Horse rider training is nothing more than a continuation of groundwork but conducted from the saddle. If you’ve taught your horse to respond to the basic yields and have him paying attention to you, then he already knows what to do when you’re riding him. You’re just directing him from a different vantage point.

The first step in horse rider training is preparation. Before riding, engage in a groundwork routine with your horse. This routine can be as short as 5 or 10 minutes, but it should cover every aspect of groundwork: back-up, move the forehand and hindquarter (both sides), flex, drop the head, a little bit of lunging and making sure the horse is paying attention.

Learn more about Eric Bravo’s Groundwork Horse Training Videos

Next we work on mounting. Being able to mount a horse safely is important. You want your horse to stand still during mounting. In this sample video, Eric talks about some aspects of mounting.

Another important topic is flexing while in the saddle. If you’ve been flexing on the ground, moving to flexing while in the saddle should be a snap. Don’t cut corners on flexing, however-its one of the most important aspects of horse training. Flexing forms the basis of a one-rein stop, and in dangerous situations, of an “emergency” stop. In this sample video, Eric talks about flexing.

From here, the temptation might be to just take off and ride, but that would be a mistake. Practice basic movements in the arena first. This means making sure your horse will walk out and stop on cue, turning the forehand, moving the hindquarter, and backing up. When you can do these exercises flawlessly, which all follows directly from groundwork, then you can start learning to walk trot, and canter.

In this video, Eric gives some basic riding instruction:

Learn more about Eric Bravo’s Horse Rider Training Videos