Most amateur riders usually are interested in horseback riding for the pleasure they can get from being around horses. If you’re an amateur, it’s best to adopt a seat in the saddle that’s as firm and comfortable as possible for you. Once you become more experienced and adept at riding in the proper (and comfortable) method, you can graduate to the more difficult types of riding, like show riding. An amateur who has practiced for a long time and become comfortable in the saddle has a much easier time moving on to show riding than someone who has never ridden before.
If you are a beginner, you might have the urge to sit further back in the saddle than you should . . . and to make the stirrups longer than you should. These are common mistakes that new horseback riders tend to make. Beyond those important elements, though, there is a lot of latitude that a beginner can give themselves when getting comfortable in the saddle.
The most important tasks for a new rider to learn are riding with the correct methods, being relaxed in the saddle, and managing your horse regardless of what gait it is taking. If you can do these things, then you’ll be on your way to advanced riding techniques in no time at all.
Once you’ve secured your saddle on the horse and have adjusted your stirrups to the length that’s best for you, you should put your toes into your stirrups and push your foot in until the ball sits on the tread of the stirrup. Your heel should be lower than your toes are (remember the old adage “heels down”.)
It’s easy to keep your heels down in the saddle when your horse is calm and you’re moving along at a slow, gentle gait. When your horse does something that frightens you a bit, though, you might have the tendency to point your toes down below your heels. You should try to overcome this, and always force your heels down until you do it out of a time-tested habit.
The horse’s body needs to be parallel with your feet in the stirrups, and your toes need to be pointed out slightly. Don’t ever point your toes inward! Your angle might differ from other riders with different builds than you, and that is fine, as long as your knees are always close to the horse’s body and you don’t purposely try to point your toes out or in.
As with many activities, the “exact right” way of riding a horse might be a bit different for you than it is for someone else who has a different build than you. Your weight, build and height have a lot to do with how you should properly ride a horse, and you may need to experiment a bit to get it right.
The best way for a beginner to learn horseback riding is to simply be relaxed, have fun on the ride, and don’t worry too much about whether or not you have the right position in the saddle. If you try too much, you might end up tensing your body too much and your posture will suffer for it.
If you do ever feel like you are tensing up and you can’t stop doing it, then it’s probably good to just slow the horse down, or to stop entirely and take a bit of a break. Take your first few lessons as easily as possible, and don’t be in a huge rush to get everything exactly right.