When you are getting horse riding lessons it is important you get the most for your money and the time you are there. Making sure you have a good connection with your riding instructor and riding a horse that is going to help you develop the skill you are working on are important but there is more you can do before and after the lesson to help.
To get the most out of your lesson with us here are our top 3 tips to help:
Journalling
Journalling is a great way to help you retain knowledge and concentrate your learning from your session. You can review your progress and come into your session with a goal in mind so your instructor can help you work towards it within your session.
Check out this Equestrian Training Diary on Amazon designed to help you track your learning, and make notes and diagrams from your lessons.
Studying
Developing your knowledge and understanding of horse riding and the techniques you use is just as important as putting it into practice. This is something that you can do from home meaning when you get to your riding session, you can ask questions about what you have been studying and put the theory into practice. This will accelerate your learning and give you a greater understanding of the methods and theories that underpin your horse riding.
There are several books we recommend that you can see on our Blog
To get you started check out Sally Swift Centered Riding Book 1. A book dedicated to demonstrating how good use of the body can make a world of difference to both rider and horse
Practice Makes Perfect
Between your riding lessons, there are a lot of techniques and exercises you can practice to improve your skills and balance from home. We run online courses that are dedicated to giving you the knowledge, structure, and techniques to help practice your horse riding even when you're not sitting on the horse. You can see our online courses HERE.
A top tip we give our riders is to invest in a balance board. Having a balance board at home is ideal to practice balancing through your core and engaging your muscles. When standing on the board you need to be aware of your weight distribution and use your stabilising muscles to keep it from wobbling similar to what you would do on the horse.
Harness Change at Cumbria Rural Academy CIC provides educational courses and training to promote fitness, physical and emotional wellbeing, as well as emotional awareness with due regard to the welfare of animals and wider ecological and environmental impact.