Tips for a novice horse rider

[DieJager]

Hello members,

I am in need of your knowledge. Yesterday I talked to my outfitter regarding my upcoming mountain hunt in September.

He asked if I could ride. We have different languages so I first thought why do I have to drive. I'll be coming with a plane, I hope so .

No horse riding he mentioned. Uhm no, I think it is more than thirty years ago that I've sat on a horse. He showed me the the terrain, very steep and being certain I'm no mountain goat I see his point and need to be on a horse.

I'm trying to contact I few people I know who do have a horse and know how to ride. But do any of you who've been on a horseback hunt or do it regularly have some pro tips for me?

Thanks in advance.

 

[JimP]

No way a expert but when I headed up to British Colombia for a bear hunt we rode horses back into a wilderness area quite a ways, both up and down hills. We would ride up the hill and then walk down.

I did my best John Wayne imitation when I mounted my steed. I found that going up a steep hill to hold onto the horses mane and not the saddle horn. You will also find that the horse knows more than you do and has quite possibly been on that trail hundreds of times and knows exactly where to place it's hooves, so you can pretty much just be a rider and let the horse do the steering. But watch for nearby trees and or branches that you may have to avoid.

On that hunt I had a couple of times that I wondered about. The first time was when the horse stepped into a snow covered hole and lunged forward out of it. I did manage to stay on, the outfitter cussed at that horse saying that she knew that hole was there. The next time was crossing a river. It started to get deep after a few days of rain and the current was pushing us downstream. But I could hear the horses hooves on the rocks so I wasn't too worried. I knew that if the horse went down or under to hold onto the saddle or whatever, and that the horse would get us out. The last came on our way out. We were walking down a steep hillside in the rain and I was having a hard time staying upright, but I had the lead rope ahead of the horse and could hear that horse sliding down the hill right behind me. But we made it out.

All this is from a novice horse rider and I am sure that there are some on here that could compete in a rodeo and know a lot more.

 

[DieJager]

. I found that going up a steep hill to hold onto the horses mane and not the saddle horn

Thanks for the detailed description. Gives
a man some confidence. Last time I was a kid, cannot even properly remember it.

Regarding the saddle horn he showed me pictures without one, some flat saddle. I do not know if that changes anything.

How was going downhill and did you yourself have to adjust the pace or direction?

 

[Spearhead]

@DieJager my experience with horses on hunts is to trust the horse. You are basically just riding and not “driving”. Good guides normally have great horses that know their job. Enjoy the scenery while riding. A horse doesn’t want to do anything stupid to get themselves killed, so allow them to do their job. Might need to steer a bit here and there, but for the most part they know.

 

[Spearhead]

Thanks for the detailed description. Gives
a man some confidence. Last time I was a kid, cannot even properly remember it.

Regarding the saddle horn he showed me pictures without one, some flat saddle. I do not know if that changes anything.

How was going downhill and did you yourself have to adjust the pace or direction?

Lean forward going up and slightly back going down. You will find your center of gravity after an hour in the saddle. Enjoy the hunt and ride.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Honestly I’d probably be dreading how my legs would feel after being horseback for an extended period of time lol

 

[DieJager]

Lean forward going up and slightly back going down. You will find your center of gravity after an hour in the saddle. Enjoy the hunt and ride.

Thanks !

 

[DieJager]

Honestly I’d probably be dreading how my legs would feel after being horseback for an extended period of time lol

He did mention to get some kind of pants for horse riding. Without those he said I would last a maximum of two days. Any suggestions?

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

He did mention to get some kind of pants for horse riding. Without those he said I would last a maximum of two days. Any suggestions?

Honestly I haven’t been on a horse in probably 20 years. My brother inherited all the cowboy genes. That said I’d avoid synthetics (I think). Need something that grips a little instead of something prone to slipping and sliding around. Especially if it’s a worn in saddle that’s a little slick. IMHO. @Scott CWO does horseback hunts I think. I’m sure he can give some excellent advice.

Just get ready for some sore legs! May start a stretching regimen shortly before and stay hydrated and get plenty of electrolytes. It might help mitigate that. Last time I rode it was painful to walk after lol

 

[JimP]

Thanks for the detailed description. Gives
a man some confidence. Last time I was a kid, cannot even properly remember it.

Regarding the saddle horn he showed me pictures without one, some flat saddle. I do not know if that changes anything.

How was going downhill and did you yourself have to adjust the pace or direction?

Going down most hills I would just lean further back with the stirrups a little bit further forward. But as I mentioned, for the steeper down hills we would get off and lead the horses.

For riding gear I just had my regular hunting pants and wore a pair of long johns and didn't have any problems with my legs. On the ride into the hunting cabins we would stop every few miles and get off to walk just to stretch our legs. When we were about a mile from the cabin I told them that I had to get off to walk but the guide told me how close we were so I suffered through it. On our ride out we were not slowing down for anything and when we were about a mile away from the bottom I got off to walk the rest of the way as the guide and others rode down to the corrals.

The only time that I actually had to change the direction that we were traveling was when the guides horse broke loose and headed down into the timber. I had to keep a very firm grip on the reins to keep my horse from following. But once I got her moving down the correct trail all was good.

You will find that these are trail horses who have traveled the same trail for years and will follow it blindly without you ever having to try to get it to go anywhere else. And if you go somewhere that the horse hasn't been it will just follow the guides horse as if it was tied off to it.

 

[wyosteve]

Make sure your stirrups are adjusted properly and you shouldn't get sore knees/legs. And make sure the saddle seat is not too small. As an example, I'm 6'1", 235 and ride a minimum 16 in. seat and 17 is even better. Try to ride beforehand so you can reach a point where you feel you're riding the horse instead of just being a lump in the saddle. The horse will appreciate it. As mentioned, lean forward a bit going uphill and back a bit going down.

 

[LimbNoMo]

The saddles without a horn are English style saddles. You use your legs to hold you up on the horse.

The pants you’re looking for are breeches. What is important is they have no seam on the inside of the leg. The seam will wear on you and why you won’t last without them.

 

[grand veneur]

He did mention to get some kind of pants for horse riding. Without those he said I would last a maximum of two days. Any suggestions?

I don't know where your trip is supposed to take place, but on the hunts when I had to ride horses in Central Asia, I never needed any special equipment. The clothing I wore for hunting in the high mountains and in the cold, was perfectly adequate to protect me from injuries after hours in the saddle und that for several days. I have never ridden a horse in North America, but there do seem to be differences compared to Asia. The gun holster next to the saddle for example is not used, so the rifle has to be carried on the rider's back, which can be problematic at times. In the high mountains, there are also a few additional things to consider, as it is not entirely without risk to go steep down or up hill with a horse.

 

[wesheltonj]

No horseback hunting in experience, but lots of western saddle and bareback riding experience. Levi’s work just fine. English saddle you wear breeches. I’ve never had a problem with my legs rubbing. My ass being sore is another matter.

 

[Doug3006]

Adjusting the stirrups is key. Too long, and your butt will take a beating and hurt like heck. Too short and your knees will take all the punishment and hurt like heck. Properly adjusted, your butt and your knees will hurt like heck!

 

[Tucketed]

I am sure your outfitter will provide you a horse that will be well behaved. I can’t say I am a horseman but 20 odd years bow hunting elk in the Gore Range of Colorado we always leased horses. It truly was a learning experience. Tell your outfitter you’re a newbie, I am sure he will take care of you properly. I have to say some of my favorite memories was riding a ridge by my self as the sun went down.

 

[grand veneur]

Adjusting the stirrups is key. Too long, and your butt will take a beating and hurt like heck. Too short and your knees will take all the punishment and hurt like heck. Properly adjusted, your butt and your knees will hurt like heck!

Right, very important. That was often the problem when one got a horse in Central Asia. The stirrups were sometimes even asymmetrically adjusted if the horse was previously used for some game.

 

[DieJager]

Adjusting the stirrups is key. Too long, and your butt will take a beating and hurt like heck. Too short and your knees will take all the punishment and hurt like heck. Properly adjusted, your butt and your knees will hurt like heck!

That sounds great . But thanks for the advice. I'm totally in the dark to be honest but I'm going to do some lessons so hopefully that will help.

 

[DieJager]

I don't know where your trip is supposed to take place, but on the hunts when I had to ride horses in Central Asia, I never needed any special equipment. The clothing I wore for hunting in the high mountains and in the cold, was perfectly adequate to protect me from injuries after hours in the saddle und that for several days. I have never ridden a horse in North America, but there do seem to be differences compared to Asia. The gun holster next to the saddle for example is not used, so the rifle has to be carried on the rider's back, which can be problematic at times. In the high mountains, there are also a few additional things to consider, as it is not entirely without risk to go steep down or up hill with a horse.

I'm going to the Caucasus.

 

[DieJager]

The saddles without a horn are English style saddles. You use your legs to hold you up on the horse.

The pants you’re looking for are breeches. What is important is they have no seam on the inside of the leg. The seam will wear on you and why you won’t last without them.

Thanks that is the information I'm looking for. Really helpful