Essential Horsemanship Skills: How to Handle and Ride Horses

Name: Essential Horsemanship Skills: How to Handle and Ride Horses
Rating: 4.6 (147 reviews)

A clear and useable guide for beginning riders on the basics of horseback riding and horse handling

Created byAlexandra Mannerings

Last updated 5/2019

English

What you'll learn

Understand how to ride a horse at a walk, trot and canter safely and effectively.
Tack up a horse and untack a horse.
Feel comfortable and confident around horses.
Approach, lead and move around a horse properly.

Course content

7 sections • 25 lectures • 1h 38m total length

Meet Ali and Noah5:15
Meet your instructors for the course. Ali (the human) and Noah (the horse) have been together for over 17 years, and are thrilled to share with you their combined experience and knowledge so you too can discover just how much fun horses and riding can be.
Parts of the Horse5:29
Why should you bother learning what all the weird names are for the parts of a horse? That way if you ever need to ask someone a question, like a trainer or a vet, you can say "my horse's right front fetlock joint" rather than, "that knobby thing above his foot." Plus, it helps you feel confident around horses to know what you're talking about :)
What to Wear for Riding4:10
There are a few essential items and other things that you will need to have in place to get the most out of this course. You can still learn a lot even if you can't ride right now, but for those who are ready this lecture will make sure you've got everything you need.
Thinking like a horse6:10
A horse is a horse of course...but what does that mean for how you should act around one? This course will help you understand the mindset of a horse and how to predict a horse's reaction in different situations. It will help you be safe and confident around horses.

Catching a horse in a field5:18
Many horses live out in open areas. This lecture shows you how to safely approach and catch a horse in a paddock or field.
How to tie a quick release knot2:37
This lecture demonstrates an essential skill for new horse people: how to correctly tie a quick release knot for safely securing your horse.
How to groom your horse5:15
Before you can put a saddle on your horse, you need to make sure he is clean. This lecture shows you the basics of grooming.

What Your Horse Wears2:56
This lecture reviews "tack"--what your horse wears when you ride. By the end, you will be able to identify all the important pieces of tack and know what they are used for.
How to tack up a horse--English10:59
See how to get your horse ready to ride.
How to tack up--Western5:42
Western saddles are a little different than English saddles. This lecture shows you how to tack up with a Western saddle.
Adjusting your Stirrups2:44
Although early riders made do without them, stirrups make it a lot easier to stay in the saddle. It's best if they are adjusted correctly for your height. Learn how in this lecture.
Pre-Launch Safety Check2:59
Before you hop on, run through this final check-list to make sure everything is ready to go.

Getting on your horse1:34
How to mount the seemingly insurmountable--no pole vaulting required. This lecture shows you how to safely and comfortably get on your horse.
The basic riding position3:58
Keep a leg on each side and your mind in the middle. Although this course focuses on English riding, the basic riding position for all disciplines is the same. This lecture walks you through the basic riding seat.
Bonus: Pelvis position while riding1:44
A quick bonus lecture on more detailed pelvis positioning in the saddle.
The natural aids4:37
Ready, set, go! Although there's no gas pedal or steering wheel, there's still a right way to ask your horse to move forward, as well as stop and turn. By the end of this lecture, you will understand how to ask a horse to stop, go and turn.
Bonus: Using your elbows effectively1:35
A bonus lecture on using your elbows correctly in all your rein aids.

What's a trot?1:25
Once you've got the basics down at the walk, you can move on to faster speeds. The next gait after the walk is a trot (or jog), a two-beat bouncy gait. This lecture will show you what a trot is and how it looks from the ground.
Posting a trot1:49
There are two ways to ride a trot; sitting and posting. Posting is a technique to make a trot easier and more comfortable to ride. This lecture shows you how to successfully post a trot.
Sitting a trot3:41
It takes a fair bit of practice to get comfortable riding a horse at the trot. Sitting a trot properly is a fairly advanced skill, but this lecture will get you a long way along that path.

Requirements

Access to a horse is very helpful for practice. You can still learn everything you need to without one through this course.

Description

Whether you are horse crazy or simply interested in learning a wonderful new sport, this course is the perfect introduction to horseback riding. It focuses on the fundamentals that apply to all riding, although taught mostly in the English style. By the end of the course, you will know how to safely catch and move around a horse; get a horse ready to ride; work at the walk, trot and canter; and take care of your horse once you are done. It includes many useful extras as well, such as how to tie a quick release knot for safely securing a horse on a lead rope.

Who this course is for:

This course will walk beginners and newbies to horses step by step through all the basics you need to know to enjoy horses in a fun and safe way.
This course is not for experienced riders.

Essential Horsemanship Skills: How to Handle and Ride Horses

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction4 lectures • 21min

Handling Your Horse3 lectures • 13min

Getting Ready to Ride5 lectures • 25min

The basics of riding at a walk5 lectures • 13min

Riding at the trot3 lectures • 7min

Riding at the Canter2 lectures • 9min

Putting Your Horse Away3 lectures • 10min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: