What to Bring to Your First Lesson

There are some things you need to know before jumping in the car and racing to the barn to your first lesson. In today's blog we will talk about what to expect, how to be safe and what proper clothing and footwear you need to wear.

    Starting out with what you should expect on your first day, there are lots of things that will happen in just an hour. When you arrive at the barn it is smart to meet the horse you will be riding and start to form a bond with them before you even get on. You can do this by petting them and talking to them. Now they might not understand English but they will definitely understand your tone of voice. Once you and the horse have met you will now begin the grooming process, you may need to read up on the proper ways to groom in my previous post, grooming will also help you bond with the horse. When the horse is all clean you may ask the trainer to show you the proper tack. Once you have gathered your saddle pads, saddle, girth and bridal you may ask the trainer to show you how to properly tack up the horse. After the horse is all tacked up you must now put on a helmet that is snug but not too tight and make sure the strap is adjusted appropriately. Once you are on the horse the trainer will now step you through the basic steps.

    Horses can be very dangerous animals so it is important to understand what makes them angry, upset or nervous and what signs they show to portray their emotions. The most common one comes from their ears, if their ears are pinned back they are showing aggression. It is important to reassure them and calm them back down with a calming voice and slow movements. The second sign is biting, if the horse is biting make sure to take a few steps back so they don't get a taste test. The third sign is kicking, if the horse kicks out (usually with their back feet) make sure you are in a safe space and away from the hind end. These are just a few signs to tell if the horse is becoming dangerous. Now if the trainer or owner of the horses says that he is a kicker make sure you don't walk behind them and if you do it is a safe distance from their back end. Now this all may seem scary and unsettling but barns first responsibility is their clients safety, so no need to be scared or hesitate about going to your first lesson.

    Now on to my favorite part, what should you wear. When riding we normally wear special clothes to help us with our riding. Now we don't expect you to run out and get all these clothes on the first ride but there are some items that you might have in your closet. You will need jeans that don't have any holes in them, any kind of shirt that isn't super loose (like a T-shirt), and last but definitely not least boots with about a one inch heel. Your shoes are very important, the heel will help you keep your foot in the stirrup. Once you have completed your first ride and you would like to stick with it you can then go and purchase a pair of breeches. My personal favorite are the ones located on Bvequine.com. You will also need a pair of paddock boots (leather ankle zip up boots) with half chaps. Full chaps are almost like full chaps that you see on western movies but half chaps just go around your calf. Now there is another option for footwear which would be tall boots, but it can get pricey so I would wait awhile before you go out and purchase them. Another item you can purchase would be gloves they really tie in your whole look.

If you have any questions about what to bring to your first lesson or any other questions about riding, send us an email on our contact form and we will help you out.