Clarify your goal and stick with training
There’s a story about a man who started riding at age forty-five and competed in the Olympics at sixty. I haven’t verified whether it’s true, but there are plenty of riders in their fifties and sixties at the Olympics, and there are even world-class coaches in their seventies who still demonstrate on horseback. I’ve seen a photo of an eighty-year-old rider in action — his movements were simple and unadorned, showing the strength of steel. In short, it’s not about how old you are when learning to ride, but about persistence. After ten rides, you’ll feel the horse’s back isn’t shaking as much; after a hundred, the horse will seem more obedient. Keep going, and you’ll want to try jumping obstacles. As you become more accurate and aim higher, one day you’ll find yourself and your horse soaring over a height of 1.4 meters — experiencing that feeling of flying together. It’s far more than just “thrilling.” And you’ll never want to get off the horse again.
In fact, it’s quite easy to stick with horse riding in Beijing nowadays. Just wake up at 5:30 a.m., and by 6:30 you can be on a horse for a lesson. Take a shower, change into a clean shirt, and by 8:30 you can be sitting at your desk at work, feeling energized all day. Alternatively, you can head out at 4 p.m., mount up at 5 p.m., and ride for two hours in the evening when you have more time. To put it plainly, the biggest enemy of persistence is yourself. Modern life gets caught up in social obligations, causing people to lose themselves. When that happens, here’s a thought: horse riding is a sport you can enjoy for life, while social events are fleeting — eating and drinking may cost more and more money, but your body only gets emptier. The second biggest hurdle to persistence is falling off the horse. Falling is indeed a test for any rider, especially in the beginning. I believe the strategy should be this: first, don’t fear falling — if you follow the rules, you won’t get seriously hurt; second, avoid unnecessary falls, as over 90% of them are completely preventable. So why fall at all? Actually, if you listen to your instructor and they’re truly experienced, it’s very hard to fall. After a few hundred rides, it becomes difficult even if you want to fall. Once you’ve sorted out your schedule and overcome your fear, you’ve completed the mental preparation for learning to ride.
In fact, it’s quite easy to stick with horse riding in Beijing nowadays. Just wake up at 5:30 a.m., and by 6:30 you can be on a horse for a lesson. Take a shower, change into a clean shirt, and by 8:30 you can be sitting at your desk at work, feeling energized all day. Alternatively, you can head out at 4 p.m., mount up at 5 p.m., and ride for two hours in the evening when you have more time. To put it plainly, the biggest enemy of persistence is yourself. Modern life gets caught up in social obligations, causing people to lose themselves. When that happens, here’s a thought: horse riding is a sport you can enjoy for life, while social events are fleeting — eating and drinking may cost more and more money, but your body only gets emptier. The second biggest hurdle to persistence is falling off the horse. Falling is indeed a test for any rider, especially in the beginning. I believe the strategy should be this: first, don’t fear falling — if you follow the rules, you won’t get seriously hurt; second, avoid unnecessary falls, as over 90% of them are completely preventable. So why fall at all? Actually, if you listen to your instructor and they’re truly experienced, it’s very hard to fall. After a few hundred rides, it becomes difficult even if you want to fall. Once you’ve sorted out your schedule and overcome your fear, you’ve completed the mental preparation for learning to ride.
Choosing a coach
Currently, there’s no comprehensive equestrian textbook available in Chinese. If you can’t read English materials, learning horseback riding can only be done through a coach. A good equestrian coach should have technical knowledge and practical experience in riding, horse care, feeding, hoof care, tack and equipment, arena tools, and competition rules. In reality, very few domestic coaches meet these criteria. Most have experience but lack a systematic knowledge base. Yet horses and equestrian sports are complex systems, and sport horses are at the top of that system. Many issues are difficult to judge, solve, or even identify without comprehensive, systematic knowledge. Even world-class experts often modestly admit they only understand part of it. That’s why riders must build and continuously refine their own knowledge system.
A good coach ensures you start off on the right foot. I like coaches who frequently change training methods, so you always feel there’s something new. They’re good at using metaphors to describe the horse, observant of subtle changes in both the rider and the horse. They encourage you when you’re hesitant and gently remind you when you get careless. The most important thing a coach does is guide the rider’s feel. Once you choose a coach, you should trust them. Riding relies on feel — only by trusting them, doing as they say, and then reflecting on the experience can you learn. From the start, both rider and coach need to have a training plan. The coach should outline the general process of learning to ride and give the student a sense of the overall system, so from the very beginning, they know the direction — from the base of the pyramid all the way up to the tip.
A good coach will teach you how to use your eyes — to analyze riders and horses. At first, you might focus on the horse and forget the rider, or vice versa. Only after some time will you be able to do both. Beginners should definitely record their rides, so as you continually analyze your own issues, you’ll also see your progress and build confidence, all while improving your observational skills.
Learning shouldn’t have boundaries. Students should expose themselves to other coaches and riders as much as possible, especially skilled ones. Analyze video with them, listen to their insights, and examine where you fall short. Then go home and watch the footage again — it’s normal to watch a single movement ten or twenty times. One thing is certain: after watching a movement thirty times, your perception will be stronger than after twenty, and even stronger after another ten. Riders should make full use of these methods — they’re safe, affordable, and effective. When the time spent studying a horse off the saddle and training on it reaches a one-to-one ratio or more, your training will yield twice the results with half the effort.
Some clubs lack strong technical expertise. There, riders on staff may not even be able to complete jumps smoothly themselves, yet they still set up obstacles and start teaching beginners. The consequences are predictable. This is something all aspiring riders must be careful to avoid.
Some clubs lack strong technical expertise—some of the riders working there can’t even complete the obstacles smoothly themselves. Yet when students arrive, they still dare to set up the obstacles and start teaching. The consequences are predictable. This is something all horseback riding learners must be sure to avoid.
