New to Horse Riding

[roosevelt]

Hi all, I have recently started with training classes, as I had always been fascinated by horseriding. But almost a week down the line I feel that I am really not doing that well. Maybe I am at fault, or maybe my trainer is not that efficient, so I might seek some help from you people about how to get started. Thanks in advance!

[Speed Racer]

Welcome, Roosevelt.

You've only been taking riding lessons for a week? It's going to take a lot longer than that to become a good rider.

Contrary to what you see in the movies and on TV, riding well takes a lot of time, effort, and sweat equity even if you're naturally talented. For those of us who aren't naturally gifted, determination and perseverance can make up for lack of actual talent.

You haven't even scratched the surface yet. If you haven't made any progression in 6 to 12 months, then yes, it might be the instructor. But a week? You're lucky if the instructor has let you on a horse without a lead line.

Good luck. Remember, riding horses is a journey, not a destination. No one ever knows everything about horses, and you'll be learning the rest of your life.

[uflrh9y]

I totally agree with Speed Racer. It's going to take a good 6 months for you to see really big changes. What I did for my daughter was take a video of her at her first lesson and then we compared them along the way to videos I took every 2 months or so. I'm telling you, at about 7 months we looked back at the first lesson and it was amazing how much better she was. Even more then we realized. Also, there are things that are happening with your form that show you are getting better, and you might not even realize it.

[HorseLovinLady]

Welcome to the forum!!

[Prinella]

The video idea is a fantastic one. As everyone's said its not something that happens automatically.
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[Skyseternalangel]

Welcome to the horse forum!

I will say what I said to another beginner: riding is a workout and it takes time (years and years) to get really really "there" with it. Meaning you can rush through and learn walk, trot, canter but when you take your time, you will do it correctly instead of "okay" and as all sports, it takes training and conditioning.

You'll get there :) Taping each lesson is what I do. It helps you to SEE the progress and keep you from getting discouraged. Your body needs to build muscle memory and to unlearn our natural instinct to curl up when we're scared because that + horses = disaster.

The more you relax, the better you ride.

Welcome to horses, best of luck learning to to ride well

[roosevelt]

People nowadays have lot of fascination for horse riding. The benefits associated with horse riding are much and prolific also. If you are the one who desire for it, it is then good for you to search for a perfect rider who is well versed in it.

[ilovesabir]

Like most people have said it takes a while to get used to horse riding and its going to take a lot longer then a week, I guess you never stop learning have fun in the future!!

[NevCowgirl]

Hi Roosevelt,
I am fairly new to riding, I have been riding for 3 years but I started later in life compared to a lot of people you will meet who started riding when they were kids. However, from my experience you must have a never give up attitude.. that is assuming you truly have a passion for doing it. Riding is so much more difficult than it looks and it takes a lot of practice. Honestly I believe that you will never stop learning or becoming a better rider regardless of how long you ride. The more experience you get the better your riding will get. Don't shoot for big things at first.. if I could give any advice it would be to learn how the horse moves and get to know the horse, every horse will feel a little different and respond differently to actions. It helped me when I rode more than one horse I could realize the differences more. Even after 3 years there are times when I feel like I can be much better, and the truth is that you always can. If you are truly passionate, don't give up! Even when the going gets rough, you will get better and better. :)