The sport of horseback riding is fun, but there are a few things you should know before you ride a horse.  First of all, you need to have good balance when riding.  Not having good balance can scare the horse, and may even cause you to get hurt.  A horse's center of gravity is right where the rider is sitting.  If you are tense when on the horse, it could cause the horse to get scared and go wild.  When on a horse you should always be as calm as possible.  While riding horses can be a fun sport, it is also a very serious sport that requires your full attention.  You should always be aware of your surroundings.

If you ride horses often, you need to know what the proper commands are, and when and how to use them.  Using the wrong term at the wrong time, could put you in serious danger. For example, if you want the horse to stay still you wold never kick him, a horse understand this as a way of telling him to go.  If you wanted the horse to stay still, you would pull back on the reigns and say "halt" or "woe."  Saying this would let him know to stop.

As you can see, having good communication skills is a must when you ride a horse.  While horses can be fun and loving they are also big and sometimes dangerous so you should always be well aware of those who are around you.  If you follow the steps, there is very little chance you will get hurt while riding horses.