06/16/2025
THE 3 PHASES OF RIDING—WHICH ONE ARE YOU IN?
Every rider, no matter how naturally gifted or how experienced they eventually become, goes through three distinct phases as they develop their horsemanship. Each phase builds on the one before it. Each phase has its own challenges. And each phase reveals something new—not just about how to ride a horse, but about how to communicate, how to listen, and how to grow.
These phases aren’t always clearly marked, and sometimes we slide forward and backward between them depending on the day or the horse we’re riding. But when I look at riders—whether it’s someone just starting out or someone showing at a high level—I see these phases play out clearly.
Let me break them down:
🔹 Phase 1: The Mechanical Phase
This is where we all start.
Everything in this phase is deliberate, practiced, and a little clunky. Riders are learning the tools of the trade—the basics of how to operate a horse. It’s very similar to learning how to drive a manual transmission truck for the first time. You have to think about every step: clutch in, shift gears, ease off, steer. It's not smooth, but you're learning how the machine responds.
In this phase, a rider is focused on how to do things:
➡ How do I ask for a stop?
➡ When do I use my leg?
➡ Am I holding the reins correctly?
➡ Where should my heels be?
There’s often a lot of stiffness, a lot of over-correcting, and a whole lot of trying to remember which hand goes where. It’s not graceful, but it’s important.
This is the stage where riders are building their foundation. It’s also where many riders get stuck if they don’t have guidance. You can get pretty competent at the mechanical part of riding, but if you stay here too long, your riding becomes flat—just a list of motions you go through. Horses might respond, but not in a way that feels connected.
🔹 Phase 2: The Feel and Communication Phase
This is where things start to come alive.
After enough time in the saddle, riders begin to move past just using aids mechanically. They begin to feel the horse. That means they start to anticipate movements instead of react to them. They feel a lead about to change. They feel tension before it becomes a spook. They sense when a horse is trying, or when it’s distracted.
The biggest shift in this phase is that riders stop just telling the horse what to do—and start listening to what the horse is saying in return.
This is where true communication begins to happen.
Your hands get quieter. Your seat gets more active. Your legs aren’t just pressing—they’re guiding. You start to know when to ask, how softly to ask, and when not to ask at all.
Most people spend a long time in this phase. It’s where the magic really starts. But it’s also where the hard work shows up. Because this is the phase that demands feel. And feel is one of the hardest things to learn.
If you’re in this phase, you’re probably asking questions like:
➡ How do I get my timing better?
➡ How do I know if the horse is truly collected or just faking it?
➡ Am I helping or interfering?
These are good questions. They’re signs that you’re tuning in.
🔹 Phase 3: The Instinctual Phase
This is the phase we all strive for.
It’s that rare space where horse and rider are so tuned in to each other, the communication is nearly invisible. It’s not mechanical. It’s not even deliberate. It’s just there—an instinctive connection that doesn’t need constant explanation or correction.
The horse is with you, and you’re with the horse, and things happen without having to be asked for in the traditional sense.
This is where horses feel like they’re reading your mind. And maybe in some ways, they are.
You’re not riding by memory or method anymore. You’re riding by instinct, reaction, and partnership. And when it works, it’s beautiful.
It doesn’t mean the horse is perfect. Or that you never make a mistake. It just means that the conversation is happening so quietly, so respectfully, that even mistakes become part of the dance.
This phase takes years. Decades even. It comes from miles, mistakes, lessons learned the hard way, and moments of clarity that you can’t fake or rush. And yet, for those of us who’ve tasted it, even just for a ride or two, it’s what keeps us coming back to the saddle every day.
So now I want to hear from you.
👉 Which phase are YOU in right now?
👉 Which part is the hardest for you?
👉 What moment made you realize you were moving forward in your journey?
Let’s be honest about where we are, and supportive of each other in the process. Because every single one of us started in Phase 1. Nobody skipped steps. And the people in Phase 3? They’re still learning too.
Drop your answers in the comments, and if you’re feeling stuck or unsure—don’t worry. That just means you’re paying attention. And that’s half the battle.
Let’s help each other keep moving forward. 👇
