Horse Riding: Start Slow and Have Fun!

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Text to type: People ride horses for fun, work, and sport. Some people enjoy a quiet ride outside. Police officers may ride horses at work. In the Olympic Games, riders do sports such as jumping and dressage. In dressage, the horse does careful moves when the rider asks. Horse riding is teamwork: the rider gives small signs, and the horse answers.

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Text to type: Horse riding for kids starts slowly at a riding school. Charlotte Dujardin also began with a quiet walk, not a race. A new rider should start at a good riding school with a teacher. The first horse is often quiet and kind. The teacher may lead the horse around an arena, which is a safe place for riding. The horse usually walks slowly. Sometimes the rider tries a short trot, which feels more bouncy. There is no need to hurry.

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Text to type: Always wear a riding helmet that fits well and is closed under your chin. A riding helmet helps protect your head if you fall. Wear strong boots that cover your ankles. Do not walk behind a horse because it may kick. Walk to the horse from the side. Talk softly and move gently, so the horse knows you are there.

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Text to type: A saddle is the seat on the horse’s back. A strap under the horse holds it in place. The saddle spreads the rider’s weight across the horse’s back. This helps the horse stay comfortable. Stirrups hang on both sides of the saddle. The rider puts a foot in each stirrup for balance. Boots with heels help stop the feet from sliding through.

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Text to type: Reins are long straps that go from the rider’s hands to the horse’s bridle. The bridle is the gear on the horse’s head. Reins help a rider ask the horse to turn, slow down, or stop. They are a little like a steering wheel, but riders must use small, soft moves. Pulling hard can hurt the horse. Riders also use their legs and body.

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Text to type: Charlotte Dujardin rode Valegro in dressage. They won individual Olympic gold in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016. Frankie Dettori was a famous race rider. In 1996, he won all seven races on one day at Ascot. Ron Turcotte rode the fast racehorse Secretariat, which won the US Triple Crown in 1973. Famous riders go fast or do hard moves, but new riders begin with a slow walk.

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