Tips from the horse’s mouth

Few things in life are better than riding a horse you share a bond with.

Horses are majestic in both appearance and temperament, and it usually takes a soft heart to gain the complete trust of one.

For riders at Silver Tree Stables in Kyalami, horses are honourable and valued, worthy of the time and effort it takes to gaining their trust and forming a partnership between rider and horse that surpasses the value of each separately.

Stables owner, Michelle Dawson explained that horsemanship is one of the most important aspects of horse riding. This means, whether competing or just riding for recreation, understanding and caring for your horse are vital.

“I would recommend the younger you start riding the better, but probably not before four years old,” she said.

“At a young age a person has little fear, and they do not over-think what they are doing.”

When asked what some of the other important aspects of horse riding are, Dawson stressed that if possible a rider should purchase the best horse their budget will allow.

She then redirected the question to her students who were training in the arena. “You need to be very fit,” said Katya Riccardi (15).

Kerry Rees (15) agreed and joked that it is easy to become so anxious in the arena that you forget to breathe, so you have to be super fit.

The girls, along with Jessica Thompson (18), said a rider also needs to train regularly, whether competing or just riding for recreation.

For them, this means at least twice per week, or six times a week if just before a big competition.

Details: Silver Tree Stables silvert@mweb.co.za; 073 503 3000.

Also read: Silver Tree Stables rider makes waves in equitation