Riding lessons

“Equestrian art is the perfect understanding and harmony between horse and rider.”

       Nuno Oliveira

Almost every man had the childhood fantasy of riding freely on the back of a beautiful stallion. For some of us this dream remained in our childhood, but for others – it came true at a later stage of life. Some chose riding as hobby, others – as sport, by which they keep in touch with their beloved animals. A third group may even set and follow high goals in some of the equestrian disciplines. No matter what the stimulus is, just like in most of the adrenaline sports that require special skills, the pleasure of riding comes when we start doing it well.
Very often our romantic views on riding clash with the reality during the first equestrian lessons. The beginner may start facing fear, poor knowledge on horses and riding, or even lack of physical preparation. The best way for the novice to overcome these uncertainties is to choose a horse thatis calm, reliable and steady, used to untrained riders. An important requirement is the choice of proper equipment. The riding hat is a must.

“The secret in riding is to do few things right. The more one does, the less one succeeds. The less one does, the more one succeeds.”                                                                                            Nuno Oliveira

One of the most important things in riding is the correct horse riding posture. In the wild, the horse naturally carries only its own weight. Any additional weight of the rider may change the horse’s balance, and because of this, the riding posture is of upmost importance. Another significant reason for acquiring a correct riding posture is the ability to control the horse swiftly and effectively. By positioning him/herself appropriately in the saddle, the rider canlearn to give out instantaneous commands both by legs and hands. Last but not least, the view of a horse and rider must be enjoyable to watch, meaning that the correct classical riding posture is an important factor to reach this objective.