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Rider Insider: Learn from My Mistake

Hey, did you remember to close the pasture gate? Photo: thinkstockphotos.com

Wouldn’t it be great if you could do everything perfectly on the first try when it comes to riding and working with horses? You wouldn’t have to hear your instructor give you the same instructions over and over. There would be no embarrassment in front of the more experienced riders as you struggle to do something that seems to come so easily to them. And certainly, there’d be less time spent on the ground after unexpectedly parting ways with your horse.



Mistakes are a part of life and they’re a big part of the learning process in any activity you pursue. Riding is no different. If you never make mistakes and learn how to correct them, you never learn how to do things the right way.



Sometimes mistakes happen because a skill is challenging to learn. Any experienced jumper will tell you they know what it feels like to jump ahead of their horse or get left behind. Those mistakes are common, but without experiencing what the wrong way is like, you can’t appreciate when you’ve got it right.

Other mistakes are simple errors of judgment. Sure, galloping that last stretch of the field before you get back to the barn seems like fun the first few times you do it. But once you realize you’ve trained your horse to run home from the trails at breakneck speed, you aren’t likely to make that mistake again.

And then there are the silly mistakes. When you arrive in the barn in the morning to find a massive lake next to the trough, you probably won’t forget to double check to make sure you’ve turned off the water before leaving the barn at night.


You’ve learned from your mistakes. Now share the lesson with your fellow HorseChannel.com visitors. Click “Submit a Comment” below and tell us about a mistake you’ve made in your riding or horsekeeping life and how you’ve learned from it. Some of the editors’ favorite responses could be featured in a future issue of Horse Illustrated!

This month,
Noble Outfitters is sponsoring the Rider Insider column in Horse Illustrated with a prize of a Riley Polo for the selected featured response. If you’d like to be considered for a prize, make sure to include your contact info in the email field of the comment form (emails will not be publicly displayed.)

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  • My biggest mistake was buying a horse with the same weaknesses as me! Kalo and I both struggle with anxiety. I even considered selling him and getting a different horse, which would have broken my heart. But with time and my trainer's help, we have both built up confidence in ourselves, and it's made our partnership even stronger—I know he would do anything for me and I'd do anything for him!

  • Oh, I love this question, and do I have and answer for you....years ago when my aged Mare had to retire due to a back condition, I started looking for a new mount. I met a young three year old, he was very tall and so handsome I fell in love with him at first site. However, I did not heed any of the advise from any of my advisers and I bought his strictly because he was a really good looking horse. I was not anywhere ready to take on the challenge of a three year old green horse, but I tried. At three he was quite easy to handle but as he grew and got a better handle on me, he realized that he could very easily push me around. I did not have the experience to correct this from the start, things quickly went from bad to worse, I refused to give up. It was only after a terrible accident where I was kicked in the forehead and received 17 stitches and a serious concussion that I understood he was more than I could handle, even with training help, this horse knew I was afraid of him and our relationship spiraled downward quickly. I eventually decided that I loved him, I just din't like him very much. I found a fabulous home for him at a large show barn, where he had excellent training and lots of support for his new owner. I learned the hard way that it is important to choose a horse within your range of ability. A lesson well learned. There are lots of horses out there, don't choose on looks alone.

  • My biggest mistakes, is thinking my horse, knows something, and assuming that he was taught it before I brought him. It confuses him, and makes me wish I would think before asking things of him.

  • One thing I've learned from my mistakes is to watch your feet. There have been a couple of times when I had my horse on a lead rope, then started ignoring him and talking to someone else. Then I don't see when my horse starts to shift his weight or take a step, and my foot accidently ends up under his hoof. Watching my feet is definitely a lesson I learned the hard way!

  • Something I've learned is never to go by looks and spirit alone,I made the mistake of not riding my horse before I got her and now,she's a little more than I can handle.She is green in some ways,actually a lot of ways.Thats definitely something I'll remember for next time.

  • My worst mistake was turning my horse out in the wrong pasture with another horse that was on single turnout only. I was rushing to make sure this other girls horse got in the right pasture then I thought it was the horse my horse goes out with, but it wasn't. It was a scary experience because I wasn't able to prevent anything that might happen, and if it did it would be my fault. After that I became a lot more observant of what was around me and always double checked what pasture I was turning horses out in.

  • One thing I've learnt about riding is not to second guess myself. Sure, I make mistakes but once I've decided something I need to stick with it. Nothing confuses a horse more than a rider who can't make up her mind!

  • I would write a whole book on my errs and misjudgments....luckily my horses forgive me and know more than I do.

  • I am a almost a teen and i am training my minis i met my mini Chance last March and it was my first year in 4H and the woman who introduced me to Chance showed me how to handle a horse but her way was yanking down on the lead rope and things like that so i started out like that but then her daughter showed me a different way but i didn't approve of either ways so i was on my own and Chance trained me. i listened to him and he taught me how i should train. my point is if there is more than one person trying to show you how to train your horse and you don't approve of it than don't listen. just listen to your horse and you will have a better training technique than anyone else because it only works on one horse only because every horse has a different personality. i suggest that you watch on Netflix the horse documentary called Wild Horse Wild Ride.

  • My mistake was being a green rider purchasing a green 2 year old to learn on. I have learned along with him and he has forgiven me for my many mistakes granted he probably doesn't realize how many mistakes I have made. We are still both learning after 13 years each day is a new experience from just feeding time to when we hit the trails. I learn from each of my horses I learned to listen to what they want.

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