Horse Care For Beginners

Based on talking to the Instructors at my local Saddle Club, here are some of the more common mistakes that are frequently made by riders who take on the responsibility of becoming a new horse owner. See if any of them apply to you!

Mistake #1 - Assume you can ride any horse.

Horses are not all the same. You’ll find that some will let you mount up and that you can ride them easily. But others may be so green that you could get hurt if you have little or no riding experience. Or it could be that the horse has become so used to being ridden by only one rider that he’ll be determined to unseat any strange rider.

The horses that will let just about anyone on and ride are usually the older horses. Because they have been ridden the most, usually with a variety of riders, they’ll be the most forgiving of the mistakes that a beginner rider can make.  The younger horses are usually a lot tougher to ride and should only be ridden by an experienced rider.

Mistake #2 – Assume there is only one way to train a horse.

When an experienced horse owner starts having problems with their horse, they will ask questions and look for solutions. One of the first places they’ll look is at how the horse was trained. They’ll question the training technique that was used to see if they can find the answer. The new horse owner may assume that the same technique is used by all horse trainers. So they apply this technique to try to find the answer to their particular problem. If they don’t find the answer they can then think that they just have a dumb horse or that the horse just can’t be trained.

But there are a wide variety of ways to train a horse. So if you are using one particular technique and this doesn’t seem to be working, then you’ll need to try something else. It is at this stage that a new horse owner should probably be looking for advice and assistance from a more experienced rider. And from my experience, this is where belonging to a Saddle or Riding Club becomes a valuable asset.

Mistake #3 – Not riding your horse enough.

As a new horse owner, if you are having trouble with your horse, chances are that you’ve not been riding him frequently enough and that he’s ‘gone sour’. Irrespective of your horses age, it’s really important that you ride him often. From time to time, for a variety of reasons, you’ll find that you just don’t have the time to saddle your horse up and go for decent ride. If this is the case, at least take half an hour to give your horse some grooming and fifteen minutes or so of good lunging.

The best thing you can do for your horse is to ride him, ride him, and ride him. Riding every couple of weeks is not enough for your horse. It might sound like a strange thing to do, but even just taking your horse for a walk using a lead rope is better than nothing. It gives your horse a chance move his muscles, a change of scenery, and an aid to avoid boredom.

Mistake #4 – Thinking your horse is at fault when there is a problem.

Your horse needs plenty of exercise.

Horse are not unlike any other creature, they have their own unique problems. However it is not unusual for many of the problems you will see in your horse are not actually his fault, but your fault.  When you come across a problem with your horse, stop for a moment and make an effort to assess the real reason behind the problem. In many cases you’ll find that it could be that you don’t have the control over your horse that you need to make you and your horse an effective team.

If you can’t find the root of the problem then you must realise that there are various alternative methods of gaining the needed control. Once again, I recommend that you don’t fumble around seeking the answer but get the help of an experienced horse person. This is another instance where belonging to an active Saddle or Riding Club can be of assistance.

Mistake #5 – As a new horse owner, you don’t realise that every interaction with your horse is a training exercise. 

You need to realise that whether you’re just petting your horse, brushing him down or giving him a full groom, you are also actually training him. If you are a new and inexperienced horse owner you should stop and think about what you do and how you do it. In some ways your horse is like a child; he will pick up things from you. You have more of an effect on your horse’s behaviour that you may be aware of.

Mistake #6 – As  a new horse owner, if you ride your horse when you have little or no experience of riding and horsemanship, you may do more harm than good.

In their enthusiasm to get going with their horse ownership and riding career, many new horse owners will ride their horse when they have virtually no real horse riding training or skills. Horses react to leg pressure, how you sit in the saddle, whether or not you are tense, and many other sometimes subtle signals, so it’s important that you have a comprehensive understanding of riding procedures.

It is best that you have riding lessons from a qualified trainer right at the start. In my case, I had an instructress from my local Saddle Club come to my property for quite a period of time to give me one-on-one riding lessons, as well as instruction on general horse care. This was followed by the group riding training I received at my monthly Saddle Club meetings.

Related posts:

1. Horseback Riding ~ Avoid the Mistakes I Made When Buying a New Horse!
2. The bit is the key to the horse.

Tags: easy horse care, Equestrian, horse care for beginners, horse owner, Horse training

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