Preparation Before Riding Horses

Q: What's the difference between lunging and preparing?

Per Richard Winters: lunging often just tires the horse; it doesn't necessarily test whether he's connected and listening. Preparation includes flexing, yielding hindquarters, moving forequarters, backing—small responses that confirm the horse is attentive before you mount.

Q: Why is mounting in a tight space dangerous?

Per Richard Winters: a triangle of three panels gives a horse just enough room to buck and crash through, and gives the rider zero room to dismount safely. Mounting should happen where, if something goes wrong, the rider can step off without being trapped against a panel.

Q: What's the right way to prepare a horse before mounting?

Per Richard Winters: groundwork that includes giving to pressure, lateral and forward yielding, and a soft, attentive eye. Walk around the saddled horse, run stirrups, jump up and down beside him, lay across the saddle—test his responses before you commit your body to his back.

Q: Can I always prepare for everything?

Per Richard Winters: no. There's inherent risk with horses. But 90% of the wrecks aren't unpredictable—they're predictable consequences of skipped preparation. The difference between a working pro and an injured rider is usually whether they did the prep work the day before.

Q: What if my horse is normally calm?

Per Richard Winters: prepare anyway. "Normally calm" doesn't mean today. Wind, new environment, layoff time, season change—any of those can shift the horse's state. The preparation routine takes a few extra minutes and prevents the wreck you weren't expecting.

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Are You And Your Horse Prepared?

Here are a few things to keep in mind when preparing your mount for a successful ride. With Richard Winters

Diligent people prepare for the future. You might keep a blanket in your car this winter in case of a breakdown on the lonely stretch of highway . I have watched people in Florida board up windows in preparation for an oncoming hurricane. Good students take time to study and prepare for an up coming test. Here is my question for you: Are you and your horse prepared?

I ask this question because of two short video clips I recently watched on Facebook. Both of them involved a rider mounting their horse. Both of them ended in disaster. The first rider was seen quietly lunging his saddled horse around in a round pen. He then walked up to the horse, stepped on and was immediately, violently, bucked off. The second rider attempted to climb on his horse in a very small-enclosed area. This consisted of three panels put together in a triangle. There was barely enough room for the horse to turn around. However, there was still plenty of room to buck his rider off while crashing through the panels.

Were these riders on "outlaw" horses? Was it simply their unlucky day? No. As I watched both videos, it was evident to me

that neither of these riders had their horses prepared properly. It is true that you cannot prepare for everything with horses. There is an inherent risk in dealing with these animals. However, 90% of the wrecks that I've seen, or have been involved in, could have been avoided if there had been better preparation. What was the cause of crash? "Pilot error."

Here are a few things to keep in mind when preparing your mount for a successful ride.

1 Ask yourself: When was the last time this horse was ridden

2 Do the majority of your groundwork and warming up with your horse saddled

3 Whether you are lunging your horse on a line, or free lunging them in the round pen, they must go through the full range of motion

That means you need to send your horse out at the walk, trot and lope. They also need to change directions with some energy and impulsion. The saddle on their back feels different at the trot than it does at the walk. It also feels different at the lope compared to trotting. And when your horse turns, pushes off and goes in another direction, it’s an entirely different sensation.

4. Is your horse traveling efficiently? As he moves through the full range of motion, is he putting 50-pounds of energy into a 30-pound job? If so, your horse is not prepared or ready for mounting. I want to observe my horse transitioning through all the gaits and directional changes relaxed and soft. As one horseman put it, "When their tail is in the air, keep your feet on the ground.” Whether it takes five minutes or twenty -five minutes, you need to take the time it takes to have your horse warmed up and thoroughly prepared.

5 Consider your environment and conditions

This is only a partial list. It's up to you to read your horses and know what it takes to have them prepared. Don't let your mounting experience be the next to go viral on YouTube!

Richard Winters Biography

For over 35 years Richard has dedicated himself to honing his horsemanship skills and to passing this knowledge on to others. Richard's credentials extend from the rodeo arena and high desert ranches of the west to being a highly sought after horse trainer and horsemanship clinician.

Richard Winters horsemanship journey has earned him Colt Starting and Horse Showing Championship titles. Obtaining his goal of a World Championship in the National Reined Cow Horse Association became a reality in 2005. He is an AA rated judge. Another of Richard's horsemanship goals was realized with his 2009 Road to the Horse Colt Starting Championship. Winters’ was also a Top Five Finalist at the Cowboy Dressage World Finals.

International travels include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Mexico, Scotland, Sweden and Poland where he earned the European International Colt Starting Championship Title. Richard is a "Masterful Communicator" with horses and humans alike.

We are happy to announce the release of Richard’s brand new book, “From Rider to Horseman” that was published by Western Horseman Magazine.

Richard and his wife Cheryl currently reside in Texas, and invite you to "Connect" with Richard Winters Horsemanship on Facebook and YouTube. You can also read Winters’ horse training articles, published monthly, in many horse magazines.

For more information about Richard Winters Horsemanship please go to wintersranch.com.

Key Article Takeaways

Per Richard Winters: 90% of horse wrecks trace back to inadequate preparation—not bad luck.
Mounting in a tiny enclosed space removes the rider's options when something goes wrong.
Lunging in a saddle isn't preparation; it's exercise—different goal, different outcome.
Real prep checks willingness, response, and connection before the rider's foot leaves the ground.
Horses don't get "unlucky days"—they get inadequately-prepared days.

Questions readers commonly ask:

What's the difference between lunging and preparing?

Per Richard Winters: lunging often just tires the horse; it doesn't necessarily test whether he's connected and listening. Preparation includes flexing, yielding hindquarters, moving forequarters, backing—small responses that confirm the horse is attentive before you mount.

Why is mounting in a tight space dangerous?

Per Richard Winters: a triangle of three panels gives a horse just enough room to buck and crash through, and gives the rider zero room to dismount safely. Mounting should happen where, if something goes wrong, the rider can step off without being trapped against a panel.

What's the right way to prepare a horse before mounting?

Per Richard Winters: groundwork that includes giving to pressure, lateral and forward yielding, and a soft, attentive eye. Walk around the saddled horse, run stirrups, jump up and down beside him, lay across the saddle—test his responses before you commit your body to his back.

Can I always prepare for everything?

Per Richard Winters: no. There's inherent risk with horses. But 90% of the wrecks aren't unpredictable—they're predictable consequences of skipped preparation. The difference between a working pro and an injured rider is usually whether they did the prep work the day before.

What if my horse is normally calm?

Per Richard Winters: prepare anyway. "Normally calm" doesn't mean today. Wind, new environment, layoff time, season change—any of those can shift the horse's state. The preparation routine takes a few extra minutes and prevents the wreck you weren't expecting.