Learning to Walk, Stop, and Turn: First Skills for Beginner Riders

When you’re first learning to ride, it’s easy to underestimate the basics. Walk, stop, turn—it sounds simple, right?

But here’s what I’ve seen time and again in real lessons: riders who rush through early skills often hit a wall later. Their transitions stay unclear. Their horse resists turning. They struggle to ride with feel because they never really learned exactly how to ask in the first place.

So today, I want to slow things down and walk you through the three foundational skills every rider starts with—besides riding position and how to hold the reins: walking forward, stopping, and turning. Not just what to do, but how to do it with feel, empathy for the horse, and body awareness that grows your balance and partnership.

Imagine we’re in the arena together. You’re up on the horse, maybe adjusting your stirrups or taking a deep breath before your warm-up. I’m standing by the mounting block, reins in hand, ready to guide you.

If you haven’t yet, I’d recommend reading these first to set the stage:

• The Balanced Seat for English Riding
• How to Hold the Reins
• How to Shorten and Lengthen Your Reins in English Riding
• How to Find the Right Rein Length
• Basic Controls: Using Your Aids in English Riding

All set? Let’s ride.

A Note About How We Start

In some countries, like Germany, beginner riders start on a lunge line with no reins at all. The instructor controls the horse while the rider focuses entirely on their balance, breathing, and learning to move with the horse. That’s how important your seat and position are.

But in most American riding schools—including many I’ve taught in—we introduce steering and control sooner. That’s okay, as long as we do it thoughtfully and with kindness toward the horse.

Your reins are not handles. They’re not brakes. They’re part of a conversation—and you have to learn how to speak gently.

Step 1: Learning to Walk Forward

Let’s start with the very first request you’ll make in the saddle: Walk on.

You’re sitting quietly. Your reins are adjusted, your seat is balanced, and your horse is standing still. Now what?

How to Ask Your Horse to Walk:

1. Close both calves gently against the horse’s sides. Think of a polite suggestion, not a kick.
2. At the same time, give a little push with your seat to encourage horse forward.
3. Say, “Walk on,” with a calm, upbeat tone.
4. Do not pull back on the reins. Your hands should allow forward movement.

If your horse doesn’t respond:

Use a progression of aids.
Start with your lightest cue—quiet leg and seat. If there’s no response, gently add a cluck. If needed, give a firmer leg or a light tap with a whip (under instructor guidance if you’re new).

As soon as your horse steps forward, soften immediately. That means go back to your lightest version of the aids—quiet legs, following seat—so your horse learns to listen to the subtle ask next time.

You’re teaching them: “I’ll start with a whisper, but I will back it up if I need to—and reward you for answering softly.”

What I see in beginners:

They lean forward, legs slide back and they pull on the reins while asking the horse to walk. That’s confusing. You’re saying, “Go,” with your legs but “Don’t” with your hands and the horse feels you are unbalanced leaning forward. The horse doesn’t know what to do.

Instructor cue I often give:
“Sit up, don’t tip. Think of sending pulses of energy forward from your center.”

Step 2: Learning to Stop (Halt)

Stopping your horse isn’t just about pulling the reins. In fact, if you stop only with your hands, your horse will learn to brace or hollow, not listen.

How to Ask for a Halt:

1. First, slow your seat. Stop following the motion of the walk.
2. Close your fingers on the reins—not a tug, just a gentle resist. Like you’re saying “hold on” with your hands.
3. Tighten your core slightly, like you’re saying “pause” with your whole body.
4. Say “Whoa” with a steady, low tone if your horse is trained to voice.

If your horse doesn’t respond:

Use the same progression of aids principle.
Start with just your seat. If that doesn’t work, add the reins. Still not stopping? Increase the firmness briefly and clearly—tighten your core more, close your fingers more, but don’t hang or yank. The moment your horse halts, soften and return to the lightest version again.

Common beginner mistake:

Pulling too fast or too hard, then accidentally yanking the horse in the mouth while also possibly gripping with your legs. Or stopping the horse without stopping your seat, so the hands are doing all the work.

What to feel for:
The horse stops because your body said “halt,” and the reins just helped support that decision. If your horse slams on the brakes or throws their head up, you’re probably overdoing it with your hands. And if they won’t stop check that you are not gripping with your legs.

Step 3: Learning to Turn

Turning isn’t steering like a bike. It’s more like guiding with your whole body, helping your horse find a path with your eyes, hands, legs, and seat.

How to Ask for a Turn:

Let’s say you’re turning right.

1. Look where you want to go. Your head leads the way.
2. Use an opening right rein—slide your right hand slightly to the side (not back).
3. Support with your right leg at the girth to encourage bend.
4. Left leg shifts behind the girth to prevent the haunches from swinging out.
5. Your seat should follow the direction—sit evenly (meaning your weight on both sides), but let your inside hip come back and open slightly into the turn.

Think of it as inviting your horse onto a curved path, not dragging them there.

What I see in beginner lessons:

Riders try to steer only with their inside hand and forget to support with their seat or legs. That makes the horse bulge out or cut in—or just plain get confused.

Quick tip from my lessons:
Try riding with one hand behind your back at the walk and turning only with your eyes and legs. You’ll realize how much influence you actually have through your body—not just the reins.

A Few Extra Teaching Moments…

What If My Horse Doesn’t Listen?

If your horse doesn’t respond to your first quiet aid, that’s okay. Horses aren’t robots. They need time, repetition, and clarity. Use progression of aids, start light and get firmer and firmer until the horse responds, then always go back to the lightest version first for the next cue.

What If My Horse Goes Too Fast?

Breathe. Imagine slowing the motion of your seat. Check you are not gripping with your legs or hands and think of letting tension go with your exhales. Ride like you’re moving through water. Resist the urge to tighten everything—tension creates more tension. Soften your body, and your horse will often mirror you.

The Real Goal: Feel First, Control Second

Yes, learning to walk, stop, and turn is important. But the real goal isn’t just to make the horse do it. The real goal is to understand how your body, breath, and intention affect the horse’s response.

These aren’t just mechanical steps. They’re the beginning of a relationship.

And if you learn them slowly, with feel, your riding will grow on a much stronger foundation than someone who rushes to canter before they know how to ask for walk without confusion.

Try This at Your Next Ride:

1. Walk on using only your legs and seat. Keep your hands still in a sense but still following the motion of the horses head.
2. Practice a soft halt using your core and seat before your reins.
3. Ride a few large turns with an opening rein, leg support, and eye focus.
4. Repeat each step until it feels clear—not perfect, but clear.

And remember: your horse isn’t testing you. They’re trying to understand you.

Have questions or want help practicing your walk–halt transitions or turning with your body? I love helping riders slow things down and actually feel what’s happening in the saddle. Send me a message or leave a comment below.

Ride joyfully,
Kacey