7 Characteristics That Great Horseback Riders Have

Have you ever noticed that great riders seem to share many of the same characteristics? If you're looking for horseback riding tips, it might be beneficial to take a look at what great horseback riders do. You're sure to find these seven characteristics in any great horseback rider.

1. Determination

You’ll never get anywhere without determination, and determination is super important in a sport as difficult as horseback riding. Whether it’s getting a horse through a difficult combination fence or simply learning to post for the first time, any great rider possesses a healthy dose of determination.

2. Persistence

Right alongside determination comes persistence. Horseback riding is an art learned through repetition, and being persistent enough to try the same thing again and again and again is necessary if you want to become a great rider. Even when things go wrong, a great rider is persistent enough to continue working until things go right.

3. Patience

Great riders are masters of patience. When you’re working with a twelve-hundred-pound animal, patience is important to make sure that you stay safe. Horses have minds of their own, so great riders are patient enough to work with independently thinking horses. With enough patience, your horse will become your partner, and the bond between the two of you will be unbreakable.

4. Confidence

A great horseback rider is someone who truly believes in themselves, as well as in their horse. Any great rider needs a good deal of confidence to ride, train, and compete with their horse. Entering a show ring can be a sobering experience, and even just climbing into the saddle can be enough to make people nervous. If you’re not confident, things are sure to go wrong.

5. Creativity

One often overlooked characteristic that great riders possess is creativity. Horses are smart animals, and when you’re riding or training them, sometimes you need to be able to outthink them. From coming up with dressage freestyles to deciding on the best line from one fence to another, riders are constantly putting their creativity to work.

6. Passion

You won’t meet a more passionate group than a group of horseback riders. Passion runs high in the horse world – why else would we work so hard and spend so much money learning a sport that involves these incredible creatures? Without true passion for horses, the sport wouldn’t be worth the time and effort we put into it.

7. Courage

Lastly, any great rider needs to be courageous. The very act of trusting our safety to an animal as large and as powerful as the horse requires initial courage. We trust the horse to carry us over ditches and banks at high speed, and to race around barrels or to gallop after cattle. No rider would ever become great without first being courageous.

What other characteristics do great horseback riders have? Let us know in the comments below!