Equestrian's Tips

When thinking about learning to ride, remember to always use a school that has been licensed by the local authority. The school should hold public liability insurance and do remember that riding is a risk sport and the cheapest places may not come up to these standards. Ask to see these so you know you are covered in the event of an accident.

Ask to go and look round the riding school. Make sure they have horses that will be suitable for you and that they have a qualified instructor teaching.

Many riding schools will ask for a registration form detailing emergency numbers, your doctor, and any medical requirements or allergies you may suffer. This is a good precaution as if you have a fall you may not always be coherent and thinking straight - particularly if you have banged your head or if it is a child injured riding and the mother is panicking.

Also check that someone at the school has their first aid certificate; this really is a must for a good riding school. Every school should also carry a health and safety policy and the instructor should hold a child protection certificate.

When you decide to join a school it’s good to have an idea of what you would like to achieve from your lessons. This will naturally be dependent on whether you are a beginner who wants to master the basics, or have ridden before and want to brush up your skills. You may also want to learn to jump, dressage or even how to own your own horse.

Footwear is important when riding as the wrong boots could cause a serious accident if your feet become caught in the stirrup. Try shoes with a small heel until you are confident in wearing them. For actual riding, proper riding boots are the only suitable footwear.

Back protectors are definitely a good thing when you begin riding, enabling you to take on mores difficult tasks such as cantering and jumping. They must be correctly fitted or can cause more damage than good. If you buy your protector from a tack shop ask if you can try it on a horse at the school and, if it is no good, then you will be able to return it for another type or size.

Once you have decided that you want to learn horseback riding, there a number of things to think about, from whether you want to ride English or Western, to what to wear.