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Evaluate your Horseback Riding Ability
Is a riding holiday at Morgado Lusitano for you? How do you know if you will enjoy this
school? Here are some pointers to determine how much you will benefit
from this experience:
Your first rides will demonstrate (to you and the instructor) your level of ability. Several
different horses will be prepared for you to determine your suitability
for each level. Since few clients own Lusitano's, these initial
rides will help you become accustomed to their endearing qualities. You
are not being judged, our goal is for you to have fun! We
will instruct you into high level movements, regardless of your prior
experience.
- Beginner ability guidelines.
Morgado Lusitano teaches riders of all levels, from children to
first time adult riders. We will make every effort to work
within your level of expectation. Beginner riders will have to
acquire a initial level of horsemanship on our primary training
horses before advancing to the stallions. This initial work
starts on the longe to introduce riding balance and also introduces
the use of the reins. These lessons are not taught on the Lusitano
stallions
- Novice ability guidelines. In order to
be considered a novice rider you MUST have basic
horsemanship skills, including mounting and dismounting unassisted from the
horse. You should have knowledge of the basic rein and leg
aids. You should have at least an aware seat, meaning you must
be able to post a trot, sit a trot without bouncing excessively, and
ride a short canter. Most riders who visit here are novice
riders who wish to improve their abilities and to experience horses
that will help them to do so. We WELCOME novices, and
appreciate your efforts to become a better rider. The
Lusitano horses used for this level are usually very patient. They
are generally older horses who will calmly tolerate riding
errors. With an advanced rider they are very light to the aids, and
astonishingly comfortable, but with a novice they can only do their
best to comply with what may be clumsy and inconsistent requests.
The instructors will do their
best to guide you through the learning process, but YOU must be
patient, the horses know what they are doing, you may not.
Attitude is more important than
aptitude at this stage. To become a proficient novice will generally
require 300 to 500 hours riding
time, and on your horse at home you should be riding at least a
couple of times a week. If you have read and can relate to the
books we suggest, then you are well
on your way to moving to the next level.
- Intermediate ability.
Intermediate riders should be have a very comfortable sitting trot
seat with steady hands. You should be able to ask accurately
for transitions between gaits. You should be comfortable on
either lead or diagonal and be able to ask for either. You
should be able to perform a Level Two dressage test, including the
shoulder in, halfpass and flying change of lead. Riders at
this level are often surprised at how EASY advanced riding can be,
the horses here are light, willing and sensitive. Riders who visit
here at this level usually spend considerable effort learning what
"light" contact really means. Humility and patience are the most
important traits at this stage. To become a proficient
intermediate rider requires a substantial commitment of time and
effort, most students at this level find that riding every day is
necessary. Generally requires 500 to 2000
hours riding time.
- Advanced ability. The
only way to become an advanced rider is to totally commit to the
art, either as a working student or full time horse rider as your
profession. Even
then, for some, years
of riding does not translate to an "Advanced" level!
It takes superior intellectual knowledge, great skill, and an indefinable
quality called "feel", which requires untold thousands of hours
on horseback to achieve. To be considered
an advanced rider you should be accurately riding Third Level dressage
tests. Riders
with advanced abilities will be instructed on how to use each horse
to their full potential and are welcome to participate at all
levels. They may be offered mounts that are younger and more
spirited as well as other more refined and challenging
horses. If you have begun down this advanced journey, the stallions at Morgado will help you to find your
"feel".
- Do you ride in English or Western tack? If
you ride only in Western tack you may find the adjustment to English
tack is too great to overcome in one week. Perhaps some
lessons at your local facility can prepare you for this
vacation.
- Do you ride often? If you only ride
once a week (or less) you may find that several lessons a day will
take a toll on you physically. However, you can schedule only
one riding lesson a day and use the other time to observe, read, or
just enjoy the fellowship of the instructors and students. To
receive the most benefit, you can prepare by riding several times a week at
your barn.
- How do you normally ride? Do you only ride on trails?
All of the riding will be in controlled conditions of an arena, and
even if this is unusual for you, you will find the personal
instruction makes it easy to learn the patterns of dressage.
- Are you prepared to learn? While this is a
holiday, it is also going to require a level of personal effort for you to
benefit. If you can prepare by reading appropriate
books or take some similar instruction at home, the benefits of
riding our trained horses will be greater. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to
train a novice into an intermediate in one week! What we can
offer are the horses and instructors who will guide you to feel what
the next level might be like if you have the dedication and perseverance
to spend the necessary hours to get there.
- Maximum weight. Riders
cannot exceed 200 pounds (91kg).
- Age Riders
of ALL AGES participate here! Many of our clients have gotten
into horses at an older age (45+) and now have the time, income and
desire to pursue it with more finesse. Morgado Lusitano has
something to offer everyone.
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RideinPortugal.com Last modified:
November 06, 2014
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