First things first: Safety Rules!

Safety Rules

• Always wear your helmet when riding. Don't ever get on the horse without wearing a helmet!
• Never wear shorts or really loose clothing - it promotes hazards!
• When walking behind a horse, either stay really close, or really far away. Walking just a few feet away increases the force of the impact, should the horse decide to kick.
• Never run or shout around horses. Walk and speak in a normal voice.
• Never sneak up on a horse, because you will startle them. Approach the horse from an angle, because they cannot see you if you are directly in front of or behind them.
• Never stand directly behind the horse
• Always watch the horse for signs of action - what it will do if startled or scared
• Always squat down if you're doing something towards the ground - you can spring away faster than if you're kneeling
• Don't make sudden movements around horses
• Never punish a horse in anger. They will not understand. Know the difference between discipline and revenge
• Always wear boots or shoes when working around horses. No sandals or loafers, please
• Never ride when you're completely alone. Always have some means of communication in case something happens.

• Hold the lead rope in your right hand, standing on the left side of the horse's head.
• Never loop the excess lead rope around your arm or hand.
• Drop the lead rope on the ground or place it over the neck when haltering or unhaltering.
• The horse should walk beside you, not in front or behind.
• When turning a horse, turn to the right and walk around him. Turning to the left could easily result in squished toes.
• If the horse tries to get away, don't try to hang on.
• Never tie or wrap the lead rope around you!
• Protect your fingers!! Keep them out of the way!!
• Make the horse stop at gates and doors and the handler go through first.
• When turning a horse loose, always make him turn to face you and stand still before you let go of the lead rope.
• Don't turn a horse out with its halter on.
• Tie the rope 'eye high and arm's length'.
• NEVER tie with the horse with the reins!!!
• Tie the horse to something solid ' not a board or something that would easily break

• Stand back and beside the head so the horse won't hit you with his head
• Never stand in front of the horse's feet
• Open the horse's mouth by sticking your thump in their mouth
• Be gentle when pulling the bit into the horse's mouth
• Use your left hand to guide the bit into the mouth, and the right hand to slip the crownpiece over the ears
• Always check the saddle and saddle pad for abnormal objects
• Don't tighten the girth all the way to start with
• Secure the girths and stirrups before putting the saddle on the horse, to avoid banging the horse with them
• ALWAYS check the girth for tightness before you mount!!

Mounting and Dismounting

• Don't flop into the saddle when mounting.
• Never move off as soon as you are seated - always wait a few minutes, so the horse will not get the idea that mounting means 'go'.
• Foot should be parallel to the horse or with the toe turned into the girth, while mounting.
• Check the girth before mounting.
• Bounce three times and spring lightly into the saddle; don't haul yourself up using the saddle to pull your body up.
• Always run English stirrups up after dismounting.
• Never loop the reins over any part of your body.

• Horses going to the left have right of way
• Fast horses get the rail, slow horses move in
• Always check behind you before stopping or backing
• Never hit your horse

• Bump the horse lightly with one leg only, click with tongue to go
• Smooth, slow motion'move entire lower body, from waist down, with the horse's body
• Don't stiffen up
• Stand in the saddle, using center of gravity
• Shift body while standing, using the entire leg from the hip, to find a place where standing without holding on is possible
• Stretch, reaching forward to touch bridle, back to touch tail, touch toes, twist, reach for the sky, relax totally
• Neck rein and direct rein steering
• Bridle is a guide only, not the only aid available!
• Body weight and leg aids are crucial
• Emergency stop
• Emergency dismount
• Circle around half the arena
• Circle around posted cones/markers
• Weave between cones/markers
• Stop and start at intermittent cones/markers
• Stop, back up, walk at intermittent cones/markers
• Count the number of steps backing, and control the number of steps taken
• Feel which leg is stepping when ' right or left front
• Note head position, explain the different moods/expressions
• Make a figure eight using the whole arena
• Stand and sit at alternating cones
• Stand without holding onto anything or using anything to stand up
• Learn to have soft hands that open quickly and close slowly
• Correct length of reins, pull back and not over to the side when turning
• Use voice commands 'whoa' and 'walk' as well as cues from reins and body position/weight
• Maintain a steady, relaxed pace
• Straight line from ear, to shoulder, to point of hip, to back of heel
• Stand in stirrups without moving feet, at any gait
• Balanced seat critical ' without balance, everything is thrown off
• Eyes are forward, not down
• Back is straight and flat
• Seat bones are planted firmly in the deepest part of the saddle
• Legs are straight down, not out front or behind
• Toe is pointed up, with the heel down
• Reins are carried one in each hand, with hand curled around the rein and fingers closed, pointing down ' top of the knuckles should be seen.
• When riding one-handed, the left hand is used to hold the reins
• Allow rider to discover his own balance

• Correct body alignment, in which a vertical line perpendicular to the horizon would pass through the ear, shoulder, point of hip, and back of head.
• Exercise: Rider must be able to stand repeatedly, in balance, without support from the hands, while maintaining this alignment first at the halt, then the walk, and then, eventually, at all three gaits.

• Rider learns to lower his center of gravity
• Exercise: Rider learns to stand and then sit repeatedly, with correct alignment.

• Rider learns to unlock lower back and move with the horse
• Exercise: Rider pretends to sit on the seat of a bicycle, imagining the stirrups as pedal. Rider 'pedals' backward from the hips in rhythm with the horse

• Rider learns to move the upper body around a correct, stationary leg. This teaches the novice to avoid typical nove reflexes of 'saving himself' by moving the leg away from the horse to compensate for an out-of-position upper body. The rider learns to use his leg as an anchor.
• Exercise: Rider touches the horse's ears, tail, and then the rider's own toes on both sides with both hands while maintaining her seat in the saddle and her legs in place, first at the halt and then at the walk. Rider must keep her weight centered