21 Lessons for Young Riders

Kay Irving. 

Second hand, good condition, paperback, photos and illustrations.

"Remember that your pony has feelings just as you do. You must not hurt him physically nor upset him mentally if he is to be a happy pony.

What does it mean to be a good rider? I think it means a rider who can make a happy partnership with the horse he rides, a partnership which is enjoyed by both and in which each trusts the other completely. In learning to ride you train your pony to do what you wish him to do and the pony should do this willingly and without unnecessary effort from either of you. The rider too must learn his part so that he does not make it hard for the pony to do the right thing. In this, our first talk, I want to speak about this trust that is so important between horse and rider. We will think about the comfort and happiness of your pony and what you can do about it.

Let us think of him as he runs free in the paddock. Your pony was not designed to carry a weight on his back nor to have a bit in his mouth, yet we make him do both these things so that we can make use of him. He puts up with this and gives us lovely happy rides, helping us to enjoy ourselves and to do the work about the farm.

Since he is so good to you, you must be very good to him. By this I do not mean give him plenty of apples and carrots, I mean you must remember all the time to be gentle with your hands on the reins and never to bump your weight on his back. A sudden pull on the reins will make the metal bit bruise his gums horribly, and when you let your weight drop heavily on his back, or move suddenly or roughly in the saddle, it will hurt like a hard punch in your own back.

It is in these two ways that riders often cause their ponies pain. I do not think it does him any harm if he gets a smart hit with the whip if he is naughty, but I do think it does him lasting harm if his rider gets cross with him, or gets excited about something, and tugs his mouth.

So, from today, remember that whether your pony is bad or good you are sitting on a back that is easily bruised, and that you have in your hands reins that are fixed to a bit that rests on a very tender part of the mouth. If you never forget these things your pony will trust you and go willingly for you and he will be happy. If, on the other hand, you sometimes forget, he is never quite happy because he is not sure what you will do. He cannot trust you.

So please be very careful that your pony can always trust you to be kind and never to hurt his mouth or his back. Also, when on the ground, move about him quietly as this will help him learn that you are trust-worthy."