squisher
THE CALM ONE!!!!
I know you've mentioned your time/experience riding before. And any horseback riding is fun. But IMO, like most things, lessons from a good instructor are invaluable. Bareback riding is fun and a skill but IMO the level of riding and disciplines you can practice/compete with using a saddle is higher. But everyone has opinions. I look at bareback as cross training for myself but ride mostly with a saddle.
For myself taking lessons gave me the confidence that I was doing my part right. And confidence is everything with horses. That's one of the real cool things about horses IMO. They are such a sensitive animal, they really know if that confidence is real or not.
All horses and people are different. I road a bunch without seriously taking lessons and got to be ok. Than last year I started regular and intensive lessons/training. I think having a discipline(job for the horse) is good for training. Something to focus on and strive for measurable results and improvement.
For myself taking lessons gave me the confidence that I was doing my part right. And confidence is everything with horses. That's one of the real cool things about horses IMO. They are such a sensitive animal, they really know if that confidence is real or not.
All horses and people are different. I road a bunch without seriously taking lessons and got to be ok. Than last year I started regular and intensive lessons/training. I think having a discipline(job for the horse) is good for training. Something to focus on and strive for measurable results and improvement.