The world of horse riding is an exciting yet challenging experience for both rider and mount. Equestrians must prioritize safety and comfort by choosing the right equipment before venturing into horse riding. They can purchase professional tools to make their bridging more seamless as they get better. Learn about the must-have items for new riders in this piece.
What to Wear For Your First Horse Riding Lesson
Always having the right equipment is vital to ensuring safety and an exciting experience when riding. The most essential equipment provides both safety and comfort. They include:
1. Shirt
The undershirt for your riding lessons is essential. Riding is an intense activity. It requires a lot of energy, and thus, it builds up a lot of sweat. Choosing a shirt made from loose or highly absorbent material can ensure you don’t experience discomfort when you sweat. Riding shirts need to be breathable to allow for easy movements because riding is an activity that predominantly requires hand movements.
2. Riding Breeches
Abrasive materials can cause discomfort, making the animal uncomfortable and challenging to ride. When choosing riding pants, going for soft material is always important. Cotton pants make it easier to navigate the riding area.
If you’re looking for tailor-made pants for riding, you can give horse pilot breeches a shot. There are several varieties of riding pants. Always ensure that you select material that is comfortable for you and the animal so that you can ensure that you have an exciting, stress-free riding experience. You can learn more about these breeches on this website.
3. Body Protector and Boots
Riding lessons can become dangerous when you branch into cross country and jumping. The best way to avoid bruises and major injuries is by using body protectors like knee guards, shin guards, and chest protection. A riding vest and riding boots are good riding equipment to have.
Riding boots are specially designed for equestrians. Standard boots aren’t suitable for riding because they don’t protect the horseman against running and blisters. These boots have textured soles, which are made to be soft enough to stay in a saddle but not so soft that they break. You can use insoles for boots.
4. Gloves
Horse reins are made of leather that can hurt the equestrian’s skin. While riding, your palms might get sweaty, resulting in the reins getting wet and ultimately causing your grip to falter. You need gloves to ensure that you don’t have any accidents because you lose control of the reins.
5. Riding Hat
Riding hats protect your head from many things, like the mount’s foot, in case you fall. A riding hat is essential for someone unfamiliar with horse riding and even a professional rider. Horses have mighty kicks that can cause severe injuries to the horseback rider.
A riding hat is essential to ensure you don’t get badly wounded. Statistics show that over 10% of all injuries in horse riding are head-related. So, when you begin riding lessons, you need to make sure that you choose a durable helmet to ensure that you are protected from extreme injuries in case of an accident.
6. Stirrups
Stirrups are an essential communication tool for the mount and rider. These are the metal loops that equestrians put their feet on when training/riding. They have irons that make a well-built base to place their feet on. Besides helping to keep the horse in check during riding lessons, well-made ones help to relieve pressure on the rider’s ankles and knees and help horseback riders conveniently mount and unmount from the horse.
7. Saddle
Equestrian training centers usually provide saddles for you when you register. But if you want to go the extra mile, you can purchase a saddle for your mount. Saddles are essential riding gear. Riding a horse for the first time without a saddle is challenging.
You can get customized ones to fit you and your horse comfortably, making it easy for them to enjoy the ride. Saddles also come with girths and pads. They make it easier for you to grip a mount without falling. Girths ensure the saddle is in place while you move and you’re safe from falling. Pads, on the other hand, are absorbent materials that ensure sweat and liquids don’t disturb you while you ride.
8. Reins and Bridle
Horsemanship can only be complete with reins. Reins are the steering wheels of every rider. They act as a tool to guide the horse on the rider’s needs. There are different types of reins and bridles, and it’s essential to understand your needs as a rider before purchasing one. Choosing a harness suitable for the mount, along with gentle reins, ensures a seamless horse riding journey.
9. Fly Spray
Although horses used in training are usually appropriately cleaned, they sometimes tend to attract flies for many reasons. When you feel uncomfortable with the constant buzzing and perching, a fly spray is an effective and animal-friendly way to get rid of flies while riding your mount. It isn’t advisable to spray while on the move so it doesn’t get in your eyes, but you can use it when grooming your horse or settling in to start lessons.
10. Other Riding Essentials
Depending on the circumstances, you can use several other things to make your riding experience seamless. They range from hair accessories to comfortable socks and writing materials. It is always important to take materials essential to you as an individual to make your experience more comfortable and exciting. You must take water, snacks, and glucose to stay hydrated and energetic throughout your horse riding sessions.
Conclusion
Finally, when you begin, try to be punctual for your lessons so that you have time to familiarize yourself with your animal. You can take over grooming and feeding the horse so that it can become accustomed to your presence. If the animal is antsy around you, it can lead to a more difficult riding lesson or even an accident.
So, an essential part of your riding experience is making sure that while you have all the gear you need, you also have the right partner (horse) to use the gear with. As you think of your safety and comfort, also consider the safety and comfort of the horse.
