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Droemar β Riding Tutorial
Published: 2009-02-02 04:23:18 +0000 UTC; Views: 70448; Favourites: 2883; Downloads: 1152
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Eh. I got bored. Been working on Flash lessons over the weekend, aside from cleaning and seeing Inkheart. But I noticed there weren't any riding tutorials on DA. Seriously? What's up with that? If someone knows of any, please link me.I make no claims to be an expert, so all of the self-proclaimed riding experts can hold their tongues. I barely know how to ride, and I don't ride regular horses. I ride gaited ones, which require little to no work on the part of the rider. Heck, Peruvian saddles were designed to make you sit way BACK, like a big cushioned car seat. All they lack are cupholders and an air conditioning vent in the pommel. So yes. I don't really ride. I sit and the horse walks in a overtly flashy manner. With my crippled spine, balance alone is an issue for me.
But on the other hand, I do have a bunch of fantasy characters that need to ride various large creatures. (Which was what I was looking for in the first place when I discovered DA's terrible lack thereof.) So I attempted to apply what I know about horseback riding to wolfback and tigerback. The dubious idea that big cats would ever suffer such trappings notwithstanding, I concluded that the power of the shoulders could handle human weight.
Also, the "wrong" drawings are HILARIOUS. I just searched for some drawings on DA and went to town. I mean, drawing horses in the correct positions alone is difficult enough, but to add a rider on top of it ... Yeah. Some people need help. So I drew this. Enjoy!
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Comments: 209
okay, thanks, ive drawn out some skeleton sketches using your tip and they are coming out good. again thank you
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fff...I'm pitching a film with a horse and rider you have no idea how useful this is 
Thank you for making such a kiss ass tut
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Thanks! this really helps me a big bunch! I always have troubles putting people on animals >>
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You're pretty good at this for not being an expert rider! I have been riding constantly for 3 years, and about to purchase my first horse! I ride saddle seat, and I have to say, these are good rules to follow in REAL LIFE as well as in art. So, two big thumbs up to you! I am very impressed.
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Congrats on the first horse; I hope he's a good one. (Mine wasn't, but I got better.)
I definitely approached this from an art point of view. My back is too messed up for me to ever actually have correct balance or form in the saddle (my right hip drives into the seat and my right stirrup always has more weight in it.) It's gotten to the point that my horse is so used to me, he gets a little confused when a regular person sits on him.
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Yeah, I'm a little nervous, but, he dad was a champion, and she has gait of one, so I hope she is too 
Same thing happens to my sister, it hurts her to ride horses, which is why she doesn't. I think its cute how horses and their riders become one, and look so natural with each other.
What kind of riding do you do? Not really in terms of shows, but like English, western, australian...?
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I ride western pleasure. My guy is a Peruvian Paso, which has very particular tack for the show ring, but I only have a Peruvian spoon bit to get him collected; everything else is western. My saddle is synthetic (ha!) because it's the only thing I can lift on my own. I guess his cues qualify him as "different" from straight western, because you have to sit way back and drive him with your seat and then get his head up, but I've taught him to neck rein and would like to teach him to sidepass.
What breed of horse are you looking at?
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Interesting... I understood almost nothing you said!
haha, I have never done anything other than saddle seat, english is
my thing, and exclusive to my barn. I know queues are different in some places, and so some of the things they look at in shows. I took classes in a different state before moving, and they hand different ways of holding your hands and getting your horse to trot canter etc.
My barn also exclusively trains arabs. I actually am deciding in less than an hour if I am going to buy her! I am so excitied!
Peruvian Pasos, wow, they are really beautiful! Super long manes and tails, One of my friends used to train Andalusians, they are related correct? What color is he?
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Andalusians were a foundation breed used in the Peruvian, so they have very similar heads, manes, and tails. But they're smaller Chano is sorrel, a color I find very boring, but he's the first horse I've ever had a good relationship with, so I can forgive it.
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I think its cute how people are drawn to a color of a horse, even though there is much to look at when buying a horse. I have always been attracted to gray horses, which is why I jumped at the opportunity of getting my little mare shipped out for 30 days! I am so excited! I rode a sorrel horse today, she was so nervous, she just got transfered to my barn to be a lesson horse. But she turned out to be very sweet. I felt kinda bad for her, she has been badly ridden for years, and has a little bit of a sway-back. But I won't be riding her for long, and will soon be teaching someone else to ride her.
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You're braver than I am! I don't like to ride anyone but Chano; I've got some fear issues, I guess. But my neighbor just got a five year old competition mare, QH out of Doc Bar. The horse is practically telepathic, and she wants me to ride her. At first I was like "No way!" but she's worn me down. I said I had to ride in the round pen, otherwise I wouldn't get on her. But a lot of people ride Chano, and then are like, "Want to ride mine?" and I'm like "Hell, no."
Post pics of your mare. I'd like to see her.
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Haha, I don't really know about that... Yeah, I would be afraid too, I'll probably get super attached to my horse and never want to ride anyone elses! Haha, peer pressure is bad children!
Okay, shes about a fourth from the bottom of the page, her name is With Perfection LOA, and is one of 2 gray arabs, the second is on the very bottom of the page. [link]
and here is a video! [link]
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Wow, she is sculpted perfection, isn't she? Moves like a panther. And aptly named to boot!
Man, she's got some moves, too. Very nice dressage training. (She's awfully tall, tho; I like short horses. Less further to fall.)
If someone ever says they have a cool car, you can show them your horse and be like "I win." Even if it's a Lamborghini.
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Yeah, she has AMAZING bloodlines too. Her dad was A Five Time Scottsdale champion! I'm in love...
She's trained in saddle seat, which is semi close to dressage, haha.
Shes only 14.2 hands O.O I don't really see how thats tall... hahaha.
I think the lamborghini takes her, I still have to train her some more.
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it looks like this is a good one for me too look to for english riding, since i only ride western, will really use this in the future
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Love love LOVE! This will be a definite help to me xD
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I love this! 
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I really cannot begin to say "Thank you" enough for this. But either way, THANK YOU. This is exactly what i've been looking for for YEARS!
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This is amazing, I remember I was told, it was etched into my skull: HEELS DOWN! HEEELLLSS DOWN!! XD
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I've never drawn someone riding a horse, at least not seriously detailed or anything, but I love the ideas you've introduced in the riding of other animals. The anatomical implications and everything... it's nice to see those though through. It makes me want to go design tack.
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I hadn't even realised that there was a lack of riding tutorials (or that I needed one!) until I happened upon this. Being that I love love love to be all scientific and as accurate as possible with my pictures, this is a really good reference. And even the part on riding wolves seems to be a good reasonable guess. I could back that.
Although, I do have to disagree with the cats. When a cat moves, its shoulders rise and fall as it shifts its weight from side to side, so I doubt sitting anywhere near them would be comfortable for either rider or feline in any conceivable way. Perhaps cats just weren't meant to be ridden? XD
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Thanks very much. I had drawn a few horses before, but I've never been able to make horseback scenes so far. These tips are gonna help me a lot.
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This is a great guide - I don't know squat about horse riding as I don't go very often ( seeing spoilt children hitting their ponies with crops is off putting)
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Nice one! Will help when I actually get round to drawing my characters riding. ^^
I've always found it really hard keeping the horse in preportion to the character (ie a 6'4" character to a 16.3hh horse).
Random side note: If you're going to draw a character riding with side reins (harder than it looks) then you will want to draw them using as little rein contact as possible. Almost riding with the hands on the buckle of the reins.
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Very nice tutorial.
As someone with negligible riding experience, this is a very nice guide.
It's also very easy to understand and use. 0w0
Thanks for the help!
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just a fact you might like to know, your toes should be just by the third rib. so if you start at the shoulder and count back on the ribs, your toe should just touch that third rib. it's a neat trick
sorry about your spine 
sorry, i had an urge to share this knowledge XD it's a nice tutorial though, your other one helped me draw a decent horse ^^
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That's a good tip! I'm only just now really starting to learn how to use my legs, so I don't know that rule. But where the toes belong is a pretty important cue.
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no problem 
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oops sorry I didt mean to post that twice XD
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This will be really helpful for me I ride horses all the time and after I thought about it you made a good point in putting all those different moves in there because if you are too far back you will fall, and with different gaits most people look different usually well from my experiance Im a bit more tense when Im troting because in my opinion it is the most uncomfertable gait loping and galloping I tend to be more relaxed but still a bit tense. Most people dont look too relaxed on a horse unless they are my friend Mikayla (she has no fear at all) XD but I think this will be very helpful to me thanks
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This will be really helpful for me I ride horses all the time and after I thought about it you made a good point in putting all those different moves in there because if you are too far back you will fall, and with different gaits most people look different usually well from my experiance Im a bit more tense when Im troting because in my opinion it is the most uncomfertable gait loping and galloping I tend to be more relaxed but still a bit tense. Most people dont look too relaxed on a horse unless they are my friend Mikayla (she has no fear at all) XD but I think this will be very helpful to me thanks
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i stumbled over here by accident! but this is extremely helpful! thanks
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This helps immensely - I've been thinking of doing a comic with horseback riding, but I had no idea how to properly draw people riding. Thanks so much for putting this up!
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Great tutorial. How about a very large Utahraptor as a mount? Maybe as something experienced horse riders can sign up for, if they feel up to the challenge?
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I freaking love your tutorial!!!!!!
i cant draw a jocke... never XD
thx for that wonderful help
yagara loves you!!!!!
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Dude, you're not kidding about there being no riding tutorials on DA. I can NEVER find any. For making this, you're epicalistic ;3
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I searched for this for ages, I was so sure it was in my favs already but obviously not. Great tutorial, I hope it'll help loads of people.
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one of the best tutorials i have ever seen.
congrats!!!
and thanks for sharing.
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Thank you for this, now that I look back on some of my old drawings I can see some mistakes, but thank you for pointing out the heels down thing. When I was riding, that was one thing I did learn. Now I got to draw some of my old characters riding horses again or pegasi, unicorns, insects, etc...
The thing that irks me somewhat is when artist draw two legged mounts for their characters to ride (normally because as I have learned from reading their comments, it's easier to draw a creature with two legs than four), when they would have to take in account of how the rider is going to function on a two-legged mount, especially when you consider balance issues. As from a book I did read once, the riding of a two legged animal (which in the case of the book was a two legged therapod, I think a gallimimus or something like that) would be okay if you were going at a walk, but when it came to a gallop, well...
I'm surprised you didn't put one with riding camels or elephants, though they aren't really ridden all that much in fantasy stuff.
But wow, this helps, a lot.
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I imagine two-legged mounts would walk a lot like a camel: extremely lateral. You'd bounce from side to side just like you would on a horse doing a straight rack.
That would suck.
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Having never ridden a camel yet knowing that they sometime refered to as "the ships of the desert", I would imagine a lot of riders on two-legged mounts would also be sick if not entirely shakened. I've always imagined it would be like riding an ostrich: extremely difficult and prone to difficult steering.
Any way, it would suck.
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Yes! Exactly!
I fall into the category where I myself ride yet I anger myself when I draw people riding because my drawing skill always tends to bung up the seat... I know what's right, but I always end up drawing it wrong. D:
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Now THIS is something I would never dream of seeing here!
Certainly the best tutorial I've seen in ages, it'll help me a lot!
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Wow, that was unbelievably helpful.
I've known absolutely nothing about horseback riding, and this helps me understand so much.
Thanks for making this!
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This will be a great help for my new pictures including riders! ^^ Thanks for posting it
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