which you embark on together.

Proper Clothing The proper clothing can make your riding more pleasant as well as increasing safety for you and the horse. Clothing may not seem to be a safety issue, but it can be very important.

You should always wear a helmet. You'll need to prepare for the unexpected, so in the event that you are thrown from the horse, the horse trips and knocks you to the ground, or in your ignorance, you slide off of the saddle --- a helmet prevents or lessens head damage if any of these accidents took place.

Use boots with a 1 inch heel or safety stirrups on the saddle. Without one or the other or both of these things, you may be dragged for some distance if your foot slips through the stirrup and gets stuck

Use Control and Planning Only ride the horse as quickly as you are able to control it. The faster the horse moves, the more difficult it is to control it, so exercise caution in choosing a speed for your ride. Additionally, you'll want to let others know where you plan to ride, what path you plan to take to get there, and how long you anticipate it taking you to complete.

You should have at least one member of the party with a cellular phone and possibly a GPS system. That way if you do become lost, you will have a way to contact help and let them know where you are. Plan ahead so that you are always riding with a buddy. The whole group, whether that includes only two or many more people, should remain at the speed of the slowest rider.

Safety on Trails Be sure the trail is clear as far as you can see before you begin to canter, lope or gallop. Be ready to slow your pace at a moment's notice.

You should walk at corners and bends, and keep all horses in single file line when passing other trail users.

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The breeding of thoroughbred horses began when in England they started to breed horses to carry men in full armour. These horses were heavy and capable of strenuous hard work. In the Middle East, however, they were breeding lighter, more agile horses who were extremely quick.

A Middle Eastern Stallion known as Byerlye Turk was used for breeding by his owner, an english captain. Byerlye Turk was bred with English mares and produced the Herod line of thoroughbreds.

They bred and crossbred the decscendants of this and other sires to create an amazing running machine. The thoroughbred horses had excellent lung capacity due to their wide girth, were able to gain ground quickly due to their long shoulders and strong hide legs. They were born to race.

The United States Of America now has the most thoroughbreds, with approximately 50,000 new foals being registered during the last year. The industry is massive, and billions of dollars are involved. America is the forerunner in thoroughbred racing.

All thoroughbred foals have the official birthdate of the 1st January allocated to them even if they were born in June. Their racing career ususally begins at about two years of age but many do not race for long due to injuries. They are then either retired or sold.

Thoroughbred horses are usually very highly strung and tempremental and I know from experience do not make very good "all round" horses. In fact a friend of mine has recently purchased a retired thoroughbred racing horse who only responds to stop and gallop! They are, however, good with many people as they are used to having different trainers from such a young age.

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Equestrian sport dates back to Greek Times, approximately 2000 years ago when they started using dressage to train their horses for war. I became really interested in this sport when Princess Anne, HRH of Great Britain competed. I have continued to follow the success of her daughter Zara Phillips.

Initially equestrian sport continued as a military training exercise which now included three day events comprising of Show Jumping,Cross Country and Dressage. These events were set up to test the endurance of the war horses.

The Olympic Games, in 1921, started to include Equestrian Events as part of its line up and its popularity started to soar.

One of the most famous people who certainly put this sport on the map not just because of her skill but also because she was a member of the British Royal Family is HRH Princess Anne. Princess Anne, was born in August 1950 and is tenth in line to the British Throne. She is the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

Princess Annes family is full of equestrian champions. Her former husband Mark Phillips won badminton in 1971 and 1972 and was part of the equestrian team in 1972 which won a Gold Medal for Great Britain in Munich. Mark Phillips is also the father of Zara Phillips who is still currently an outstanding equestrian competitor.

The only daughter of Princess Anne is as I have mentioned Zara Phillips. Her full title is Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips, MBE and she was born on the 15th May 1981. Zara Phillips is currently twelfth in line to the British Throne. Zara Phillips has to be one of the best horsewomen ever to come out of Great Britain. She has won an individual gold medal on her horse ToyTown during a three day event at the World Equestrian Games in Germany. She also helped secure Silver Medal the British Team won. In 2007 Zara was awarded the MBE (Member of The Order Of The British Empire) for her outstanding services the equestrian sport. Incidentally her mother, Princess Anne was awarded the MBE in 1971.

Equestrian showjumping,dressage and cross country never looks that difficult on the television but that is far from the case. Showjumping is designed to test control,accuracy and athleticism. Dressage the basic moves of walking, trotting and cantering. Controlled of course not just in any old fashion. Cross Country reveals bravery,jumping,speed and stamina.

Posted under Horses