It’s back to school time, and everyone seems to be learning something new. Now is the perfect time to teach yourself new riding skills. Whether or not you have a trainer, these tips can help you to facilitate your own riding progress.

Audit Clinics

Head out to audit local clinics for a low-cost learning experience. If you want to progress as a rider, watching other riders in a clinic setting is a great way to do it. Bring along a notebook and watch carefully. Try to see what the riders are doing and how the clinician’s instruction changes their riding. At the same time, watch the horses for responses, too. You can learn a lot about riding through patient observation.

Work with a Well-Trained Horse

If you’re trying to teach yourself new riding skills, it can be difficult to do when you’re riding a horse that you’re training at the same time. Set yourself up for success by riding a horse who is experienced and who can help you through the process, rather than things being the other way around. A schoolmaster can be a great teacher if you’re lucky enough to ride one.

Install Arena Mirrors

It’s hard to assess and improve ourselves as riders when we can’t see ourselves. If possible, install large mirrors in at least one end of your riding arena (it's best if you can install mirrors in two ends of the arena). Mirrors give you the chance to check in and assess both yourself and your horse, even when you’re riding alone.

When choosing mirrors, look for large mirrors which can be positioned well above the arena baseboard. Make sure to invest in shatterproof glass, and never turn a horse loose in the arena with mirrors. Many horses see themselves in mirrors, so be sure to give each horse a chance to inspect these new structures before you proceed with your ride.

Videotape Your Rides

While mirrors can give us a chance to assess ourselves in real time, videotaping our rides is a great way to reflect on and study the rides that we’ve had. See if a friend or stablemate would take the time to videotape at least part of your ride, and offer to do the same for them.

Once you’re home, look at your ride to see what’s working and what’s not. Is your body in the position you think it’s in? Can you see tension or resistance in yourself or your horse? Re-watching your rides can give you a list of things to work on during your next ride.

What are your riding goals for this fall, and what will you be doing to reach them?

Original Source: Tips for Teaching Yourself New Riding Skills