Accelerated Horse Riding Instruction Secrets

If you want to make the most of your horse ridinginstruction classes.
instruction and learn to ride horses really well in theIn the Hoofsteps of the Masters
shortest amount of time possible, here are a fewAnother secret to accelerating the affects of your
secrets just for you:horse riding instruction is to copy great riders. There
Multiplying Your Practice Timeare 3 simple ways to do this.
Learning to ride horseback, like anything else, is a skill1. Get a mentor.
that comes with practice. But horse riding instructionYou can watch someone who is a great rider at your
can be expensive and often your riding time is limitedriding school and try and copy the way they ride. Just
to one or twice a week, usually on weekends. So howspend some time observing them around horses. Be
can you practice enough to get really good when youlike an actor rehearsing for a part. Gradually build up
are limited to an hour or two a week? After all, it isyour inner picture of what it is to be that person. Notice
said that to become good at any skill you need toeverything about the way they get on a horse, how
have put in about 500 hours of practice ...and aboutthey sit in the saddle, the way they hold the reins. Look
3000 hours to become a master! Well, by that rule,closely at the set of their face. Are they tense or
with a weekly horse riding instruction session of 1 hour,relaxed? Are they comfortable enough to smile?
it would take you about 9 and a half years to getNotice their breathing... and imagine yourself getting on
good! I don't know about you but that seems ana horse, sitting in the saddle, holding the reins, and
awfully long time. Fortunately there are some waysbreathing, just like that great rider. Befriend that person
you can multiply the effects of your horse ridingif you can and get their advice and tips... otherwise just
instruction that won't cost you a fortune. And you'llobserve them secretly and absorb what they know
become a better horse rider in the process.about riding confidently.
The Riding School in Your Mind2. Create an equestrian book library.
You can use mental rehearsal to practice horse backYour mind will benefit by absorbing the principles of
riding in your mind! The reason little girls get so good atriding, so plunder your local library for books on horses
riding so fast is partly due to the fact that they obsessand riding, or create your own personal library of
about horses and horse riding and spend so much ofequestrian books to which you can refer frequently.
their freetime thinking about horse riding, talking aboutSeeing pictures of people riding will fill your mind with
horses, reading equestrian books and day dreamingthe images of 'how to ride' that it needs. Reading
about being on horseback. This is the perfect recipeactual written instructions can help you cement the
for getting good at something. Added to goodlessons you are taught at your horse riding instruction
instruction of course! So when you have your ridingsessions. If you have fallen in love with horses and
lessons, make sure you pay full attention. Be right in thewith horse riding, you'll be happy to read all about them
moment and be aware of how your body feels as-- it will fuel your passion and excitement and your
you ride the horse. Really observe everything aboutmind will gallop to help you achieve what you want: to
being on horse back as you ride around thebecome a great horse rider.
ménage or riding school area. Listen to the3. Watch DVDs of great horse riders.
sounds of the horses hooves, its breathing, the clink ofWhen I first learnt to ride, one of my heroes was a
the harness or the clicks and taps of its shoes as itsfamous British showjumper called Harvey Smith. I used
feet occasionally clip one another. Notice any smells into think he was brilliant and wanted to be like him, so I
the air and store all this sensory information in yourwould always watch the showjumping on TV and
memory banks. As soon as you get home, makecheer him on and imagine I was him. I also bought or
some notes about the major things you learnt in yourwas given a set of Pony Club videos. These showed
lesson that day, and any things that you have to worksome Pony Club kids getting riding instruction in a
on for next week. Also note down any observationsbeautiful part of Great Britain. And again I used to
you had during your lesson -- even if they seemimagine I was there, riding my horse over those training
unrelated to riding -- like the fact your instructor had apoles. The more opportunities you get to see and
coffee stain in the shape of Kansas on her T-shirt.observe horse riding, the more information your mind
This will all help to lock in your lesson. Then at oddhas to work with. By feeding your brain with movies of
times when you can, just sit quietly and replay yourgood horse riding you help form a mental map of what
horse riding lesson in your mind's eye. Go through itgreat riding is all about. If you have a particular
again and again. Feel yourself back in the saddle,equestrian hero, you can create an imaginary meeting
holding the reins, your feet in the stirrups. And relivewith that person, in which you have them stand in front
that lesson -- only in your imagination you can do itof you with their back turned to you, and the you 'step
better. When you are practising in your mind's eye, youinside' them and 'become' that person. You imagine
can be a perfect rider, totally confident and skillful.looking out of their eyes, feeling what they feel, hearing
The ideal time to practice mental rehearsal is last thingwhat they hear. And you get on your hero's horse and
at night as you go to sleep, and first thing in theyou ride that horse as your hero. This little exercise
morning when you wake up. But the more you do it,has been used successfully to accelerate ability in
the better it is. You should see rapid improvements inmany fields of endeavor -- so why don't you use it to
your horse riding ability as you go to your weeklyaccelerate your horse riding instruction?