Why Dry (Unmounted) Lessons?
Many horse lovers expect one thing only from equine-related lessons, riding. The truth is, we should expect so much more than just riding. Riding is only one part of the whole equine world and instructors who do not include unmounted lessons in their program are doing the equine world a disservice. If students think they can learn all they need to know on the back of a horse, they are undoubtedly wrong. The understanding that riding lessons are more than just riding lessons is not common, but I am doing my best to spread that methodology in my area at the very least. There is always something to learn OFF the back of a horse.
It is proven that better riders are built through working hard to understand all aspects of the horse world. Aspects including equine husbandry, nutrition, groundwork, exercise, conformation and posture, equipment, behavior, the list goes on. The more equestrians know about all things horses, the better success and connection we may have with every horse we come into contact with!
There is a plethora of important skills horse owners and riders need to posess that are not learned under saddle. Oftentimes, to drive a point of understanding home that a student may be having trouble with under saddle, I include the same idea in an unmounted lesson. Everything we do on the ground with a horse transfers under saddle: body language, verbal cues, equipment preparation, training the eye, another endless list! Including different perspectives on the same topic in lessons makes them substantially more well-rounded and helps the student with a complete understanding to one day not need an instructor as often.
Often when a riding student is asked to perform a specific task, they have never even seen the task done in front of them. The ability to see things in front of us makes tasks far easier to visualize when we are performing said task. This though is more privy to groundwork lessons than other unmounted topics, but they all tend to tie in very well when looking at the big picture.
Students do not normally like the coming of winter because it halts their learning until weather is more fair. That is another wonderful things about unmounted lessons - they are year-around! The horses also always appreciate some unmounted work or just standing to be pampered as well.
Unfortunately, there simply is not enough time in life to know absolutely everything or for instructors to teach everything they know. There is something to be said about students’ genuine interest and curiosity that makes them desire to continue their education outside their lessons. This is every instructor’s dream. It is imperative that instructors welcome any and all questions not only to get a better gauge on students’ specific interests but to enhance student understanding on each topic to the best of their ability. If I have said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: If a professional is unable to explain why they tell us to do something, do not trust them.
To be a true horseman, one must appreciate the horse from all perspectives.
- LR
