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Can anyone give me information on riding like age, height, weight, any specific things about only being able to do it in certain seasons, locations in my area, and just basic info that I would need to know. Sorry if this is confusing but I didn’t know how to word it that well because I have never asked a question in the Horse section and I only answered one question in that section. Please Help.

Plz and Thx
-animal lover♥♥♥

I’ve been horseback riding (English style) for almost eight years now (since I was eight — now I’m almost sixteen) and I would suggest going to GoogleMaps and typing: "Horseback riding loc: _________" <— Your location in the blank. Visit the list of horse farms they give you and try to get to visit them. Watch a few lessons and observe the instuctors’ attitudes toward both students and horses. Make sure the horses are properly taken care of (ie. rubbed down after a ride or lesson, all tack (riding equipment) removed before it’s put back into it’s stall, clean living conditions, etc.). Also, compare prices. Make sure you buy proper riding attire (jodhpurs and/or breeches — they’re riding pants — the breeches are shorter and are meant to be worn with longer boots, and riding boots — rubber ones are cheaper. Don’t forget your helmet, which you should ALWAYS wear and a safety vest to protect your ribs during a fall). Then, choose one farm and schedule a beginner lesson for yourself — 1 hour is good. They’ll introduce you to the horse you’ll be riding and let you watch them tack it up. Then, the instructor should give you the reins (the string things xD that you hold) and let you lead the horse to the riding arena. Just do what the instructor tells you and you’ll be fine. Walk beside your horse and never let it drag you xD. Be confident in yourself — it’ll rub off on the horse, too. When you get to the side of the arena, you’ll have to mount (get on) the horse. They might want you to practice mounting yourself, or if they give you a taller horse, they might let you use a mounting block (basically a block/bench that you climb on to make it easier to mount the horse). After that, the instructor will show you how to hold the reins properly and how to shorten or tighten them if your hands slip. I would suggest getting a long piece of rope and practicing holding the reins at home so you won’t forget — I always forgot during the first few months. I remember I was trotting my mare around in circles once and had to shorten my reins — then I forgot how to hold them xD. Keep your heels down and toes pointed up when you’re riding and always keep your back straight — it’ll help you balance. If you forget, your instructor will tell you. Just point your toes back up and sit up — it’ll be hard to maintain that position at first, especially when you try faster gaits. Also, remember to let your horse know that you’re the boss and he/she can trust you. Always stay calm and if your horse starts to go in a different direction, give your reins a soft, but firm tug in the direction you want it to go in. Also, do that when you want to turn. The arena will be circular and your horse will probably turn automatically, but it’s good practice. The most important thing is to not panic — even a walk might seem a bit stressful at first, especially if your horse moves in a rather bumpy manner. If you’re shorter, lucky you. If you want your horse to start moving or increase it’s speed, just give it a slight squeeze with your legs. If you want it to stop, give it a slight tug on the reins. Once you’re comfortable with the walk (you might gain enough confidence in one lesson, like I did, or it might take you a few), you should start practicing posting to get ready for trotting. The instructor would instruct you to go up and down with the beat of the horse’s steps and count in your head. So, when your horse’s right feet touch the ground, go up (almost like standing, but not that high and just for a second) and count "one" in your head. When you feel your horse’s left side go down, sit back down (gently!) and count "two". You have to do all of this and still steer your horse, etc. Once you’re comfortable with the posting, your instructor might let you try posting without the stirrups. That was one of my least favorite things to do and I still have to do it sometimes as a warm-up. Without the stirrups, you won’t have any support, so it’ll be harder to get up and hold yourself in that position, but it exercises your muscles and strengthens them. Once you’re okay with posting, your instructor will let you try it with a trot (you’re supposed to post during a trot, but at first, you’ll be practicing with the walk). Your first few minutes trying that might feel a bit terrifying (to beginners, a trot, which is only a steady jog, will feel like high-speed galloping). Just remember to go up and down with the horse and when you lose the beat, just stay seated for a while (if you don’t post when trotting, you’ll feel really sore though) and try to feel your horse’s movements and try again. If you cannot control the horse at all, don’t feel bad. Just keep practicing posting with a walk — you can try again during another lesson. After you’re okay with trotting, you’ll move on the cantering and then some galloping. After a year, you should be able to try simple jumps. Horseback riding sounds easy, but it’s not. You’ll have to spend hours riding and

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