The first horse you ride will have a lasting impression on you. You will either feel on top of the world or be completely terrified and never want to ride again. If you’ve suffered the later, this is a difficult thing to overcome, so I wanted to take an opportunity to talk about the beginner horse temperament. In other words, what should a horse suitable for beginners be like?

I know we have all had the perfect picture in our mind of what the perfect horse would be like. We’ve all seen “The Black Stallion” and “Black Beauty”. The truth of the matter is, color should have very little to do with what type of horse you ride. The type of horse that is suitable for beginners is a “been there done that” type of horse. Horses are prey animals, and by their very nature their sole goal in life is to not end up on someone else’s dinner plate. They are social herd animals who use the multiple eyes and ears of the herd to help them keep an eye out for danger. Have you ever you seen those wildlife shows on TV? Where there is a herd of zebras, one sees the lion and starts running and then the rest take off without stopping to ask questions? This aids in survival and the horse is no different. Horses are sometimes afraid of the silliest things which make no sense to us but makes perfect sense to them.

A horse that is suitable for beginners has seen all the scary things and they don’t bother him. These horses are usually older and have been around the block a few times. So when you are confronted by a purple trashcan, beach ball, car going by etc., this is a normal day at the office for one of these guys. In equine circles these horses are known as “Schoolmasters” or “schoolies”. They are very forgiving of your leg hitting them in the wrong spot, you bouncing up and down etc. Younger, or “hot” (nervous, athletic) horses are usually ridden by experienced riders who can sit out that buck or spook. Any poke, bump or unfamiliar thing they come across can cause them to get upset. It’s kind of like comparing an old solid chevy to a mazzerati. You have to really mash the gas on the chevy to get a response, the mazzerati if you barely touch the petal, you’re taking off.

When you’re first starting out, riding a “mazzerati” can really take the fun out of riding and undermine your confidence. Make sure you’re up on a good old chevy so riding can be fun like it’s supposed to be.

Related Blogs

• Beginning Horse Riding : Horse Riding Command Pressure