Riding School
I would like to credit Britney's Horse World for these pages!


As we all know, riding is a blast! Whether you are riding out on a trail, in the pasture, riding calmly in the arena, or even working your horse for conditioning or practice... you need to know how to ride. Here are some how-to's and tips and tricks for riding!

The Instructor's Role
Riding is a difficult sport to teach yourself, and to be honest, a few people are able to begin on their own. To ride, you have to have access to a horse or pony, and generlly you wouldn't think of buying one until you knew how to ride it and whatwas involved in lookig after it. Even children born into families where older siblings or parents ride, and horses and ponies are around, still need lessons in how to do things the proper way. Before learning to ride, it's a good idea to spend some time with horses or ponies if you can- at a friend's stable perhaps, or at a nearby riding school if the owners are willing, just looking at and learning about horses, how to take care of them and what attention they need. You can learn alot by simply wathing people ride and take care of horses, grooms attending to them, and so on. It's a sport in which you need to know what goes on behind the scenes as well as having the 'on-top' view.
Your insructor for ridingis most likely to be at a local riding school and you should be cofident that you like the atmosphere of the school, that its general appearanceand upkeep, and that of the horses, are pleasing. If there is a feeling of disorder and disarray it's likely there will be a lax attitudetword- everything- including the teaching. You should also feel able to get on well with the person who is going to teach you to ride. Do listen to your instructor and try to do what she or he tells you to do. Just think of it this way: 'You've paid your money to come here for the instructor to teach you how to ride, so for the next few days, do it the instructor's way. At the end of the time, modify it to suit you and your own specific riding requirements, but for now do it the way the instructor tells you.' That's pretty good advice. The instructor knows more than you do at this stage, so it's best tolisten to him or her right now, for you are taking lessons. So thats the instructor's role...is to teach you how to ride, handle, and deal with horses.

Horse Sports

Combined Training
Let's say you love to jump, but also you have a potential for a little dressage. You'll be happy to know there is a challenging sport where you can do both. Combined training, also known as three-day eventing, is a marathon of sorts that requires horses to display a variety of skills. The first day of the three-day competition is a dressage test; the second, a cross-country jumping trial; and the third, a stadium jumping course. In combined training, you'll see the very definition of versatility, because the same horses that compete in the graceful, precise dressage tests will be belting around a cross-country course full of fomidable fences, ditches, hills, and water obstacles the next day. In the last phase, the horse competes a course of show-jumping fences, from verticals and oxers to occasional liverpools. Eventers are unique horses: they mustbe manageable to compete in the elegant dressage phase, bold enough to tackle the scariest of obstacles and ahletic enough to shine ove technical jumping courses.


Competitive Trail Riding
Do you want to hit the trail in a serious way? Here's a sport thats been designed for riders who want more fun from trail than just leisurely pastime. Serious trail riders compete against one another in regulated competitive trail rides, organized by the North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC). These run and challenging events consist of approximately 25- to 50-mile-per-day rides across various terrain. Horses are judged on their condition, manners and way of going. Speed isn't important, as long as the horse and rider complete the ride within the minimum and maximum time limits. Horses are examined by both vets and lay jadges periodically throughout the ride to determine their fitness and skill on the trail. What makes a great competitive trail horse? Comfortable gaits, excellent health and soundness, and a good head on his shoulders. Riders need to be in good shape, too, since even a 25-mile ride can mean a minimum of five straight hours in the saddle.


Cutting
You’ll see a horse and rider in a pen with a small herd of cattle. The riders sits motionless, ready for the task of separating two of the cows, one at a time, from the herd. The horse, with his head down and completely focused, almost seems to anticipate the cow’s movement, and horse and rider play a game of one-on-one, keeping the quick, determined cow from joining the others. Cutting started out as part of a cowboy’s job on thousands of cattle ranches throughout the West in the 19th century. Originally used to separate individual cows from large herds on the open range, cutting was a skill required of every cowboy and cow horse. Nowadays, cutting has been refined into a delicate art. Judges look for horses that are athletic and have innate cow sense. The rider’s role is to let the horse do his job. Some people believe good cutting horses are born, not made. An intelligent, agile, obedient cutting horse will succeed as a western sporthorse with good professional training, and, of course, some cattle to practice with.


Dressage
If you’re into the classics, you’ll love the sport of dressage. One of the oldest disciplines in the world, classical horsemanship became the root of military maneuvers in Europe. As a riding discipline that has been a staple in Europe for centuries, dressage is now growing in popularity in the United States, thanks to the success of America’s Olympic teams and the United States Dressage Federation (USDF). Dressage consists of a series of subtle maneuvers that are meant to emphasize the horse’s natural movement. A difficult discipline for both horse and rider, dressage is often compared to ballet because of its demanding nature and poetic grace. Riders can start out at various levels of the sport and move up the international ranks to Grand Prix, the Olympic level. Dressage riders execute a test made up of patterns and movements. They are scored for each element in the test, by comparing the pair to the ideal ride for that level. Riders who score the highest in their test are awarded ribbons or other prizes. But while riders do compete against one another in a technical sense, most dressage riders are more concerned about bettering their personal scores rather than beating their fellow riders. Horses of any size, color, and breed can be shown in dressage, although warmbloods are most commonly seen in the higher levels of the competition.


Driving
For equestrians who prefer to see their horse from a different angle than the saddle, driving will give you a new view of horsemanship. Driving, alive and well in the 21st century, is an attractive sport that can be particularly appealing to older riders and handicapped equestrians. You don’t necessarily need a team of horses, since as few as one horse can be used in driving. Your vehicle can be a two-wheeled of four-wheeled ride. The majority of driving classes in the United States calls for one or two horses, but draft breeds often show in six- to eight-horse hitches. Harness classes are judged in a variety of ways, depending on the vehicle and type or breed of horse. If you decide that you’d like to hit the harness show circuit, you’ll see arenas full of flashy, high stepping horses, sleek and moving in tandem. Outside the arena you’ll find driving marathons – high-action events where teams of horses race on a technical and complicated course. These races require animals that are athletic, conditioned, and responsive. Both horse and driver must be carefully trained to complete in this discipline, since a variety of unique skills are required of both.


Endurance
Think you have what it takes to complete the equestrian equivalent of the Ironman? Endurance riders do. The sport of endurance riding has grown over the last couple of decades into an internationally recognized and sanctioned sport. Similar to competitive trail riding, endurance riding calls for an extremely well conditioned horse to handle some pretty challenging terrain. However, unlike competitive trail, endurance riding calls for speed over manners and way of going. The horse who gets to the finish line first is the one who wins. Endurance competitions often consist of 25- to 100-mile-per-day rides, or multi-day rides that usually cover 50 miles per day over anywhere from four to six days. When you’re doing this type of rigorous riding, both you and your horse better be extremely fit and athletic. Horses must go through vet checks throughout the race. Serious training is required before a team can compete in an endurance ride. Endurance riders are passionate about their sport because of the beautiful countryside that Is an integral part of it, as well as the camaraderie that inevitably results between horse and rider during many hours together on the trail.


Fox Hunting
The sport of fox hunting has become synonymous with British aristocracy, and for good reason. The British refined this sport centuries ago and still consider it one of their greatest traditions. While less popular here in the U.S. than in England, the sport of fox hunting is thriving, albeit in small numbers, in America. In addition to noncompetitive hunts, which include packs of baying hounds, there are contests within this sport involving day-in-the-country rides, hunter paces and hunter trials. In day-in-the-country events, riders compete in a number of different classes related to fox hunting. Hunter paces are informal rides where hunters negotiate obstacles and situations typically found in fox hunts. In hunter trials, riders present their horses in a more traditional show format. Horses are judged on their skills as well. Although fox hunting is considered a blood sport, American fox hunts emphasize trailing the fox rather than killing it. According to the Masters of Foxhounds Association, 1 percent of the hunts in America result in a kill. While fox hunting is an exciting sport, it calls for a calm horse that will be relaxed yet willing enough to jump whatever obstacle is asked of him.


Gymkhana
Got the need for speed? You can race with the best of them with gymkhana’s three timed events: barrel racing, pole bending, and stake racing. Considered rodeo events, gymkhana competitions are a big part of the tradition of western riding. In each of the three events, horses are asked to go around barrels or poles, either alone or in pairs. In barrel racing and pole bending, the horse with the cleanest round and best time is the winner. In stakes races, horses are pitted against one another and eliminated from the competition, one at a time. Gymkhana is exciting and fast-paced, and is considered somewhat of a daredevil sport. You’ll see dirt fly, as horses, trained to make balancing turns and respond quickly to their riders, are going all out to cross the line and stop the clock. One of the attractions of gymkhana is that it is accessible to any equestrian. A gymkhana horse doesn’t have to be expensive or highly trained to be successful at local events, and you don’t have to spend a fortune on pricey show tack or equipment. All you need is a quick horse, a sense of adventure, and a desire for fun.


Halter and Showmanship-in-Hand
For those who prefer to show off their horses from the ground rather than from the animals’ backs, halter classes are the way to go. Lined up in a neat row, with perfect coats and shiny hooves, these horses stand square and alert, ready for a cue from their handlers. Most often seen in breed shows, halter competition places horses against one another in front of a judge who evaluates their conformation and movement. Halter classes are usually divided up by gender and age, so stallions compete only with stallion, mares with other mares, colts with other colts, et cetera. To participate in breed-show halter classes, a purebred horse is a must. However, some shows offer open classes for horses of different breeds to compete against each other. Halter horses must have a winning attitude and performance-built conformation that will make the judge stop and take a second look. While it is vital to have a well-built, quality horse in order to do well in halter classes, the showmanship of the handler is also crucial, and in showmanship-in-hand classes, it’s the handler’s presentation of his or her horse that is judged.


Show Hunters
A horse that canters gracefully from fence to fence, effortlessly taking off at just the right spot, snapping his legs up evenly and rounding over the jump to land smartly on the other side and continue on course is worth his weight in gold in the hunter ring. The discipline of hunt seat has its roots in British fox hunting, hence the name. But most show hunters have never seen a jump outside of the show ring, since it is primarily an arena sport, offering both jumping and flat classes. Hunt seat is extremely popular in the United States, and is the English discipline most often seen in riding arenas across the country. Riders compete in a variety of classes, including equitation, where the rider’s performance is judged either on the flat or over fences; and hunters, where the horse’s form and style on the flat or over fences is judged. These classes are held within different divisions, based on the age and expertise of either horse or rider. Any number of breeds can participate in hunt seat classes, although Thoroughbreds are by far the most popular breed for this discipline.


Show Jumping
For those of you who like the jumping aspect of hunters, but want a bigger thrill, there's jumper classes. Show-jumping classes challenges horses with considerably higher fences, ranging anywhere from 3 feet 6 inches in the novice classes to 6 feet or more. In these classes, the horse with the fastest time and cleanest round takes home the blue ribbon - and some serious cash at the frofessional level. Jumping rules are simple: In the first round, you have a time allowance to complete he course without knocking any rails down. You recieve penalties in the form of faults for 'lowering a fence', or for a refusal or run-out. If you fall off, you're elminated. If you go clean, then you're in for some real excitement in the jump-off round. The jump-off is a wild ride where the horse and rider go as fast as they can to clear the fences and stop the clock. A horse with sprinter's speed and cat-like agility is more important than size or breed. For many riders, there's no better challenge than show jumping.


Reining
If you like dressage, but have your roots firmly down in western riding, you’ll probably find reining an ideal event. The sport of reining is another western discipline that rose from the working cowboy legacy. A challenging sport that calls for intensive training of both horse and rider, reining competitions require you to guide your horse through spins, circles, lead changes, and sliding stops at the slightest touch. In reining classes, horses are judged on their ability to execute various maneuvers with ease and grace. In freestyle reining, you’ll have a great time choreographing your routine to some catchy, crowd-pleasing music, and can often ride the whole routine in costume - horse included. Successful reining horses have good, balanced conformation and a solid foundation of western training behind them. If you want to get into reining, you should have excellent horsemanship skills in order to communicate effectively with your mount.


Ride and Tie
You might be saying to yourself, “I love to ride, but I just don’t want to give up my running career, and I love the outdoors too much to get involved in an arena sport.” Ride and tie offers the best of everything for the tough, competitive athlete. Teams made up of two humans and one horse take turns running and riding along a prescribed course. When one rider has gone as far as he thinks his partner can run, he or she stops, ties the horse, and starts running. Upon reaching the horse, the trailing member rides to catch up with the other teammate. At that point the two can switch places or the rider can continue ahead on horseback. Teammates continue to switch places until they both cross the finish line. These events are anywhere from 10 to 100 miles in length.


Polo
Although this fast-paced sport has long been associated with royalty, Rolex watches, and Palm Beach, it actually enjoys widespread popularity. There are regional and intercollegiate leagues all across the country, and with variations of the game (indoor polo and polocrosse) even more riders are getting involved. Polo requires a lot of practice in order to play even marginally well. Outdoor polo consists of six chukkers, or periods, each lasting 7 minutes. Teams are made up of four players, and the playing field is 10 acres - about the size of nine football fields. Riders maneuver the ball using long wooden mallets. The object of the game is similar to hockey or soccer, and it requires a bold-minded, fast, hardy horse to play. Top players usually have a string of polo ponies, because it is such a physically demanding sport.


Saddleseat
Saddleseat is one of the fancier and flashier of the showing disciplines, with riders decked out in brightly colored suits and sharp derby hats. The horses are equally flashy with their ribboned manes, full bridles, and carrousel-horse animation. Saddleseat is considered one of the English disciplines, although the saddle used in the sport is quite different from the hunt-seat or dressage saddle. The cutback, or show, saddle, is flatter than other English saddles and places the rider far behind the horse’s withers. The purpose of this saddle is to take the rider’s weight off the front of the horse, allowing the animal to show off his movement. Gaited horses, such as American Saddlebreds, Tennessee Walking Horses and Racking Horses, are commonly ridden in Saddleseat classes. Arabians and Morgans are shown Saddleseat style in country pleasure, English pleasure and park classes, depending on the horse’s training and “action.” Therefore, for a horse to be successful in this discipline, he must be a flashy animal with animated gaits.


Team Penning
Get together with some of your riding buddies and try this hot western sport. Tem penning is growing in popularity because it's exciting to both watch and participate in. Teams of three horses and riders must sort three designated cows from a small herd and pe them in a paddock located at the opposite end of the arena. The event is timed, and the fastest, most accurate team wins. Team penning is judged by two different judges, who watch from different positions around the arena. Two timekeepers keep track of each team's time. Any horse can be used for team penning, as long as he's fast, obedient and has good cow sense. Since cattle are vital to this sport, riders who wish to train for the event eed access to livestock and other riders who can be part of the team.


Vaulting
Probably the most unusual of equine sports, vaulting is not a traditional riding event, but rather a display of gymnastics on horseback. Typically, the horse canters on a longe line while the vaulter performs a series of acrobatic maneuvers on his back. Reminiscent of the type of riding often seen in circuses, vaulting competitions are judged alone or in teams, performing required maneuvers or freestyle arrangements. To be successful is vaulting, a competitor must be extremely athletic (a background in gymnastics is a major asset.) Horses used for vaulting must be quiet, steady animals that will keep their cool regardless of what’s going on around them.


Western Pleasure
Western pleasure and its cousins, western horsemanship and western equitation, are all staples in the equine show world. Popular among weekend showmen and high stakes competitors alike, these classes are meant to show off the western horse and his rider. In pleasure classes, the horses are judged for their slow, steady movements and level neck carriage. Conformation is a major factor in judging western pleasure horses since only horses built a certain way are capable of exhibiting the desired movements. Horsemanship classes, on the other hand, while requiring a good western horse, place the emphasis on the rider’s equitation and skills in the saddle. The majority of successful western pleasure mounts are Quarter Horses, Appaloosas, and Paints. Western pleasure horses must have the right conformation and a quiet disposition in order to succeed in the show ring.

Articles credited to Horses USA 1997-1998 Annual Issue.



Check out some more riding school pages!
Saddling & Bridling
Falling Off
Approaching A Horse
Mounting & Dismounting
De-Spooking Your Horse
Perfecting the Posting Trot

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