Horse Training: Where to Start With Horse and Rider

Start with an assessment, not a list of exercises for the horse. Establish what the horse already knows, what you can safely do, and which professional should guide the next step. Then choose one manageable goal.

Horse training and rider training are related, but they are not interchangeable. This guide helps you choose a starting point and prepare for an assessment—not undertake a do-it-yourself programme for starting an untrained horse.

Choose the right starting point

• You are new to horses: book riding and handling instruction with a qualified coach, using a horse the centre considers suitable for your experience. Do not make teaching an inexperienced horse your first project. Our first-lesson preparation guide covers what to ask when booking.
• You already ride a trained horse: arrange a lesson or assessment before adding new schooling exercises. Ask the coach to separate your riding priority from the horse’s training needs.
• The horse is young, unhandled or not yet trained to carry a rider: involve a qualified professional experienced in starting horses. Off-horse fitness is useful preparation for you, but it does not qualify you to undertake that work alone.
• The horse’s behaviour has changed or suggests discomfort: seek veterinary advice rather than assuming the answer is stronger aids or more repetition. World Horse Welfare notes that biting can indicate pain or discomfort and recommends consulting a vet or qualified equine behaviour professional when concerned. Read its training guidance.

For readers looking for a centre in the UK, the British Horse Society’s approved-centre directory is one starting point. The BHS says listings may not reflect real-time changes; contact it to confirm current approval status. Elsewhere, check the relevant equestrian body’s local listings.

Separate the goals before choosing exercises

Bring your coach a specific difficulty, not simply “I need to ride better.” For example:

• “I land heavily when posting—rising and sitting with the trot.”
• “I tip sideways when I apply one leg aid.”
• “I lose my position near the end of the lesson.”

Ask: What should I do differently, and what will show that it is working? Agree on a task your coach can reassess, such as a short stretch of rising trot with quieter landings. Do not assume that a position fault proves a strength deficit; ask your coach what needs attention before selecting a workout.

For the horse’s training, small, clear steps matter too. World Horse Welfare recommends breaking learning into easy, logical steps and rewarding the requested action; it also warns against methods that risk physical or emotional harm. Its explanation of how horses learn is useful background before discussing methods with your trainer. More pressure is not a substitute for a clearer plan.

Try one supported balance check off the horse

If you want a gentle starting exercise while arranging the assessment, try a supported one-leg stand. Use a clear floor and keep support within reach. Stop for pain, dizziness or a feeling of being unsafe. If an injury or health condition affects exercise, seek individual advice first.

Face a wall with your arms outstretched and fingertips touching it. Lift one foot slightly, keeping a small bend in the supporting knee and your hips level. Hold for five to ten seconds, lower, and repeat three times per side, following the NHS balance guidance. Keep your eyes open.

Checkpoint: note how much support each side needs and whether your trunk shifts. This is an observation to share, not a diagnosis of a riding fault or a test of readiness to train a horse. Being steady on the ground does not prove that you will be balanced in the saddle.

Make the first week about a clear plan

Arrange the assessment, write down one difficulty and bring any relevant observations about when it occurs. At the assessment, ask who should work on each part of the problem: you, the horse’s trainer, or a health professional.

Once you have a rider-specific goal, use our off-horse practice linked to lessons to choose drills and review them with your coach. Train any riding-position change under qualified instruction before testing it independently on a horse.