4 ways for horseless riders to develop their skills

If you are a horse lover but don’t have any horses, you can learn some key tips to continue developing your horse riding skills without needing to have one on your stables. 

Not owning a horse does not mean you cannot practice and continue developing your horse riding skills as a horse rider. There are tools to continue on the saddle and in order to learn out of it as well. In fact, some of these learning methods can be used even for those who are already horse owners. 

1. Horse lesson with a trainer

Trainers can teach you new skills and have a place, horses and a schedule for you to practice. This is a perfect way to get on the saddle for horseless riders, as you don’t need to own a horse in order to train with them. Riding lessons in riding schools also enable riders to develop better reflexes and sense of balance and coordination as they use their body to guide the horse forward. Moreover, horseback riding offers cardio benefits.

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Sometimes in these situations you might transition into a half-lease, when you are thinking about owning your own horse but are still debating on the horse. With a trainer, you can take weekly lessons and learn skills depending on your level.

What is a half-lease? It is an agreement where the horse owner  splits the horse’s care expenses and riding time with the lessee. This is a great way to save money on board, feed, vet bills… and is also great for your horse when your saddle time is limited. A half-lease often acts as a stepping stone into horse ownership.

2. Going virtual

As the pandemic struck the world, suddenly there were virtual lessons of absolutely everything, including horse riding. Depending on the place, you can send videos and receive feedback on your riding skills. 

Some places charge as little as $50 for 15 minutes of video, and the instructor will video call you to analyse the video and tell you what you could be improving. Also, if you are looking into learning new tricks, you can send lessons to several trainers and get different takes on the challenge on Ringside Pro. These prices start at $40 each.

Also, there are virtual masterclasses for different memberships. Equestrian Masterclasses start at $19.99/month and offer useful training lessons. These are videos online that teach new skills on the saddle and in general when taking care of your horse. There are several platforms offering online masterclasses.

3. Watch equestrian competitions

During equestrian competitions you can see outstanding performances as well as those where the horse is noticeably tense and the rider decides to retire from the competition. Being able to watch these competitions can allow you to prevent these situations in the case they happen to you. 

In order to train your horsemanship, you can watch riders competing at international events. On HorseTV we have individual and horse and rider team competition ranging from polo to show jumping, dressage, eventing and even vaulting. Also, we have lifestyle programs that narrate the story of top athletes and riding centres around the world. 

Have a look at our programming and schedule to check when you can watch these international events! 

Related article: What makes a great equestrian vaulter? 

4. Knowledge of books

As simple as it may sound, reading books on equestrian sports is really helpful. There can always be updated information and it dives into subjects that you might not be so aware of, like horse physiology, equine massage, horse’s health…

Combining reading horse riding books with getting on the saddle is a great way to develop your horse sports riding skills. This is compatible both for people who already own a horse as with those who cannot afford owning one at the moment. 

If you need some inspiration, here is a list from Book Authority on the top 100 horse riding books of all times. 

If there are any more tips to take into consideration, please let us know on our social media: we are on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!