Pony Halter
Starting horseback riding lessons: When should your child start riding horses
Adult riders can be seen bringing their toddlers to the barn all dressed up in expensive riding gear. These youngsters get great early exposure to horses but are still lacking the coordination, balance and the attention span of the 8-10 year olds.
Some may not agree, but it seems that a great age to start riding is at about 8 to 10 years of age. These riders can fit into the helmets better which keeps them safer. They are more coordinated and have better balance. Their attention spans will allow for a 45 minute lesson and they appreciate being with other children in a group setting. Their legs are longer and they might stand a chance at gripping the horse’s belly.
Barns will offer either private lessons or group sessions. Private lessons may be 30 minutes long with a half hour to tack up and another half hour to remove the saddle and brush the horse. Keep in mind that you need to arrive at the barn about a half an hour before your lesson. If you are running late, don’t. Call if you have to change plans. Barns will charge if you do not give notice.
Lessons can range from $40-50 dollars. Typically the instructor gets a cut of the cost. Many barns sell “lesson packages”. It will behoove you to date your check with the start of the lesson package for reference and or post the dates of your lessons so you know how many you have used. Barns are not filled with the best accountants. You do not want discrepancies in billing. Some barns have a receptacle for you to place your check in.
Barns expect new riders to have a helmet and good shoes with a heel on them. The heel assists the rider to stay in the stirrups and be secure on the horse. Check to see if the barn knows of any tack shops that offer an introductory package that might include a helmet, riding pants and paddock boots. Ask if the barn has used equipment that is available for new riders. Frequently there are gently used paddock boots. I suggest springing for a new helmet. Why take a chance on your youngster’s brain. Any used helmet needs to be checked for damage and needs to be correctly sized to the riders head. With the chin strap tight, it should sit squarely on the head and not move forward or backwards.
Instructors should be teaching a new rider “horsemanship”. This is how to remove an animal from a paddock, put on a halter, remove the halter, add the bridle, brush and groom the animal. It also includes picking out the hooves before and after the lesson, how to remove tack, where to return the tack to, how to blanket the horse and then return him or her to the stall or paddock.
Some barns are an assembly line of riders and your child may not have the opportunity to do this unless they are the first or last rider of the day. If you want to learn horsemanship you need to locate the barn that will teach this topic.
Learning horsemanship is not the same as taking riding lessons. Some students love competition. Some students love horsemanship. If grooming and caring for the animal is special to your child – and it should be – see if there is an opportunity at the barn to help out!
If your child is an older teen, check to see if another teen is riding on a particular day so that they might ride together or tack up together and bond. But realize that an experience cantering teen will not be able to necessarily take a lesson with a beginner rider. A teen is not going to want to be in a group lesson with an eight year old so talk to the trainer about your special needs.
One advantage of a group lesson is that riders learn how to rider among other horses. If your child does chose to participate in horse shows or trail riding, they need to understand where they are physically in relationship to other horses and riders. I have seen riders at beginner schooling shows that just were not savvy when it came to how much distance they need between them and the next horse for the security of themselves and their animals. There are a lot of horses that do not want to be close to other animals.
How many lesson s you do a week is largely based on your wallet and goals. It may be enough to do one lesson a week. Some eager riders may have the time and inclination to ride twice a week. As they get older and become more experienced, they may take a lesson a week and “hack” on another day.
Hacking, or riding minus the instruction, can teach a rider to be independent of the instructor and can be a good thing increasing their level of responsibility. Typically students are not allowed to jump without instructor supervision. The student should come up with hacking goals and work on strengthening their basic skills.
George Morris, the guru of Hunter Jumper world said “Practice does not make perfect, perfect practices make perfect”. There should be a goal on every ride.
Some barns offer gift certificates. Tell your relatives!
About the Author
c 2011 Cathy Marsh http://www.sherideshorses.com
Quality horse photography at http://www.cathymarshphotography.com
Equine cards at the Horse Card Shop http://www.horsecardshop.com
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