Do you videotape your riding lessons? There are a number of benefits to taping your lessons, and given how easily you can record with phones and tablets today, it’s really not a difficult thing to do. If you’re not already taping your lessons, here are some reasons you might want to start.

See What Your Trainer Means

Videos of your riding lessons provide you a way to look back and see examples of exactly what your trainer is talking about. Even if you have mirrors in your ring, it can be difficult to observe your horse and your riding when you are so focused on the task at hand during a lesson. Videotaping your lessons gives you the chance to revisit your trainer’s comments when you’re more relaxed and focused. Seeing exactly what your trainer is referring to, such as subtle changes in your position or in the movement of your horse, can help you better understand your problem areas and what you are working to achieve.

Remember the Points Your Trainer Went Over

During lessons it can often seem that your trainer is giving you 20 different things to think about and focus on it once. How much of that do you carry over into your next riding session with your horse when your trainer isn’t present? Videotaping your lessons gives you a way to go back and revisit exactly what your trainer was telling you. You can make a list of points you need to remember and will naturally absorb more of the information by seeing and hearing the lesson a second time.

See Your Horse’s Reactions to Your Riding

Watching a video of yourself riding in a lesson gives you the chance to see just how your position and movement affect your horse. Rather than just feeling the changes in your horse, seeing them too can create a more complete picture and further deepen your horsemanship skills.

Create a Digest of Your Development

If you repeatedly videotape your lessons over time, they will create an account of both your and your horse’s progress. It can be rewarding to look back on old videos and see just how far you and your horse have come. Revisiting tapes of previous lessons can help to remind you of points that you once worked on and should perhaps revisit. The tapes can also help you identify areas in which you may still be weak and where you should focus in the future.

The next time you have a lesson, ask a friend to come along to tape at least part of it, then offer to do the same for them when they ride. There are many benefits to having videotapes of at least some of your lessons.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/fivefurlongs/4663798107

Original Source: Why You Should Be Videotaping Your Lessons