How to Catch a Horse: Free Horseback Riding Lessons

Series Summary

Man has enjoyed a special relationship with one particular animal on this planet for a long time. Horses have carried us into battle, fierce and unafraid. They have pulled our plows and buggies, and carried our loads. They’ve helped us travel long distances. They’ve been essential in herding and driving our cattle. And the police still use them for crowd control situations in urban environments. Without a doubt, horses have proven to be well-adapted for human life, expressing qualities of loyalty and bravery, responding to commands, and usually having a calm, docile demeanor.

All horses need some sort of training with a human rider. Especially in horseback riding, the relationship between horse and rider must be cultivated over time and with the proper techniques and equipment. In these free horseback riding lessons on video, learn what you need to do before you ride a horse. Our expert will discuss tips on catching your horse, grooming before your ride, and then how to bridle and saddle your horse properly. When first riding, expect to be sore in places you never knew you could be. It’s well worth it, though, to learn the fine equestrian arts; and soon you will enter a world of riding adventure.

Video Transcript

"Hi! My name is Sarah Stetner, and I am an expert horse rider on behalf of Expert Village. In this video I will show you how to catch a horse from the pasture, how to properly halter a horse, and to tie a horse up to get ready to ride. My horse is named Rowdy, and in this video I am going to show you how to catch him. Rowdy, come here. He's a little dirty as you can see. This is a rope halter. There are also two different kinds of halters. There is a buckle halter and a rope halter. For a rope halter, you put his nose band in and then this thing goes over the head, and then you just tie a simple little under knot as if you would to tie your shoe, and then you pull it tight. You want the rope halter as tight as you can get it. You don't want the halter down below here, but you want it up here. So it is kind of in the middle."