Horse riding –a funny old world of words and phrases

Pat Bishop, who runs Divoky Riding School at Downhead, near Shepton Mallet, offers some words of advice to newcomers.

DECIDING to learn to ride a horse can be both daunting and confusing, if it is a world that is new to you.

Right from the start, there are forms to complete and questions to be answered and it is easy to give the wrong response that can get you in a right old pickle. The first you will be asked is: what level are you? This isn't meant to be a trick question; however, you might be given a form which gives suggestions such as: “complete beginner, beginner, novice, intermediate or advanced”.

This refers to your skill level. In the non-equestrian world, the word “novice” will indicate someone who is new to something, but in the equestrian world a novice is actually quite accomplished as a rider, usually able to walk, trot and canter unaided with some degree of steering and style.

So easy to use that word to describe your skills but it really will put you, the horse and the coach in a tricky situation if you use that description and are actually very new to riding.

One of the terms I often hear young coaches use – without explanation – is: “Put your leg on.” What your coach actually wants is for you to use your heels to gently squeeze the side of the horse – this helpfully will cause a muscle reaction that moves the horse's legs and off you go!