Thursday, February 13, 2014

Tips for Fellow Inexperienced But Enthusiastic Future Pantaneiros

I'm not sure about you but one thing I am very excited to try is riding these water loving horses in the Pantanal if we are lucky enough to have the chance. I am probably one of the more lesser qualified people to relay information about horseback riding to you since I myself have only done it a handful of times, but that's what the internet is for and also fellow participants on the equestrian team. 



So first off a little bit about these hydrophilic horses. 
The horses in the Pantanal are descendants from the Andalucian horses that were brought over by Portuguese explorers. These horses have uncharacteristically strong feed to wade through the muck and mud of the wetlands. These horses also enjoy snacking on submerged grasses. Also these horses have to be pretty good at not getting spooked by all the caimans or rodents of unusual sizes. 

Some tips I found to help us blend in perfectly with those Pantaneiros!

 1) Sit up straight and dont slouch or round your back! Important for riding and also for posture! 

 2) Keep the ball of your foot in the stirrup and keep toes pointed up at that Pantanal sky. 

 3) Try to keep your hands steady, the reigns are normally attached to a mouth bit so when you move too much it would be like someone trying to drag you around by your mouth retainer or something else generally unpleasant. 

 4) You are the leader, not the dictator. So be nice to your horse, and put yourselves in their hooves. You know sometimes the only thing you really want is a nice belly scratch from some bushes. But you still need to be the leader and guide and direct your horse appropriately. 

 5) Keep your head up! You want to see where you are going don't you? Looking down can also throw off your balance and risk you falling forward if your horse stops suddenly. 

Well I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction to horseback ridings tips I gathered off of seemingly reliable websites. I also encourage those with more expertise and experience to comment on any other tips that you think would be useful to the group!

 -Martell 

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