This is part two of three posts addressing the issue of “How to Choose a Horse Back Riding Instructor”. Previously, I mentioned the issue of professionalism and how important it is in an instructor. From my experience as instructor and student here in San Diego, the second consideration is finding a coach who can teach you “how horses think” or what I call a “theory of mind” for horses. It can be scary and frustrating when you horse is not doing what you want, or won’t listen. Finding an instructor who can help you understand your horse, and even more so help you understand yourself and your own role in how your horse is behaving is a priority. Without formal training or extensive experience ( this experience could be described as riding multiple horses every day for 5-10 years) very few people can intuitively decipher how a horse thinks. Horses are prey animals and not always easy to intuit for us predators. Look for an instructor who can teach you about horse psychology as prey animals, how horses respond to pressure, what it looks like to change a horse’s behavior, and how you influence them even from the other side of the fence
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So, how can you tell if your instructor is familiar and fluid with these types of concepts? The most basic concept is someone who can assist you in understanding and applying “pressure”. Understanding the concept of “pressure” as it relates to horses and their responses can be a foundation for the development of other concepts. Look for an instructor who has an approach that focuses on teaching the rider to influence the horse with his/her body. Basically, the rider needs to learn how to use everything about themselves; gait, eye contact, posture, weight, balance, and aids (e.g.reins) to put pressure on and off the horse. This provides a framework for all good horsemanship goals including:
1-control on the ground and under saddle
2-the development of an independent seat (which is a prerequisite for effective pressure and successful riding!!)
3-how to communicate and ride your horse for both elementary and advanced maneuvers.
Learning how to “speak like a horse” by putting pressure on and off at the right times makes for happy confident horses and also prevents using short cuts and gadgets to fix problems.
Additionally, from this perspective questions about style of riding become one of taste, English or western, dressage or trail is just whatever you prefer. A good horseperson will be able to choose their style of riding to suit their needs. And remember, if you are learning how horses think and how to communicate with them through your body and pressure (aids) then you are on the right track, whichever path you take!
Happy Trails and Thank you 🙂