| The thought of riding horses is often bewildering to | | | | inherently programmed to exist, reason, and respond |
| people. The thought of climbing high in the saddle can | | | | like a pack animal. They will naturally react as opposed |
| be scary because horses are rather large and can | | | | to acting because that is simply the way they are |
| seem frightening. Lots of people are nervous about | | | | made. Have you ever watched a herd of zebras on |
| horseback riding, but some are actually afraid of | | | | television that were startled by a tiger or something? |
| horses. You are not to be blamed for this. You are just | | | | Horses react to things this same way. |
| acting upon information that you have gathered | | | | However, this thought shouldn't keep you from learning |
| throughout your life. | | | | to ride horses. Instead, it should teach you that horses |
| The cornerstone to learning horse riding techniques | | | | aren't human and that you are going to have to come |
| begins while your feet are still planted on the ground, | | | | around to their way of thinking in order to really grasp |
| long before you contemplate sitting upon a horse. The | | | | horse riding techniques. Once you get this down, |
| cornerstone to horse riding is a a good base | | | | everything else will fall into place. |
| knowledge of the animals and their unique psychology. | | | | Anybody can have fun learning to ride, but if you start |
| Everyone lends human characteristics to the animals | | | | off with a bad basis, you will being starting off with |
| we love, and so it is with horses. We imagine that | | | | incorrect methods and routines. It is for this reason that |
| horses feel, think, and react the way that we humans | | | | the majority of novice riders quit early on in their horse |
| do. This is the most debilitating thing a horse rider can | | | | riding education. They experienced unpleasantries with |
| do, and it is usually the initial big blunder made by those | | | | the strong animals in which they got scared, took a fall, |
| new to riding. | | | | or even retained injuries. Don't let their bad experiences |
| People and horses are not the same thing. Horses do | | | | keep you from learning. |
| not sense things in the same way as humans, nor do | | | | Learning not to fall off or get hurt is all part of the |
| they reason or perceive things as humans do. You | | | | learning experience, and once you have some great |
| must truly understand this idea to protect yourself and | | | | horse riding techniques in your bag of tricks, you will |
| the horses whether you are on the ground or in the | | | | find horseback riding can be one of the greatest things |
| saddle. | | | | you've ever done. |
| A horse's community is his herd. Therefore, they are | | | | |