Simple Tip: You will not ruin your horse by picking up the reins and adding some contact to your ride.
How is a young horse supposed to learn HOW to carry a rider? Do they just figure it out? Is simply not bucking where the bar is set?
Most horses (like us) are crooked, they will be crooked with or without a rider. It is worse for them when carrying a rider.
You are not along for the ride, you are there to make their life while carrying you easier. Easier translates to a lot of work in the beginning for the rider.
2 simple things to focus on (even when just trail riding) are:
- Where are your horse's shoulders? How do you influence them? How do you teach them to follow their shoulders (not their nose - w.h.a.t?!)?
- Yourself - do you lean? Is one leg pressing into the stirrup more than the other? When you post, do you switch diagonals (this actually matters)? Do you allow your horse to canter only on one lead vs switching back and forth?
There are, of course, a lot more things on this list, but these are the main ones I come across that help the horse and rider, no matter what they do to enjoy each other.
- Sarah Orloff, Still Waters Equitation