02/10/2026
“Help yourself to help your horse”
What do I mean by this? Recently I saw a post talking about all of the ways a rider can affect their horse, so I wanted to jump on here and touch on some things!
✨Balance ✨
Having good balance while riding can make such a big difference in the way your horse goes. Staying centered in the saddle, while ensuring that you are not leaning, bracing, or pulling on the reins for support are all things that will effect your ride. When a rider is balanced, the horse is able to move freely and to stay relaxed while working towards a goal. When you are riding be sure to take some time to focus on how your body is affecting the horse. Even small adjustments over a few rides will make a huge impact!
✨Emotions✨
A lot of the time riders will allow their emotions to get in the way of their progress. Sometimes they won’t even notice this is happening. Often times when the rider is stressed, angry, or sad they will ride more tense and get agitated easily. In turn, this can cause the horse to get anxious, frustrated, or impatient. When you put your foot in the stirrup, it is super important that you take a deep breath and focus on the task at hand. Remember that your horse is not the cause of anything happening outside the arena, therefore you should make sure to have all of your focus on them.
While there are a million more ways a person can affect their horse, I wanted to touch on these two! If you can be 1% better each ride, it will not take long for your horse to follow suit and before you know it, you will be so pleased with the progress you will make!
