1)
How long have you been riding for?
Havent bee riding at all
Only had one or two lessons
Well over a month
A couple of months
A year
Over a year
Since I was a little kid
2)
What have you done in your lessons?
Havent been riding
Just the basics;stopping, going forward, turning, circles, maybe a bit of trot
Walk, trot
Walk trot, canter
Walk, trot, canter, jump
Showjumping/dressage practice
Non stirrup/reinless work
Western or other (such as hacks)
3)
Have you ever jumped?
Havent been riding
No
Once or twice
Only small cross rails
Lots of jumping
I jump every lesson
Yes lots and lots of really high jumps
4)
5)
Do you have any riding faults? (does your instructor have to keep reminding you to for example keep your heels down?)
I dont ride
Lots
Sometimes, when I'm not really focusing
Only sometimes but its rare
Not really, once in a month maybe
Havent had any at all recently
No not at all
6)
Have you trained a horse before?
I dont really spend time around horses
No
Once or twice
Yeah i sometimes help my friend or instructor
Yes all the time
7)
Do you ever feel nervous when riding/about to ride a horse?
I havent ridden much
Practically all the time, especially in faster gaits
Only when Im riding a new horse/about to do something ive never done before
Sometimes but I always manage to calm myself
Only when i jump/canter/gallop
If I feel that im falling or about to fall
No, never
8)
Finally a few questions on basic knowladge. How do you halt and make a horse go fatser?
I have no clue
Not sure... maybe you pull the reins? I dont know.
Halt:I think you pull the reins// Go faster: Use your whip or something like that?
Halt:Deepen your seat, lean back slightly and pull back on the reins but not to hard//Faster:Lighten seat, shorten reins slightly but dont pull, lighten seat, nudge with legs use crop if needed
9)
What do you do if you are given a horse that doesn't want to go forward, no matter what?
Dont know
Kick very hard but Im not sure
Kick hard, get really, really annoyed, smack with a crop, possibly shout at him/her, and put on spurs
Kick hard but remain calm
Kick hard, use a bit of your crop, do not get annoyed, dont give up
Try to get to the bottom of why the horse isnt going faster. When you have done that, solve the problem (eg if it doesnt want to jump, maybe set up a different one or just dont jump that lesson) and be really patient. Give the horse whatever time it needs and never give up.
10)
You are riding a top level showjumping course. Your doing great and you feel like you will win but suddenly the horse spooks and knocks down the jump, then canters as fast as possible while throwing a bucking fit. You are hanging on, but what should you do to calm the horse and not fall off?
I dont know.
Im not really sure, but definitely scream to get help.
Scream, hang onto the reins, pull them, panic really hard and pray you wont die.
Dont scream. You have the right to be scared but dont yell. Pull the reins really hard and cling on with dear life.
Remain calm. Stay on, pull the reins slightly, talk to the horse in an attempt to calm him down, and let him buck untill hes calm. Just stay on and calm the horse.
