You have been thinking about finding an activity which would provide you with the fun, exercise and companionship you feel you need, and you have decided
on horseback riding. You want to get going right away but don’t know where to start. Within a reasonable distance from home there are a number of riding
stables, but you are not sure who to talk to and what to do first.
There are a few things you need to consider before starting your new hobby. First and foremost you need to do some research, starting with the following:
- Explore the internet by typing in “horseback riding” in a search engine
- On Google you will find that there are 2,789,000 web sites with something about horseback riding on them
- Start looking at the first line of each result to find out what the website is about
- Narrow your search if you can not find what you are looking for right away
- Look for a local riding instructor in your phone book
- Go to a county fair or horse show and ask around
- If you have a friend who is already involved in horseback riding get a recommendation
- Stop at a local boarding stable and ask anyone working there
- Look for reviews of books and ebooks on horseback riding
Once you find an instructor you need to check and see if the instructor is safe and competent. Ask if the instructor holds any accreditation certificates,
and if so, find out what they are. Many excellent instructors will not have any accreditation but with some simple research you can find out if they are
what you are looking for. For example find out:
- Do all the students wear safety equipment like helmets when taking horseback riding lessons
- Are the classes large and out of control, or small with a lot of instructor attention
- Does the instructor communicate with the students in a respectable and controlled manner
- Ask the students their opinion of the instructor
- Ask the students their opinion of the instructor
- Is the arena well kept, all exits closed to prevent runaway horses
- Are all of the students at the same relative level so that the instructor can address individual needs
Then, when you finally decide to select an instructor, do not be afraid to interview them. Find out what their experience, philosophy and temperament are
like and make sure that they ask you questions. The prospective horseback riding instructor should want to know what your level of experience is, what your
expectations are and how certain you are in your desire to learn horseback riding.
If you are not satisfied with the answers, or just do not feel comfortable with the instructor, keep looking. There are a lot of excellent instructors available,
so pick wisely so that you will enjoy your horseback riding experience.
Learn more about horseback riding at
Horse Riding Made Easy!