The weather has cleared, the sun is shining and the haying has hopefully been done. What better day for a long awaited ride on your horse. You have been working for months getting him ready. You started with the round pen, progressed through the bridle exercises, did sacking, saddling and prep work. You have spent hours getting him prepared for this day; the first time of many that you will climb aboard and enjoy his company from on top. But, don’t jump on just yet. There are a few more things to consider before you do. Are you ready to ride an unbroke horse? The time to ask is before you get on, not after!

Teaching ‘young’ horses to be safe riding mounts takes a tremendous amount of patient concentration. Most horses will progress well if your program is done in baby steps like I have been teaching. But it takes many, many hours of consistent focus to keep the horse building on the right track until you know without a doubt that you can trust his every move. A good rider who never forgets he is on a ‘green’ horse can make that horse look well broke fairly early in its training by making little subtle corrections to maintain control and to prevent unwanted reactions. The young horse gains its confidence from being constantly guided toward the correct responses.

I have trained a lot of horses. Most turn out to be fairly good matches for the owners who hire me. But, all too often, I am hesitant to see the owner ride his/her horse as I know that the experience level of the rider is not sufficient for the insecure level of the horse. Usually the horse is progressing fine; he just needs a lot of miles without incident. But the way the rider is used to riding is not what the ‘green’ horse is familiar with and it could end in a frightening experience for both the horse and the owner.

Things such as how you hold the reins, how you sit in the saddle, being prepared to correct before you need to correct, looking ahead and making adjustments all make a huge difference in whether your horse goes along quietly like an old pro or nervously awaits its next scare. Consistently being able to lead the horse while giving him enough slack to take responsibility for his own self-control can be a fine line and needs some study to learn how. This is best done on a well trained horse that you are totally comfortable riding so you don’t have to try to learn while worrying about your safety. It is certainly not wise to try to learn how to correctly handle the reins for a ‘green’ horse on a ‘green’ horse.

Why do people end up with horses that are either not started or too ‘green-broke’ for their riding level? Mostly it stems from a lack of education and too many romantic notions about horses. A person can be around horses his whole life but not really know about them unless he has taken time to really study them. Often times, the person is remembering back to when he was young and could ride like a piece of velcro. He thinks getting on a new horse should be like riding the other 2 horses he has had in his lifetime and all should be good. But every horse feels a little different when you get on and each rider feels a little different to the horse. So, how I ride is not going to take the place of how you will ride. You have to learn how to safely control and cue the horse or it will not end well.

I guess the point I am trying to make is this: there are a lot of good horses out there that are already safe and experienced under saddle. Now, just because they have been ridden for years doesn’t necessarily mean they are good horses but, if you are patient, you can find a horse who already is what you have imagined that unbroke one in your pasture will be without risking the injuries that are common when starting a new riding horse. Take an experienced trainer with you to evaluate your choice before you buy and start at a safer level. You can still do all the work and exercises from the beginning but the main start is already in place.

Raising and training your own horse is an experience like none other but do your homework. Learn the exercises for great riding control on a safe riding horse, pretending that it is a ‘first-timer’ and then go climb on that youngster you have been anxiously waiting to ride. Too many people start with too young or too inexperienced of a horse and then get out of horses when they get scared or hurt. It doesn’t have to happen. With a little more self-evaluation and preparation, your dream horse connection will become a reality.

Next month, I will walk you through getting on for the ‘first’ time. I will trust that those of you who know you should not be getting on a ‘first-timer’ will be pretending as we go through the steps to make your riding experience fun, exciting and safe. For those of you who are ready for the trails, I have a Trail Riding Clinic, August 20-22 at my place in Elk, WA. Until next month, stay safe and take care. God Bless......Ann