Top Ten Riding Tips

Princess Ellie loves riding and can spend hours on her ponies. Here are her top tips for good riding:

1. Always wear a properly fitting riding hat
2. Wear long trousers and sturdy shoes or boots with a small heel (not trainers)
3. Hold the reins gently with your thumbs on top and palms facing each other
4. Sit up with back straight and shoulders square
5. Rest the balls of your feet in the stirrups and push your heels down slightly
6. Keep your elbows close to your side, but not stiff
7. Look where you want to go – not at the pony’s mane or at the ground
8. Squeeze with your legs or nudge with your heels to ask your horse to move forward
9. Remember to breathe. It’s easy to hold your breath without realizing it when you are concentrating
10. Lean forward in the saddle when you are riding uphill and lean backwards when you are riding downhill

And last but not least: Enjoy yourself and have fun!