As an equestrian, you want to get the most out of every riding experience. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced rider, there are always ways to improve your riding skills. To help you get the most out of your riding adventures, here are four ways to take your riding skills to the next level. From setting your rider goals and booking lessons with a trainer to improving your balance and working with a physiotherapist, these tips will help you become a more confident and competent rider. Whether you’re looking to compete or just want to enjoy a better ride, these tips will help you reach your equestrian goals.
Setting Your Riding Goals
Before you start any training, it’s important to set your horse riding goals. This will help you focus on what you want to improve and will help you work out which riding skills you need to work on. However, knowing where to begin can be challenging when it comes to setting goals, as you don’t want to try to take on too much at once. To help you get started, check out this article from Horseware Ireland about how to set your 2023 riding goals. Whatever your goals are, setting them will help you stay focused and achieve the riding results you want.
Booking Lessons With A Trainer
Many riders don’t realise just how important booking lessons with a trainer is. A trainer will help you set and achieve your riding goals, as well as identify any riding weaknesses and areas that you need to work on. With their knowledge and experience, they’ll be able to help you identify and correct any bad riding habits you might have. This will help you improve your riding skills and become a safer rider as well as more confident in your skills.
Using Exercise Bands To Improve Your Hands
One of the most important riding skills is your hand position. If you can’t hold your hands correctly, you’ll be unable to properly control the signals you’re giving to your horse. This will make it harder to stay balanced in the saddle and could even cause your horse to lose their temper if you’re confusing them or applying uneven pressure. To help you improve your hand position, you can use exercise bands. These are inexpensive pieces of equipment that you can use at home. They’ll help you strengthen your hands and improve your riding posture. This will make it easier for you to hold the reins correctly.
Improving Your Balance With Ball Workouts And Yoga
Being able to stay balanced in the saddle is an important part of being an equestrian. Riding with poor balance could put you at risk of injury, especially if your horse is spooky or timid. To help you improve your riding balance, you can use exercise ball workouts and yoga. Exercise ball workouts are great for improving many different areas of your riding skills. They’re also a great way to improve your balance and develop your core muscles. You can also use yoga to help improve your balance. Yoga is a great way to help improve your flexibility, core strength, and balance, which are all essential for riding your horse safely and competently.
Remember, staying balanced on a horse isn’t just about your riding skills. Even if you’re a skilled rider, external factors that affect the horse can affect your control. Get good gear like saddle pads, bridles, boots, and durable numnahs for your horse. These things help both you and your horse feel comfortable and in control. Taking care of your horse’s comfort keeps you safe too. Always remember that your horse’s well-being is vital for a smooth and safe ride.