I really want to take horse riding lessons Guide Amazon.com’;return true;” onmouseout=”self.status=””>horse riding lessons but my mother keeps telling me that it is dangerous and I can become paralyzed. She told me about how Christopher Reeve (the guy that played Superman in the original movies) became paralyzed from horseback riding (but she didn’t exactly explain how it happened.) She said that I can still take lessons if I want to but it’s not going to be her fault if I get hurt. I know that there are always risks with any type of sport or activity such as cheerleading or gymnastics, but does horseback riding have a greater risk of injury?
Horse-riding will always be a dangerous sport, there’s no skirting that fact. However, the chance of you actually getting injured beyond a bruise or two, if you take the right safety precautions, is very low. I rode horses for about eight years and the worst I ever got was one broken arm, and that was particularly bad. Christopher Reeve’s case was so amazingly rare it isn’t even funny. There are lots of different factors that contribute to how safe you are on a horse, and as long as you take care of them all then your chances of injury are very small.
The first is a helmet. All riding schools will make you wear a helmet, and for good reason. They might cramp your style and give you hat-hair, but if you fall off and bang your head you won’t hurt yourself. You can get some really cool hat-covers from horse shops if your helmet is dirty or ugly and, although it might be a little uncomfortable at first, it soon becomes second nature. Make sure your helmet fits right or it could just come off and be no use at all. Do up your chin strap so you can fit two fingers snugly underneath, then shake your head backwards and forwards. It shouldn’t wobble and you shouldn’t be able to pull it down past your eyebrows. If it starts to give you a headache, that usually means it’s too small. If you fall off and land on your head then it’s time to get a new helmet.
One of the most important factors is the horse itself. Some horses are excellent for experienced riders but not for beginners. Riding schools will usually have a few really quiet horses, often called ’schoolmasters’, that they put beginners on. Schoolmasters are very quiet, obedient horses that do what they’re told and won’t misbehave. Bear in mind that all horses are by nature prey, so if something jumps out at them they will spook. Some horses, called ‘bombproof’, are really good at staying calm, but even bombproof ponies can freak out at some things. But even if your horse does spook, which it mostly shouldn’t in a riding school arena, it often won’t be enough to throw you off.
Another factor is your seat and how you’re riding. Make sure you sit deep in the saddle and lean back slightly. If you’re feeling uncomfortable, your natural reaction will be to lean forwards. Fight it! The more forward your seat is, the more unbalanced you’ll be and when you’re unbalanced it doesn’t take a lot to tip you off. Put the balls of your feet on the stirrup bars and keep your heels down. Try to wear shoes that have a heel (such as riding boots), not trainers. If your foot slips too far into the stirrup and you fall off, your foot might get caught and you could be dragged along. Keep a firm grip on the reins (some people wear grippy gloves, but this is optional), not enough to hurt the horse’s mouth but enough to stay in control and in contact with your horse.
Tack is also important. In case you don’t know, the tack is what you put on a horse to ride it, like the saddle and bridle. Your riding school should help you put the tack on or tack up for you (I suggest at least watching so you know what to do. If you really enjoy horse-riding and end up getting your own horse, it’s essential that you know how to tack up by yourself). The girth, which is the big thick strap that goes around your horse’s belly to hold the saddle on, should be as tight as possible. It won’t hurt them; pull it as tight as you can. The saddle should sit just behind the horse’s shoulder blades. The throat strap, which is the part of the bridle that goes around the horse’s cheeks, should be tight enough to fit four fingers under but no looser. Some people leave their horse’s throat strap so loose it hangs down over the noseband; if it’s like this, it isn’t stopping the bridle from slipping off. All the tack should be clean and oiled, but the riding stable should do that in between lessons.
The rest is just common sense. Don’t run up behind a horse if it doesn’t know you’re there. Don’t make any sudden noises, such as screaming. Horses are particularly sensitive about their hindquarters, so don’t approach a horse from behind or ride your horse too close behind another one. The golden rule: STAY RELAXED. Even if you’re terrified, try and keep your seat relaxed and your signals calm. Your horse can sense if you’re upset. They’ll either think there’s something to be scared of or realise they can take advantage of you. Remember, you’re riding a real creature, not a car or motorbike. Horses can sense your feelings and have detailed personalities of their own. A horse can be more than your mount – it can be your best friend.
If you follow your riding teacher’s instructions and stay aware of what’s going on, horse riding can be very safe. It shouldn’t be much more dangerous than cheerleading or gymnastics. Your pony won’t intentionally try to hurt you or throw you off. My horse once slipped on some wet grass and I fell off into a ditch, and he almost fell over trying to avoid stepping on me. I’ve seen loads of people fall off and done it at least twenty times myself, and it isn’t that bad. Ninety-nine percent of the time, all you get is a few bruises. Hell, it can sometimes be fun (but don’t try it unless you have to!) If you do fall off, it’s extremely important to get straight back in the saddle. If you go home and dwell on it, it’ll be a hundred times harder to go back and try again. Riding can be scary, but for me, that was what made riding fun. It gives you an adrenaline rush, an exciting hobby and a great friend in your horse. With any sport, there are risks. I think the risks are more than worth it.
Good luck!
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