Basic Guide to Riding Bareback- Josie Embleton

       Most people that own or ride horses want to be able to gallop on their horse bareback, it just looks like so much fun. Just imagine galloping on the back of a horse without a saddle, it really does sound like fun. When you decide to try it, you might find it's not as graceful and comfortable as everyone makes it look. You manage to climb up your horses back and you've already worked up a sweat. Then as you scoot into place on your horse's back, you realize there really is no good place to sit and that your horse has a very prominent spine. Once you finally find a spot you can manage to sit in, you make your horse walk and you discover the next obstacle, horses are slippery. You can't manage to stay in that one spot once you get trotting and cantering. Bareback almost seems like too much work to be bothered with.
      It doesn't always have to go like this though. There are some tricks and tips I've learned from riding bareback that you may find helpful. First of all, the stronger your legs are, the easier this will be. To make mounting more graceful, use a mounting block (the taller the better). This puts you higher up so you can just swing your leg over your horse and slide into place. Next, you have to find a comfortable spot to sit on your horse. I've found the best spot to sit is just behind the withers in a sort of groove. Once you've found a comfortable spot, you can move your horse forward and work through the gaits. The walk is best to start out with and get comfortable. The trot is the hardest to sit bareback due to the bounciness of the gait, if you'd like to trot though, I find the sitting trot to be the most comfortable. Next, you can canter your horse, this gait is actually quite smooth to sit bareback considering it's a rocking motion rather than bouncing. If you're really feeling good at this point, you can gallop and even jump. Jumping is fun to do, but remember horses are somewhat slippery so start low and build your way up. The best thing to help with a slippery horse is sitting in a towel or saddle pad, which helps you grip a little better.
       I hope your next bareback ride can go smoother and be more enjoyable with these tips.

Horse Showing- Josie Embleton

    I apply pressure to my horse's sides and cue him to move forward into a steady, powerful canter. The first fence is on the outside track on the left side of the ring, I look hard at it with my eyes and guide my horse's nose towards the jump. His body turns and as we approach the fence I begin to count the steady strides, one, two, three, four, now. His feet leave the ground, I tighten my body and steer my horse to the outside. The next fence is next to the one that we just jumped, we make a half circle and approach it. I count again, one, two, three, four, now. My horse soars over the jump, I look hard to the inside of the ring and my horse feels my body shift in that direction and lands on the correct lead. We continue to the third jump, this one is an in and out line. There's only one stride in between the third and fourth jump which means it's crucial that we have the correct pace. My horse starts to get excited and speeds up toward the third jump, I tighten my hands and apply pressure to the bit in my horse's mouth, signaling him to slow down and steady up. He listens to my cues and relaxes his pace. We launch for the first jump, land, take one stride, which fit in perfectly, and jump the second jump in the in and out. That was the final jump in the course and canter a graceful circle near the in gate. As we leave the ring, I release my reins and pat my horse, rewarding him for his effort on course.

Counting Strides poem- Josie Embleton

Hooves hit the ground in steady rhythm
1,2,3,4, now
Soaring through the air
Land. 1,2,3,4....
Find the next jump
1,2,3,4....
Find a focal point
1,2,3,4....
Use more leg
1,2,3,4....
Push hands forward
1,2,3,4, now
Flying over the jump
Land. 1,2,3,4
Turn to the next jump
1,2,3,4....
Breath with your horses rhythm
1,2,3,4....
Collect the stride
1,2,3,4....
Let go of the horses head
1,2,3,4....
Look to the next jump
1,2,3,4, now
Begin your turn in the air
Land. 1,2,3,4
Continue to turn
1,2,3,4...,
Keep your pace
1,2,3,4, now
Grab mane
Land. 1,2,3,4
Settle your horse
1,2,3,4....
Bring your horse to a walk
1,2,3,4....
Exit the ring.

A Beginners Guide to Horse Showing by Josie Embleton

     As a horse show exhibitor with parents that have no idea what they're doing around horses, I decided it might be helpful for anyone else like me to have a guide to horse showing for their family and friends who might not be used to the atmosphere. The first thing a horse show parent should know is appropriate behavior at the show. The basic rule is not to do anything that may spook the horses. For example, my dad once thought it would be a great idea to bring a beach umbrella to the horse shows in the summer. This is actually one of the spookiest items for a horse. Luckily, I made sure he knew that was a very bad idea before he showed up with an enormous, green, flapping umbrella. Some other spooky items/activities are crinkling soda cans and water bottles, plastic bags, and pretty much any other thing that moves and makes sounds. (You always have to keep in mind that horses are prey animals and are incredibly spooky.)
       The next important thing your parents need to learn is the horse lingo. This is an important part of horse showing because if you are like my dad and think "Under Saddle" means the class is beginning, you might end up rushing down to the ring thinking the class is starting without you, only to realize that it actually begins in two hours. The term "Under Saddle" really is a type of class, a flat class specifically. It has nothing to do with when the class is beginning. Another important term to know is when a rider/trainer says, "That was a great trip!" It is important to know that they do not mean a trip as in the horse tripping, they mean a trip around the jumps. My mom once made that mistake and was quite worried until we explained to her that my horse did not trip. Other terms that may be helpful to know are:

• A "green" horse- This means the horse is young or inexperienced, not that the horse is the color green.
• Lead Change- This means that when the horse is in the canter or gallop, the horse switched his leading leg.
• Schooling- when someone is "warming up" or practicing. You can think of it as teaching the horse how to ride the jumps.

There is much more to know, but this guide should be a good, quick introduction to the appropriate behavior at a horse show.

 

Personal Story - My First Horse by Josie Embleton

      On July 21 I was sad. I was sad because July 21 was the day that the horse that I loved was going back to his owner. I got this horse on a trial for one week and July 21 was the last day of the trial. My parents didn't wan't to pay for a lease on a horse, and that was the only way he could stay. He was a beautiful, large, chestnut, Dutch Warmblood horse. He was very kind and forgiving if I made a mistake during a riding lesson. On July 21, the horse, who was named Splash, was in his stall as I walked into the barn. I put a saddle and bridle on and walked out to the ring. Once I was on Splash, I felt happy. Whenever I'm on a horse I forget everything going on outside of the ring. Even though he was going back after that ride, I wanted to have an amazing last ride. So Splash and I had a wonderful, peaceful, and relaxing ride. As I walked back to the barn, I felt the gloomy sadness again. I had realized that my last ride on this perfect horse was over. I got off and walked into his stall, pulled the saddle off and took the bridle off. I began to groom him. This horse loved to be groomed, every time I brushed his neck, he would lean in and rock back and forth, thoroughly enjoying it. This did lift my spirits as it is very amusing. As I was brushing Splash, my mom arrived and sat down in the couches outside. Shortly after my mom arrived, my dad did too. I began to get a little bit suspicious that something was going on. In fact, I was slightly worried something bad happened. My mom, my riding coach, and my dad walked up to Splash's stall. As I was just finishing grooming Splash my mom asked me to stand next to him so she could take a picture. She raised her phone to take the picture and my dad and trainer did too. I smiled, and my trainer said "Don't you love this horse!" I replied with of course. (although I thought she kind of rubbed some salt in the wound considering he was going back that day) Then my mom exclaimed "I hope you love him, because he's yours for six months!" It took me a couple of seconds to process. When it finally did, I hugged my new horse, and burst into tears. I had never felt as strong of a connection with a horse as I did with this one. I walked out of the stall and hugged my mom, dad, and trainer, without my trainer we would never have found this horse. July 21 was by far one of, if not the best day of my life. It was the day I got my very own leased horse.