RED LEVEL RIDDEN HORSEMANSHIP OBJECTIVES

THE MOUNTED CURRICULUM

Overview of Red Horsemanship: The Red Horsemanship Level is an introductory level, designed to give students a safe overview of basic mounted and unmounted skills.

This level introduces safety concepts for handling horses on the ground and in the saddle, including grooming, tacking up, riding at the walk and rising trot.

• Brush, pick hooves, saddle and bridle, with assistance only if necessary, demonstrating awareness of basic horse safety.
• Mount and dismount independently (with mounting block if needed).
• Perform warm-up stretches independently.
• Perform an emergency dismount at the halt and walk.
• Halt by disengaging horse’s hindquarters (“one-rein stop”), once on each rein.
• Demonstrate a pulley rein and a safety seat.
• Shorten and lengthen reins correctly.
• Perform walk-halt transitions, maintaining balanced position.
• Demonstrate the following maneuvers at walk:
  — Change of direction across diagonal
  — Half-circle reverse
  — Half-turn
  — Large circle
• Drop stirrups and pick up again, without looking down, at the halt.
• Ride in 2-point position at the walk.
• Ride simple ground pole course (3-5 fences) at walk, demonstrating jumping position and good approaches.
• Ride on the rail at a posting trot, once around in each direction.