What to Expect from Riding Lessons.

My brother and his family just recently moved back to our home town of Camden.  They had not been here long, not even 24 hours, when my niece Jordan was hitting me up for riding lessons.  Well, today she made the comment that she didn’t like getting dirty, and I promptly asked her what she thought riding horses was going to get her.  She looked at me like I was totally crazy, and not in the good way.  She quickly pronounced that how dirty could she get riding a horse.  I told her that before she stepped on that horse, she had to groom it, and saddle it; and she would be dirty before she ever actually got on the horse.

Now, I’m not the type of person that allows every Tom, Dick, and Harry on my horses, because I honestly believe that everyone who interacts with a horse, is in fact a trainer, whether they claim to be or not.  Because of that, I am extremely picky about who gets on my horses.

Well, this conversation got me thinking about what someone should expect to learn while under the tutelage of an experienced horse person, whether they are a certified instructor or not.  So, what exactly should an instructor be teaching his/her students? 

Well, in my opinion, the first thing that someone should learn is just basic horse care.

·         How often the horse needs to be fed, how much, and why the horse is fed whatever.

·         How the feed needs to be stored, to maintain it freshness and ensure that it is not infested by bugs.

·         How often do horses need to be wormed, how to worm horses, and with what kind of wormer.

·         How often the farrier needs to come out.

·         How often the vet needs to visit, for regular maintenance of the horse.

·         The affect that a horse’s teeth can have on their entire life, how often to have the horse’s teeth checked by an equine dentist or a vet.

·         How to safely handle a horse on the ground.

·         How to safely lounge and free lounge a horse.

·         How to properly groom a horse.

·         How to properly saddle a horse, and check the saddle for proper fit.

·         How to properly bridle and unbridle a horse.

·         How to properly clean a stall.

·         How to check, and fix fence.

·         How to clean out the feet.

·         Symptoms of common ailments that affect horses, and treatment of those ailments.

·         General first aid of horses.

·         When to call the vet for the horses, in emergency situations.

Now, I’m not saying that this list is by any means complete, I’m quite sure that there are things that I have missed, because at this point I do most of these without really thinking about doing them, they just get done.  It’s all the little things that happen when you own a horse that needs to be taught when you’re learning to ride a horse.  And, I haven’t even touched on what the rider needs to learn about actually riding the horse.

What does anyone learn from showing up to an already saddled horse, getting on it and riding, and nothing else?  Exactly that, nothing.  I don’t care if you spend $20.00 for a lesson or $200.00 for a lesson, if you have taken riding lessons, you should also learn how to actually care for the horse as well.  Instead, there are people that have taken lessons for years, and have no idea of how to take care of one, when they decide to get their own horse.

Why Should Every Rider take Riding Lessons?

I was never lucky enough to have formal riding lessons.  Where I live, they are just not readily available, so I understand that they are not readily available everywhere.  Now, I did have access to more experience horse people that helped me with my riding on my horses.  So, in a round-about way, I had riding lessons.  What these people taught me, went well beyond just riding the horse, and that is one reason that I think riding lessons should cover more than just riding, in fact I think they should be called horse lessons instead.

Every horse person needs access to a more knowledgeable person; that can help them with things that they themselves have little or no knowledge of.  A riding instructor or coach can fill the position, and should willingly.  The instructor can make sure that your experience with horses is safe and pleasurable.  They can also help you select a horse this is not beyond your riding level, or one that will challenge you if your riding level is advanced enough for that.  My second horse was way beyond my riding level, but I was enough of a natural rider that I rose to the challenge of him, and ended up having a well behaved horse that I trusted with my life.  I can honestly say, that if I had an instructor, that he would not have been their choice for my second horse.  He wasn’t even my choice for a second horse, but he was what I had so I rode him, everyday.

It takes a bull headed person to keep riding when they have the wrong horse, and not every person is going to plow ahead when they constantly run into problems with a horse.  A good riding instructor can help with this.  They can insure that you end up on a horse that is appropriate to you, and whatever you plan on doing with the horse.  They can also give you access to many more horses to ride until you buy your own, if you ever do.  The more horses you ride, the more experienced and confident you will become on any horse that you may ride; and when you go shopping for your own horse you will have to ride them the day that you meet them.  You will need to be confident enough to get on a horse that you only met a few minutes earlier.  If you have never taken riding lessons, and never ridden at all, you may have problems doing this; but I always recommend trying a horse out before you buy them.

A good riding instructor can make life with horses much easier on you.  Taking lessons will also let you figure out if the horse thing is actually for you or not, without the expense of buying everything that is required to own a horse.  Only to figure out six months down the road that horses really aren’t for you after all.  Not to mention, lessons are a great way to be around horses and ride if you don’t have the money to buy and care for one on your own.

Your Two Best Friends, where Your Horses are Concerned.

Decisions to be made

After you have bought your horse; or before in some cases, if you're a planner like I am; there are two people that will be crucial in your horse's care and maintenance. I consider them my two best friends where I am concerned. It doesn't matter if you have pasture ornaments, or top notch performance horses, you're still going to need these two people in your life with horses. Who are these people? Your veterinarian and your farrier. Proper horse care can not be manages without these two people.

Careful consideration should be taken in choosing each of these people, and they should be put in speed dial on your cell phones, and posted on the horse's stall or pasture if it is boarded somewhere.

Vet

I prefer to use a vet that has specialized in large animal or livestock management. They tend to have mobile clinics, and do not hesitate to come to your farm, when you need them. I wouldn't suggest looking a vet up in the yellow pages, I would suggest that you select your vet, from word of mouth. Go to the farmer's co-op, feed store, local horse show, where ever horse people are sure to be around, and ask. Most horse people will be glad to tell you what vets they recommend to use, and which ones to avoid. They will usually willingly share this same information about farriers as well.

Why do you need a good vet? Well, if you don't already know the answer to this, let me explain. There are annual, and bi-annual vaccinations that horses require, along with a blood test that is required yearly. Now, depending on where you live, and how much you haul your horse around to shows, the vaccinations will change, but that I know of everywhere requires that Coggins tests be done yearly. Some horse shows and rodeos, require a 6-months coggins test to get in the gates. Your horses teeth need to be checked at least once a year, some require twice a year. I'm lucky in that both of my horses only require the once a year check, and I haven't had to have them floated yet, knock on wood.

You'll also need a good vet, if your horse ever gets hurt or becomes ill, especially if it is beyond your expertise to care for the injury or illness. They are also very useful in helping to determine your horse's diet, and nutritional needs. Most will answer questions you may have over the phone, without charging for it. Though I'm sure some probably do charge for it.

Like I said, they are one of your best friends, your go to person for horse stuff.

Farrier

I would suggest finding a farrier the same way you found a vet, by word of mouth. But with a farrier, a few things change on the criteria on which he/she is selected.

Things to keep in mind when selecting a farrier:

1. Your horse, how does it act for the farrier? If you have a horse, that for whatever reason does not behave well for the farrier, you need a farrier that is very patient and kind.
2. What do you use your horse for, or plan to use it for? Chances are, if you plan to only trail ride on rare events, you won't use the same farrier as a Grand Prix dressage rider, though it is a possibility.
3. Do you want barefoot or shod? A lot of this will be determined by your horses feet, how he/she is kept, and what you plan to use him/her for.
4. How the farrier is with horses? You really don't want a rough farrier.
5. The farrier's reputation? You want a farrier with a good reputation on how he/she handles the horses, and how well he/she performs his/her actual job. Also is he/she known for keeping their appointments, and being on time?

My farrier is very gentle with my horses, he actually hums while he's working on them. He's also not one of them that if a horse is a little flighty, the first thought to cross his mind is drug it. He is patient and kind, and does a fantastic job. He's also extremely honest.

Last summer we had a drought, so the horses feet were not growing as fast as usual, so he cleaned up the edges to re-roll their toes, but did not trim anything off. He did not charge me for either horse, because he was at my place less than 30 minutes. He made my next appointment for him in his date book, gave me a card with the time and date on it, and was on his way. He always calls the night before the appointment to make sure that I remember (like I could forget, I usually put it in my phone, which I always have on me.), and he's always there when he says he will be. On the rare occasion that he was running late because of whatever he calls to let me know.

I honestly couldn't replace him, and I wouldn't want to either. I know that if I'm having trouble with one of the horse's feet, that I can call him, and he'll either tell me what to do, or come to check it out if he thinks the situation requires it.

My other go to person for my horses.

Summary

While there are many horse people in my life that I rely on for information concerning my horses, none of them are as important as these two instrumental people. A good vet, and a good farrier can save you time and money in the long run. When you build and cultivate a relationship with them that tells them that you are glad that they service your horses and appreciate their services, they will bend over backwards to help you when you need it.

I will tell anyone what vet and farrier I use, in a heartbeat and without hesitation. Giving them each glowing reviews because they honestly deserve it.

These are the kinds of people that you need around you, where your horses are concerned and in everyday life as well.