I was enlightened by many of the tips and comments. I was also glad to find that my riding school didn't fall down totally as we are taught to weight shift for turns and halt! Heather, you have definitely de-mystified how to stay on at a canter. I look forward to trying your method for myself soon.

I am thinking of getting into riding.

I have a bad back and wonder if I am asking for trouble?

What is your opinion on riding and bad backs.

Janice, a few years ago I fell off a horse and broke my back leading to a month in hospital and 6 months off work. I am now back riding and have bought my own horse, and riding never upsets it as you ride with a relaxed, upright posture with the back in the correct shape. Now washing up and hoovering are a completly different matter - they make you stoop and OUCH!
In many ways, I think riding is good for bad backs as, like fencing, it teaches you a good posture.

We just bought 2 horses and I am still learning how to ride but these tips will help me alot.
If they start acting up would you say to slap them on their bottom or just sort of speak up and say ''no?''

Jessica-
Recently my sister and i attended a 4 day camp, and i found out that our horses had little repect for us!! They had no manners what so ever, compared to the instructors mounts. While we thought that they weer okay, we found out that we had been spoiling them to much. We had been having problems with our aids, as our horses had become ignorant to our legs as well. My horse was the better behaved out of the two, because my sisters horse is only 6 and still green, so we always gave her the benifit of the doubt. How wrong were we!! With a little help we have been able to transform our naughty horses into well mannered horses, but it would have been a whole lot easyer if we had demanded a little respect in the first place. A well mannered horse on the ground, will be a better mannered horse when riding. The moral to the story is, dont be afraid to repremand them, and if you think that they are getting disobedient, please ask someone for help before its to late to change. Prevention is better then cure. Hope that this helps
From one horse lover to another

Eden and Hussan (the horse with manners!!)

I hav enjoyed your site very much..But now I am wondering? I have just started riding, I did it as a child, but not to the extent I am going to now.Im 30 and a beginer. My trainer is telling me to do the up-down-up-down when troting, it is very difficult but she claims this will help with balance. Is there an easier way? And are there any exercisess I can do to help my preformance when off the horse?
Sincerely
Taylor...an oldie but newie...

Your site has helped me a great deal. I am a beginner rider at the age of 26. I have just begun to take lessons, in Germany. I have one major problem-I bounce around so much that my feet slide farther into the stirrups so that my toes are extremely forward. How do I correct that, other than trying to slow the rest of the class down by stopping? My second problem is a bit smaller, how do I get someone who has fallen off a horse get back on? I get back on when I fall off, but he has deemed horses the spawn of satan and won't even come to see me during lesson.

Heather-
A good tip to help someone overcome their fear of horses is to try to get them to be around them as much as possible. Before the person actually gets back into the saddle, he/she should work from the ground with horses first. Eg, grooming, leading. And later on, if you can, lungeing is a good way to make this person believe that horses are actually beautiful, intelligent animals.
I hope these ideas work!
Good Luck,
Poppy

Thanx 4 some really good tips. My horse is fairly new and I have to say is more of a happy hacker than anything else. The last horse I cared for was a western trained arab who was Uk champion for quite a few years. She could do everything and now I have this new horse and I have really been looking for some good basic tips to try her out with. I have the common problem of a bad saddle and was wondering if you can buy the saddles you use from saddlerys etc. Also I had the typical bad riding school experience when I was younger of being scared to death, and sitting ridgid with fear in the saddle. I think you give some brilliant advice and I wish I had acess to this kind of thing when I was a beginner. Thanx again. Em