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 Come Out & Play
Let's Go Horseback Riding
Before cars, nearly everyone used horses to travel from one place to another, and some rode horses in their jobs. A few people today still ride horses for work, like ranchers and some policemen, but most horseback riders, or equestrians, do so for fun!
It is very important to learn about horses and take riding lessons from an expert, or trainer, so that you and the horse avoid injury. Riders also need certain equipment, called tack a saddle pad or blanket, a saddle held on by a girth or cinch, stirrups, a bridle and bit and reins. After brushing or grooming it from head to tail to remove dirt, you "tack up" the horse. You are almost ready to ride after you put on another very important piece of equipment a helmet. Riders should always wear a helmet!
After tacking up, you mount, or get on, the horse and sit up very straight in the saddle, with your legs hanging below you and the balls of your feet on the stirrups. (Riders should wear boots with low heels.) Using the reins and your leg muscles, you ask the horse to move forward, stop, back up and turn right and left. Sometimes riders also talk to the horse, like saying, "Ho" to stop or making a clicking or kissing noise to go.
The two main types of riding, Western and English, let you do different things. Barrel racing, reining and roping are popular in Western riding. English riding includes jumping over fences, ditches and walls, and dressage, where the horse is trained to do certain movements, sometimes to music. The horse looks like it is dancing! My favorite kind of riding is trail riding or hacking. I just love to ride in the countryside and look at the beautiful world around me!
A special kind of horseback riding is called therapeutic riding. People with physical, emotional or mental disabilities who may not be able to walk or make friends easily can ride with the help of very special horses and people. It is quite a wonderful feeling to see the world from the back of a horse!
Special thanks to Karen Poppele for providing the information for this article. Photo by Joy Kirkpatrick.
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