How to Ride English-Style

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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Learning to ride English style is the starting point for any novice rider. After acquiring the fundamental skills of the sport in the English ring, you'll be able to use your new abilities to master other riding styles.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

English Reins
English Saddle
Breast Collars
Bridles
Girth
Saddle Pads

Step1

Take lessons. English riding requires a great deal of balance; it is important to learn proper riding technique from a trained professional.

Step2

Wear jeans or breeches, riding boots or hard-soled shoes, a long-sleeved shirt and a helmet.

Step3

Get an English saddle. Riding in an English saddle teaches the student good balance and control of both body and horse, since there is very little equipment to hold onto.

Step4

Secure the English saddle onto the horse with a girth.

Step5

Prevent the saddle from slipping backward by using a chest strap on the horse.

Step6

Use a bridle with a headstall that fits over the horse's head. The bridle has a bit that goes in the horse's mouth as well as reins to help the rider guide the horse.

Step7

Sit tall in your saddle. The saddle is small; you will have to use great balance to stay in the center of the saddle. Keep your head up, your shoulders back and your legs against the horse.

Step8

Hold the reins in your hands with your thumbs on top and pinkies on the bottom.

Step9

Hold your hands seven or eight inches apart, low and centered over the horse's neck.

Tips & Warnings

You can use an English saddle on any breed of horse.
English saddles are very small: they have no saddle horn, and the stirrups are smaller than those on Western saddles.
English reins are one long leather strip that attaches to each side of the bit and hangs on the back of the horse's neck.
Wear a helmet. Protecting your head from a fall can save you from serious injury or even death.

Comments

horse_lover said

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on 11/12/2006 Be friendly- when you want the horse to know that you are friendly feed them a few corrots or sugar cubes, that way they know your friendly and they will want to let you ride on the horse.

said

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on 8/8/2006 Though most horses are different, all of them hate it when you are too rough. Be gentle.

said

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on 7/20/2006 If you want better balance, there are a few things that you can do!
1) Try riding without stirrups. I know it sounds horrible but it makes you a much better rider! Try to do two-point in it. Try it at the walk first! It is hard at first, but it builds up those leg muscles.
2) Try bareback riding when comfortable. You have to really hold on.
3.) Try standing in your stirrups for a long period of time. It is harder then it seems. If you need help, try holding on to a piece of mane at first. I had a friend whose instructor made her do a whole trail ride at a trot standing!
4) Try mixing up your post. It sounds easy, but it isn't! Try 2 strides standing 2 strides sitting. This will help you get your legs in the right position.
5) Try riding with 1 stirrup. I think it is harder then with no stirrups, so make sure you are ready for the challenge. Try riding without one for 5 strides, then pick it up again and ride with 5 strides with both. Then drop the other stirrup for 5 strides and then pick it up and so on.

I hope these tips help you! They helped me.

said

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on 1/19/2006 When you're riding, remember to look up and straight ahead. Stick your chest out, arch your back and keep your eyes up. Also, hands out in front of you, heels down and toes out. I've been riding for years and I still am told to put my heels down and toes out. Each horse is different though. Some horses need to feel contact through the mouth, some through your legs. Some hate it when your legs are on them and some need your leg on them to keep them going. Remember, each horse is different. And either way; ride high.

said

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on 12/16/2005 I can't stand it when I see a rider with bad position. It's unsafe, and uncomfortable for the poor horse and it of course makes you look like an idiot. It takes a lot to fix flaws in your position, you have to build muscle endurance rather than muscle strength to support yourself. The typical horseback rider has long lean muscles much like a dancer. Talk over your position flaws with your instructor and work on them. If you take regular lessons (or even just ride regularly) then work out at home. It's a nasty surprise to realize that your teacher has leg strength planned when you haven't worked on it in a while.