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The four basic gaits for any horse are the walk, the trot, the canter (or lope) and the galop. Learning how to ride your horse in all of these gaits is the first step towards fun in horse riding. The first gait to learn is the walk, we have searched some interesting articles to get you started.
Beginning to Ride: Walk and Halt
From Laura McBride
In this article beginners learn how to ask a horse to move forward in a straight line and how to halt. In this article the author explains that is much better to use tact in horse riding and 'ask' things from your horse rather then being aggressive with your horse.
Before asking your horse to walk you should first check your own position,check your, stirrup length, ...
When you are ready checking your own position you can ask you horse to walk:
- look in the direction you want to go
- release the reins forward slightly
- press against his side equally with both calf muscles
- if you have a lazy horse you can encourage him with your voice
Your horse may sense that you are a beginner at horse riding and will not start walking. Your horse is trying to avoid the work you have in mind for him. What can you do? Go over the same steps but press harder, put a little more determination in your acts. And if this still doesn't work, kick your horse using both feet and tap both the horse’s sides at the same time. This should work in most cases.
When your horse is walking relax in the saddle and allow your hips to move with him and allow your hands to follow the movement of your horse's mouth.
The next step of horse riding is halting your horse. Sit deep in the saddle, stop the motion of your hips, press both calves into his sides a little, and squeeze back on the reins. A good halt is harder to accomplish than a good transition to the walk because you must engage everything you do at the walk, but add resistance. Beginners’ biggest mistake is usually in not using leg pressure to accomplish a halt. But taking the legs off the horse’s side makes the horse think you’re abandoning him.
Read the full article of Laura McBride at suite101.com
Cue Your Horse to Walk and Halt
Author: Katherine Blocksdorf
In this horse riding article the author starts with explaining the aids for the walk: Gather your reins so that you feel a light contact between your hands and the bit. Use both lower legs to squeeze the horse lightly behind the girth area. Your leg above the knee should remain motionless. At the same time as you cue with your legs, cue with your seat by pushing forward slightly with your seat muscles.
For horse that are unwilling you can use both heels to urge your horse forward.
The position of the rider is also very important.
- Head: look forward into the direction you want to go, at the same time remain relaxed and supple.
- Carry your shoulder evenly
- Make sure you are sitting square in the saddle.
- Keep your lower leg quiet unless you are cueing your horse. The walk is the ideal gait to start working at keeping a proper horse riding position.
- Keep your hands steady with light contact on the reins
To stop your horse, close your fingers and squeeze backwards
Read the full article of Katherine Blocksdorf at About.com
.November 2007
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