| Riding horses is more than sitting atop a horse and | | | | and legs move sends signals to the horse to do |
| having the horse move gracefully. Riding takes skill but | | | | certain things. Often mis-communication happens |
| having the horse understand one's cues is more | | | | between horse and rider because the horse hasn't be |
| important than your riding. Without the horse knowing | | | | trained to respond to one's aids properly. In the end the |
| what your legs and body are trying to tell them, one's | | | | response one may be seeking may not happen |
| communication with the horse will be useless as the | | | | because the horse is misunderstanding what their rider |
| horse will not follow your commands like one will be | | | | is trying to tell them. |
| expecting them. Horsemanship is more than | | | | Learning to ride well is also horsemanship. Not one |
| groundwork, but covers ground training all the way to | | | | person has mastered how to ride the horse because |
| training them to be responsive while ridden and one's | | | | horses are creatures that tend to be unpredictable. If |
| ability to ride well. | | | | one did not know how to properly communicate with |
| Groundwork is essential to have mastered before | | | | the horse without causing problems or injuries there |
| sitting atop a horse. Working with a horse as if it were | | | | would be issues with the riding which could lead to |
| being taught this for the first time, tends to be an | | | | death. Every moment on and around a horse requires |
| excellent way of re-enforcing the basics of | | | | horsemanship, including petting a horse's body to |
| horsemanship. For example, if a horse were to not be | | | | leading a horse safely. |
| able to tie or stand in the cross-ties at it's home stable, | | | | Without horsemanship and learning how to properly |
| it'll probably react to everything at the show ground | | | | communicate to the horse what one wants issues |
| and become rather agitated and unrideable. Ground | | | | would appear and put people in danger of injury and |
| training must be mastered in order to progress to | | | | even death. Clear communication between both the |
| being able ride let alone show. | | | | rider and the horse is important to be able to ride at |
| Training the horse, once in the saddle, to respond | | | | leisure or compete at a local schooling show. |
| properly to one's aids is important to be able to have a | | | | Horsemanship takes the level of communication to a |
| bond with them and succeed in the show ring. Every | | | | higher and clearer level so horse and rider can reach |
| move one makes in the saddle to the way the hands | | | | their dreams. |