Horse Riding Lessons and horse courses online: what you need to know.

If you are a beginner and are looking to start horse riding lessons, congratulations! There is certainly a lot to learn and lessons with an instructor are a great place to get started on the right path from the very beginning.

You may wonder if horse riding lessons are worth it. There is no wrong or right answer, but if it is something you want to do, then they are absolutely worth every penny and you should go for it!

Lessons help to form the correct habits right from the beginning, and potentially enable you to advance a lot faster due to the boost in confidence of having someone assist you from the word go.

If you have no idea where to start here are some tips to help you prepare before your first lesson.

Jump onto your favourite search engine and google and do some research on the basics of what to expect.

• Learn as much of the basic horse terminology as you can, this eliminates a lot of confusion when it comes time for someone to start giving you instructions on your first day. Things such as safety tips for being around horses, what your tack (equipment) is called and what it is for and proper riding form, and the terminology that goes with that are good places to start.
• Ensure you have appropriate PPE (Personal protective equipment), this would include an adequate shirt, jeans or jodhpurs, riding boots, riding helmet and sunglasses. Proper fitting clothes is important, you don’t want baggy clothes that flap around and get in the way of you or your horse.
• As you think of questions you may have leading up to your first lesson, write them down so it is easy to remember, then communicate with your instructor prior to your lesson.
• This is something new and exciting and should be enjoyed, by following all the previous steps and having a basic understanding of what is required, this will you to relax and enjoy the ride.

How often should I take horse riding lessons?

Once again, there is no wrong or right answer, it comes down to what you are able to fit into your schedule, what you can afford and so forth. Generally speaking most people take one or two lessons a week just for recreational riding purposes. If you want to be more serious and are hoping to improve your skills to the point of becoming a competitive rider, two or more lessons per week is a good benchmark.

A great way to document and keep track of your schedule and where your future riding lessons and other appointments fit in, is to utilise a horse riding journal.

How do I choose a horse riding instructor and where to ride?

It will vary depending on the area where you live, you may have a limited selection or you may have access to a wide variety of riding centres or private instructors.

A good place to start is searching on the internet with something along the lines of “horse lessons near me” and going from there. You can also keep an eye out for your local noticeboards, local feed stores, newspapers and so forth.

Deciding on what discipline you are interested in learning or advancing in, is a great place to start as some riding centres offer a mixture of classes for different disciplines while others offer only one. Determining which you would like to do will help narrow your search just a little. Quite often the standards of teaching are variable and if you are just starting out it is important to have peace of mind about your safety. Look for reviews, talk to other pupils and ask them about the riding centre, the horses and the instructors available.

I’m an advanced rider looking at honing my skills, what should I expect from a horse riding lesson?

Unlike lessons for beginners and intermediate riders, advanced riders should be at the level where they have excellent balance and body control for themselves and a very thorough understanding of equine biomechanics. You should be able to comfortably and confidently walk, trot, canter, and give your horse numerous cues with ease.

Advanced riding lessons don’t necessarily mean that you have been riding for the last 10 years and are very competitive, it could be that you just want to continue developing and it’s time to progress to the higher level of training.

Generally speaking advanced lessons have a more intense focus on the communication between horse and rider. This can range from lateral movements, collection of the horse, transitions, extended and collected gaits and so much more.

Advanced riding lessons are an invaluable tool to take you and your horse to the next level or to simply prepare you for your journey of buying and training your own horse.

At any rate, this article should give you an idea of where to start and set you on the path for success.

Online Horse Courses and Horse Riding Lessons

Studying a course, whether part-time or full-time, can be an exciting and challenging move for your career. Many courses and fields of study also come with the option to choose between attending classes on campus and learning online.

There are many reasons why studying horse courses online would be useful.

Online courses offer a practical, and experience-based learning environment and provide an easy way of learning to understand the science, behavior, and management of horses.

Online courses, often referred to as correspondence courses, offer flexible learning with various study options and generally one on one tutor support.

Due to the ever-changing world around us, online courses are becoming increasingly popular for many various reasons. Some of those reasons could include the following:

• Completing an online course means no transport required, you can study in the comfort of your own home.
• It is the perfect option if you work weekends, self-paced study is ideal for those that can only schedule a few hours here and there throughout their busy weeks.
• If you find that the thought of going to see someone in person makes you nervous, studying online or having an online lesson is a great way to get started.
• If for any varying reason your horse won’t travel, online courses or lessons pose another solution.
• If you don’t have access to a good local instructor, online courses or online lessons are a great way to keep advancing your knowledge.
• if you want to specialise in a certain area like at liberty horse training, groundwork training or polework exercises, but don’t have a liberty trainer nearby.
• If you compete on weekends and find yourself just too busy enjoying your horses to fit in the face-to-face or practical modules of some courses, choosing to study online is a great way to get around this obstacle.
• And last but certainly not least, studying an online course or participating in an online lesson, is more often than not much cheaper than getting a series of in person lessons. This isn’t necessarily the case for all online courses, but for the majority it is. Staying at home, saving money, and studying at your own pace between other commitments

Who are online horse courses designed for?

• Casual riders wanting to increase their understanding and knowledge of horses
• Horse owners looking for a simple & fun way to improve their skills & meet other horse owners online.
• Students looking to learn and study many varying subjects in the Equine industry while still in school
• Anyone seeking employment in the equine industry
• Seasoned riders and competitors wishing to obtain accreditation in their chosen niche or simply to improve their knowledge and skills
• People wanting to regain their confidence after a lot of time out of the industry, or after having a family, or even those that have had a bad experience
• Online programs are great for owners who want to help both themselves and their horses, build confidence and trust in each other
• You could be the partner or parent of someone that is absolutely horse crazy, and wish to get on a similar wavelength when it comes to understanding horses…

You may or may not resonate with the reasons listed above, but it is a very personal preference and there are so many reasons as to why someone may want to take the leap to complete an online course or participate in an online lesson.

Horses can be complex animals, if you want to get the most out of your relationship and connection with your horse, you need a sound understanding of the basics of how horses operate and what they are and aren’t capable of.

What are some of the advantages of becoming qualified in the equine industry, should I choose to do an online course?

First and foremost, being a lover of all things horse is the primary criteria, and the great thing is you can never stop learning about them. Depending on where your area of interest lies, you may have to be certified to be involved from the very start.

One of the greatest rewards for studying and learning as much as you can is the satisfaction of educating your horse to perform well, regardless of your chosen discipline.

Some of the areas that may require accreditation are professional services that are provided by:

• Equine dentists
• Farriers
• Chiropractors
• Massage therapists
• Saddle-fitters
• Nutritional advisors
• Physical therapists etc

While a lot of these career paths may require practical, face-to-face teaching, there are a number of educational bodies that offer a lot of studying online.

Advantages really come down to your own situation, primarily online learning is more cost-effective and flexible, allowing the student to learn mostly in their own time, around their current schedule.

What about horse riding lessons delivered online?

Whether we like to admit it or not, technology has become a part of most riders’ practice in some form or another. You get someone else to video you training or your competition ride so that you can run a critical eye over it later to see what you did right, what you did wrong, and hopefully work out what you can do to improve.

We are in some form or another, already accustomed to lessons online, it’s just that we don’t really think of it that way.

Lessons online, as mentioned earlier are a lot more cost-effective due to the fact that you don’t have to travel. and you have access to a much wider range of lessons & trainings than are usually available near where you live.

A little bit of information about Elaine.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about some of the benefits of online learning. I’m a film producer at Grey Pony Films, director of the award-winning documentary ‘Listening to the Horse” and #1 best-selling author of ‘Ozzie, the Story of a Young Horse’. I have helped over 120,000+ online horse owners in 113 countries to create inspiring relationships with their horses.

I help kind horse owners build great partnerships together, and make the world a better place for the horse, through lots of fun online horsemanship courses. Here is a great example of an online course, suitable for all ages and disciplines, because it is all about improving the connection with your horse.

I personally offer online horsemanship courses that can give you the knowledge, skills, and tools to make a real difference in your confidence level. Learn about horse body language, how to cope in scary situations, and get all of my favorite methods and exercises to help both you and your horse build a ton of confidence together.

The courses I offer are a great way to work with your horse and build connection together. ​With unique groundwork and riding exercises to keep your time together interesting and fun for you and your horse.

​A method to build connection and trust on the ground – before you ride, so you can develop your relationship and understanding of your horse’s character.