How to Seat a Child on a Horse

An important part of learning how to horseback ride is learning how to sit correctly. It's one of the first things that a child needs to master when learning how to ride, since his safety and control of the horse will depend on it. The rider communicates with the horse by the way he sits. For example, when a rider leans forward, he's telling the horse to go faster; when he leans back and tightens the reins, he's directing the horse to slow down.

Things You'll Need

  • Mounting step
  • Saddle
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Instructions

    • 1

      Direct your child to step up onto the mounting block so he will be high enough to put his foot into the stirrup and pull himself up onto the saddle without twisting it. This will also keep from stretching the stirrup as he mounts and reduce the amount of pressure being put on both the horse's back and on your child's hips.

    • 2

      Tell your child to hold the reins in his left hand, close to the mouth of the horse, and to mount from the left side. Have him place his left hand (while still holding the reins) onto the front part of the saddle so that he will have something firm to hold onto when pulling himself up onto the horse. Tell him to use his right hand to turn the stirrup toward him and place his left foot into it.

    • 3

      Instruct your child to use his right hand to hold the back part of the saddle, to begin bouncing on his left foot, and then to pull upward, swinging his right leg up and over the back of the horse and over to the other side of the horse.

    • 4

      Direct your child to place his right foot into the stirrup and grasp the rein on the right side of the horse with his right hand.

    • 5

      Tell your child to sit up straight and to slightly bend his knees. Have him point his toes straight ahead and place most of his weight on the heels of his feet. This will help him keep his back straight while sitting.

    • 6

      Tell your child to keep his knees inward, lightly touching the horse's sides but not squeezing them. Have him keep his chest lifted and his head facing forward. Instruct him to turn only slightly to the left or the right when making a turn.