11/13/2023
The basis of good riding can be said to be the absence of bad riding---
The Roots Of Bad Riding---Here’s a list, not necessarily in order of magnitude, because it will vary rider to rider.
1.Poor balance. Horses move. If the rider moves in harmony with the movements of the horse, that is the start of good riding. But if the rider is unbalanced and moves counter to the way the horse moves, it will be bad until or unless the rider can fix that.
2. Tension. Where? Hands, arms, fingers, hips, pelvis, torso, neck, jaw, legs, knees, toes, ankles, feet.
3.Fear/apprehension. Fear creates tension/rigidity, and tension leads to lack of balance.
4. Anger, need for dominance. An angry rider is a bad rider.
5. A rider lack of fitness and overall general athleticism. Lithe supple riders who are strong and fit can more easily be harmonious riders.
6. A disregard/disdain for the precepts of correct equitation. The rider just doesn't care.
SO---To avoid bad riding, be calm and friendly to horses, be fit and agile, ride horses that don’t scare you, learn how to find balance by lots of practice, learn how to give basic rein and leg and body aids.
This process might take as little as a year, or it might take a lifetime. It depends on so many variables.