Being over horsed when someone starts jumping is often the prime cause for fear of jumping to begin. Learning to jump on a green horse, or a horse that has some behavioral issues doesn’t allow the rider to concentrate on himself or herself. With each failure the rider takes a knock to his or her confidence. Being comfortable in the jump position is crucial to a successful jumping career. Until the beginner rider can establish a solid seat while jumping on an old schoolie, riding more challenging horses should be discouraged. Young or inexperienced horses are going to have their own insecurities to deal with and having a green or nervous rider isn’t doing either the horse or the rider any good. Both horse and rider need a good foundation to establish confidence over fences and both need an experienced partner in the beginning.

If the damage is already done and you still want to jump, it might be a good idea to back up a bit and insist that you only jump on reliable and steady horses that know the job well and that will forgive beginner mistakes. If you own the horse that you’re not meshing with, either further training is required while you learn on a more experienced horse, or it may be time to make a difficult decision to sell the horse and get a more appropriate mount.  Either way, you have to feel safe and have fun to be able to jump with confidence.

Another key aspect to a good beginner horse is age. For the rank beginner, it’s always a good idea to get on an older horse. Many people have the perception that they will “grow” with the horse.  Younger horses tend to be sensitive and being a prey animal with strong survival instincts, they are often quite reactive and the beginner might inadvertently give them the wrong cues, creating a reaction that is both frightening and dangerous. When we talk about age, the general rule of thumb is anything that is over 10 years of age.  There are those that would argue that their 4 year old is dead quiet, but he just simply doesn’t have the exposure and experience of a 10 year old. Ten years old is, in my opinion, the minimum age of a horse that is probably going to be safe for a beginner to get on. However, in most cases the older the better. Older horses are often discounted but they are worth their weight in gold in terms of giving the new rider confidence and creating a pleasurable experience.

The next thing you want to look for is the behavior of the horse itself. Is he holding his head high? Is he snorting and looking around in a nervous fashion? Is he antsy while being tacked up? A good beginner horse is going to stand quietly and keep his head level with or below his shoulders. His demeanor should be one of being overall calm and complacent. Nervous and high strung horses will be more concerned with the environment around them. They will have often have a wide eyed expression and hold their head high.

Most lesson barns have horses that are suitable for beginners to learn to ride on. If you are new to horses and riding it’s important to take lessons with a qualified instructor before considering buying your own. Once you have some lessons under your belt and you want to own your own horse, work with your instructor to help you select an appropriate horse for your level of riding skill. Approaching horse ownership in this way will insure a successful relationship between you and your horse.

If you find yourself in this situation be proud of the fact that you are smart and know your limitations. It’s people that are goaded into doing something beyond their capability that are going to get hurt and the person that goaded you into it isn’t going to pay your bills or give a damn if you’re laid up for months because of an injury.  With these people, I usually turn it on them and ask them if I can forward the bills to them while I’m recovering. I have no shame in the fact that I can’t ride like that. That’s the key.  There is nothing wrong with not being able to jump or perform advanced dressage and anyone that belittles you or makes snide comments about it have their own issues. Often times they won’t verbalize what they’re really thinking and yet everything about them is saying “You’re a wimp”. This is where you have to have the back bone to simply not care. By making it clear that you don’t respect their opinion, you’re taking their power to make you feel inferior away from them. Without attention, these people lose their punch. Simply ignoring or avoiding them is the best course of action. However if you find them unavoidable, don’t engage in their conversation. Just smile and nod. If you don’t feed their appetite for superiority they will move on to someone else.

If you want to learn how to ride then don’t take shortcuts. Find a qualified instructor who specializes in the discipline of your choice and make your introduction to riding and horses a pleasant one.

On a hot summer day, if the show officials have made jackets optional (and it’s a small local show) then for the love of god why would you force your child to wear a jacket in steaming temperatures?  Or, if your child doesn’t do well at a particular show, how about you don’t react in an immature and pouty manner?  I’ve actually witnessed some parents throw hissy fits when their child doesn’t come in the ribbons. This negative attitude carries over to children where showing is only about the ribbons and not the experience.  Many of these children treat the horse as a machine and a means with which to garner attention with little or no thought to the welfare of the horse.  And this my friends, is how the adult horse show divas are created.  They are programmed from an early age that they are superior and how they treat others and their horses are second to the winning of a ribbon.

What they don’t realize is, that if they are competing at local shows they are not going to get anywhere to the level needed to compete in the Olympics, and yet they still present themselves as prospective Olympic riders. The rest of us are realistic and know that the local shows are fun and nothing more than another activity with which to have fun with horses.

If you are relatively new to horses and decide you want to compete, always practice good sportsmanship whether you win or lose. This will give you a reputation of a pleasant person to be around and no one will be avoiding you at the next show.

Whatever you want your riding to be, make sure that you are getting what you pay for. If the instructor is nothing more than a screaming harpie, then move on. It’s time to change the attitude of the horse professional so that they understand that if they were a nicer person to be around, then their students would to spend more time at the barn and riding in general.

Regardless of which category you fall into, the best way to avoid stress and friction is to make sure all equipment is in its place, clothing is clean and ready to go and you get plenty of rest and are on time. When you arrive at the show grounds, you are already going to be a bit nervous, particularly if it’s your first show. Any added stress of not having everything you need is just going to make things fall apart once you enter the ring. Being on time is critical so you don’t feel rushed and exasperated. Your horse is only going to pick up on this which again, will make things go sideways.  This can be particularly stressful if you have a trainer that gripes at you for it. Be ready and be on time.

If you suffer from show nerves, the only real way to get over it is to do it a few times.  Having performance anxiety can often lead to mistakes or tension which won’t add to the ride. If you are worried about what other people think, just bear in mind that they have all had their own mishaps at a horse show, so if you fall off or make a mistake, you’re in good company. It might not feel that way at the time, but you’ll only improve the more you do it.  The most important aspect of any horse show is to have fun and learn from what does and doesn’t go well.

As an example, I’m not a big fan of chiropractors on people let alone on horses. Now that being said there are those that will swear by them. If someone chooses to have an equine massage therapist or chiropractor come out and work on their horse and the horse is none the worse for wear, it’s none of my business, period.  I can still be friends with these people even though we might disagree on this point. I won’t brow beat them and tell them what a waste of money I think it is. This is how feelings of resentment and malcontent get started.  The sense of being better than others is rampant in the horse world and is often the start of barn drama. I’m really at a point where I think all of this ridiculousness needs to stop.  I frequent equine forums and it never fails to amaze me how someone will admit to offering unsolicited advice and then can’t figure out why it was not well received.  Again, if a horse isn’t in any danger, there’s no need to push your attitudes and opinions onto others.

Conversely, if you post on a forum asking for advice and you post pictures of your horse clearly showing signs of neglect, don’t expect everyone to roll out the welcome rug for you. This is particularly true if you become defensive when someone points out that your horse is underweight or needs a veterinarian visit and you just simply refuse to do it. I’m not by any stretch of the imagination suggesting that we should let people abuse or neglect horses, but simply let people be so that we can all enjoy our horses and stop this holier than thou silliness.

If you see a newbie clearly struggling with a behavioral problem, you can politely offer to help. This doesn’t mean immediately jumping all over them and telling them that they’re wrong. It just simply means offering them assistance and telling them what worked for you in the same situation. If they don’t seem receptive to you helping, then let it go. You aren’t the self professed equine savior and some people are only going to learn by getting hurt. The key to being someone that others trust and look up to is knowing when to offer help and when to leave well enough alone. As in all things, balance is the key and those that feel the need to force their opinions on others will find the world a lonely place to be.

In the case of the unsuitable horse, your best option is to put the horse in training with a knowledgable trainer.  Even then, he may not be compatible with your riding or confidence level. Many of these horses perform great for experienced riders, but quickly take advantage of those timid less experienced riders. If you can’t overcome the issues while working with a trainer, the best thing would be to sell him and ask the trainer to find you a more appropriate mount.

If you bought a horse that was deemed good for beginners and now suddenly he’s acting up and you are afraid to ride him, you might want to look at what you’re telling the horse with your body language and actions. Horses learn very quickly who’s in charge and what they can get away with. Newbies who are intimidated and allow the horse to pull them around very quickly teach the horse that he’s the one in charge.  Don’t be afraid to give the horse a verbal reprimand or a tap with a crop if necessary. Horses will pick up on your lack of confidence immediately and use it to their advantage. If you find that the horse loses their pleasant attitude and you are unable to maintain control, then you might consider that this horse is not suitable after all.  Finding a suitable horse is not so much about training as it is about attitude and compatibility with the rider.  There are many horses that will safely pack a kid around but really turn it on for more experienced riders. As a general rule, horses that are less sensitive are more suitable for beginner riders. In some cases, a horse that you don’t get along with could be the best horse possible for someone else.

Not matter what type of horse you have, coddling them and letting them walk all over you is both dangerous and unfair to the horse. Horses, like children, need boundaries and are happiest when the rules are clear.  When your horse knows what’s expected of him he can react accordingly which leads to a happier relationship with your horse.