Riding a horse is a great way to get active, learn new skills and improve your health. It is also a great way to connect with the great outdoors and the animals that live there.

When you ride a horse, you have to use your whole body to control the animal’s movements and help them move forward and backward. You also need to have good balance and coordination, as well as strength and muscle tone in the muscles of your arms and legs.

If you are a beginner, it is a good idea to ask someone else to hold your horse while you mount. This will reduce any anxiety and make it easier to mount.

Your body is not accustomed to throwing your leg over a horse’s torso so you may feel uncomfortable, but it will get better as you practice. Try to be calm and breathe deeply. Be careful not to kick or brush your horse’s back as this can cause them pain. Sit up tall and press your heel down as you lift the foot over the horse’s back and insert it into the stirrup.

Posting the trot is a skill that many riders struggle with, but it gets better the more you practice it! When you first start to post the trot, you will often find yourself bouncing heavily in the saddle and hunching your shoulders. This is because your feet are too far forward and your leg position is not based on your core muscles as it should be!

To fix this, work on your leg position and learning to use your core to post the trot. Once you have perfected this, you should be able to post the trot without any bouncing.

When you are a beginner, it is important to look up at your horse when you are riding. This is because your horse can sense that you are looking up and will feel more comfortable going forward when you do this.

You should also avoid using your reins if you are a beginner, as this can cause you to become nervous and jump around. This is not the correct position to be in while riding a horse, and it will make you more likely to lose your balance and fall off.

The most common reason people get hurt while riding is because they are not able to control their horse’s movements correctly. This can happen when the rider is not able to use their hands or legs properly, or when they are over-exerting themselves by doing too much jumping or pushing their horse hard.

A well-trained horse will know when you are a beginner and will do their best to test your abilities. This is a very fun part of the learning process and it is important not to be afraid!

It is also a great way to build a strong bond with the horse you are riding. This bond can be very special and last a lifetime.