WB Stallions


Best Web Communities for Horseback Riding
January 2, 2011, 6:36 pm
Filed under: Horseback Riding

Horseback riders describe their sport as exhilarating and rewarding as well as challenging and at times frustrating. Fortunately, avid riders will easily find advice and support from a variety of online resources. Beginners will learn how to more successfully care for and ride their horses; more advanced riders will find new riding exercises and be able to share tips for training green horses, rehabilitating an injured horse, and teaching riding lessons to others. These online forums are suitable for riders interested in many different riding disciplines and at varying levels of experience. They are indispensable for people looking to buy their first horse or who have come across a training problem, and riders of all skill levels will find them informative and at times entertaining.

Another great way to take advantage of horse based web communities is when planning a trip.  Even international trips can be planned out using horse web forums.  For example, a Fiji honeymoon would be complete with a surprise sunset horseback ride on the beautiful beaches.  There are other great terrain in various locations that a horseback ride would be exciting, including the deserts in North Africa and mountains of Northern Italy.  Make sure to take full advantage of online resources when planning a horseback riding adventure on your next trip.

The Horse Forum is a great starting point for beginner riders and those interested in sharing their experience with newcomers to the sport. More knowledgeable forum members can offer advice on where to take lessons, how much they should cost, and at what age a child should begin riding. Learning to ride can be frustrating, and this forum provides a common place for beginner riders to share their experiences with each other to gain encouragement and support. As riders progress, they can post videos and pictures and ask others for critiques. Yet this forum goes far beyond discussions on how to ride. Members also contribute their knowledge of equestrian-related laws, ask for and give help finding stolen horses, and share their artwork, stories, and poems centered on their equine companions. This forum is very active, and hundreds of people often participate simultaneously. This ensures that questions are quickly answered and that beginners receive multiple perspectives on each issue.

As riders progress, they may find that they are more interested in breed or discipline specific forums and resources. The online forum of the national weekly magazine Chronicle of the Horse is an excellent resource that separates threads by discipline, including hunter/jumper, dressage, eventing, driving, and racing. There is even an entire section dedicated to riders with physical disabilities who can share their experiences and tips to help others with similar conditions to ride successfully and independently. These forums are aimed at experienced riders who are looking for more detailed informBation on topics such as current show attire trends, veterinary care, and tack fitting. Many of the forum contributers have competed in their chosen disciplines for many years and enjoy sharing their expertise with others. With close to 7,000 active members, this is one of the most widely used equestrian forums.

These online resources offer communities for riders to take what they have learned with their trainers and veterinarians and share it with a broader group of people. Beginner and advanced riders alike will benefit by receiving advice on riding and horse care problems and by finding others who share their passion. Good riders constantly ask for critiques of their riding, design new riding drills, and stay up to date on current show ring trends. These forums provide a central place for riders of any ability to improve their riding and take excellent care of their horses.