How to ensure your safety while horseback riding

Horseback riding is an enjoyable and thrilling activity, but it can lead to hazardous situations too. If you want to reduce the risk of possible injury, you have to take steps to ensure your safety. Read the following list and educate yourself on how to make the riding as safe as possible.

You should wear all the necessary equipment while riding

Whether you are starting with your riding hobby or you are an experienced rider who enjoys hacking, there are a few basic items that you must purchase to enjoy a safe ride. The first one is a hat. You can choose a riding helmet or a jockey cap. When purchasing a hat, try to find the best one for you. The hat has to be ASTM/SEI certified. It’s important that the hat should not move over your face when you pull on the brim. It should stand straight on your head.

Also, you must purchase riding boots or riding shoes. While there are many types of riding boots out there, try to find some that have a low heel. The heel protects your leg from slipping off the stirrup. Another piece of the riding equipment that you must have on you is a body protector. They are designed to protect your back and chest area in the moments when you might get injured.

Try to ride horses that match your riding abilities

The most important thing you can do to avoid accidents is the correct match of the horse’s abilities and the riding abilities that you have. If you are an advanced rider and you ride an old exhausted horse, it can be really boring experience for you. If you are a beginner rider and you ride an energetic horse, you are exposing yourself to many dangerous situations. So, it’s essential to set realistic expectations about your riding abilities. If you don’t know how well you are riding according to the standards of the school where you‘re riding, ask a qualified instructor to judge your riding skills.

You have to be familiar with the riding area

Crossing over some unknown place with many holes can lead to dangerous situations. Therefore, it’s important for you to get familiar with the area where you are riding. You have to know if there are any holes, a slippery road, any hard spots etc. Any kind of information about the region where you are riding can be essential for your safety.

Try to understand the horse’s behavior

If your horse feels uncomfortable, he will show it. He will send signals to you by moving his ears, tail, head, nose and the whole body posture. For an example, when the horse is holding his ears back, that is a sign that he is angry or frightened. When he is in that kind of state he might kick you to the ground. So, the ability to read the horse’s body language is extremely important for your safety.

If you want to learn the horse’s body parts and their behavior, try to read horse books or you can play horse games. There are lots of educational horse games that teach about the different horse’s body parts.

By following the basic safety riding rules, you can have an incredibly enjoyable experience while horse riding.