{"id":32814,"date":"2023-11-22T10:09:16","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T09:09:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/119fadfd-c2d7-479c-ba15-423985b09ffc"},"modified":"2023-11-22T10:39:26","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T09:39:26","slug":"how-to-start-horse-riding","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/how-to-start-horse-riding\/","title":{"rendered":"How to start horse riding"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\">Horse riding is a fantastic hobby for anyone and you are never too old to start, says the British Horse Society. Here are their tips on how to start horse riding. <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By <\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Wednesday, 22 November 2023 at 09:09 AM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>Do you enjoy being outside in the fresh air?\u00a0Do you have a love of animals?\u00a0Are you looking for a new challenge?\u00a0Then horse riding could be\u00a0just the thing for you.<\/p><p>Horse riding is an exciting and rewarding sport \u2013 from simply learning the basics to the thrill of galloping down a sunny <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/get-active\/top-10-uk-locations-for-horse-riding\">beach<\/a>. However, you may be wondering where you can learn and what to expect from your first lesson.\u00a0<\/p><p>The British Horse Society have shared their top tips and advice on how to start horse riding.<\/p><h2 id=\"h-how-to-start-horse-riding\">How to start horse riding<\/h2><h3><strong>Finding the right riding school<\/strong><\/h3><p>If you have decided to take your first plunge into the equestrian world, picking the right riding school for you is the best first step.\u00a0<\/p><p>Don\u2019t always think that the first riding centre you see is the best course of action. You will want to pick an establishment that is both reputable and well run.\u00a0<\/p><p>It pays off to do some research into the various centres near you. It\u2019s important to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bhs.org.uk\/go-riding\/find-a-riding-centre-or-livery-yard\/\">make sure the centre you choose is fully licensed <\/a>so you can guarantee it will meet the best standards of horse welfare, cleanliness and teaching.\u00a0<\/p><p>Many centres offer taster sessions and open days for aspiring horse riders. Keep an eye out for when they run these days as they are a great way to get a feel for the centre, without any long-term commitment.<\/p><p>Remember, there is no minimum threshold for experience \u2013 whether you have been around horses all your life or it\u2019s your first steps into equestrianism. Most riding centres accommodate all levels of ability.<\/p><h3>How to prepare for your first horse riding lesson<\/h3><p>It can be an exciting but sometimes intimidating first step. Horses are large and powerful creatures, but they are also kind, gentle companions. The riding centre staff will use a quiet horse that is used to novice riders \u2013 they are very calm and approachable.\u00a0<\/p><p>The important thing to remember is to be patient. As with any hobby or sport, you will make mistakes and encounter challenges and obstacles in your progression. Listening to what the staff have to say is key as they will be very considerate of your experience level. There is no timescale or deadline \u2013 relax,\u00a0learn\u00a0and build your confidence.<\/p><p>During your first riding lesson you may spend a lot of time talking about your riding position and feeling the movement of your horse. You will probably be led around an indoor or outdoor arena on a lead rein and may stay in walk throughout. However, you may also be given the opportunity to get the feel for trot.<\/p><p>The core of horse riding comes with a unique horse\/human bond, and a foundation of mutual trust, respect and kindness that makes this sport so special. Take your time with a horse, they are getting used to you as much as you are to them.\u00a0<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/animals\/horses\/gifts-for-horse-lovers\">Best gifts for horse lovers: 7 great present ideas for equestrians<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/animals\/horses\/gelding-meaning\">What is a gelding?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/apple-news\/poisonous-plants-to-horses\">10 plants poisonous to horses: from heart issues to blindness and even death, these toxic plants can cause an array of issues for equines<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/pony-vs-horse-whats-the-difference\">Pony vs horse: what&#8217;s the difference?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/donkey-vs-horse-whats-the-difference\">Donkey vs horse: what&#8217;s the difference?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/przewalskis-horse\">Przewalski\u2019s horse: meet the world&#8217;s only true wild horse<\/a><\/li><\/ul><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/><p><strong>About the British Horse Society<\/strong><\/p><p>Equine charity, The British Horse Society\u00a0promotes\u00a0and advances\u00a0the education,\u00a0training\u00a0and safety of the public in all matters relating to the horse.\u00a0With the support of their volunteers and members, the BHS\u00a0works\u00a0hard\u00a0to make a positive impact on the lives of\u00a0all\u00a0horses and\u00a0those who love them.\u00a0<\/p><p>To learn more about the BHS and how they can help you to get started on your equine journey, visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bhs.org.uk\/\">bhs.org.uk<\/a><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Horse riding is a fantastic hobby for anyone and you are never too old to start, says the British Horse Society. Here are their tips on how to start horse riding. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":32815,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/how-to-start-horse-riding.jpg",2121,1414,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/how-to-start-horse-riding-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/how-to-start-horse-riding-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/how-to-start-horse-riding-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/how-to-start-horse-riding-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/how-to-start-horse-riding-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/how-to-start-horse-riding-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Horse riding is a fantastic hobby for anyone and you are never too old to start, says the British Horse Society. Here are their tips on how to start horse riding.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/32814"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}