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Your child is no doubt sincerely devoted to the idea of horses, but the reality of them often proves to be another thing. The best way to discover if the passion will last is to sign your child up for a series of riding lessons. Even though many children will beg relentlessly for a pony of their own, that step should be taken only after a great deal of thought and planning, and only after your child has shown an ongoing commitment to learning about horses and learning to ride properly and safely.
There are many different types of facilities that offer riding lessons, and we’ll discuss what to look for in this chapter, but the first step is making a connection with an instructor who can take your child through the first few stages of learning.
Talking the Talk
Equestrian center. A professional facility that may have multiple arenas and many well-trained horses. Because centers usually have several trainers on staff, it’s possible to learn many disciplines and have the skilled guidance, higher-level horses, and facilities needed for each. Equestrian centers often hold horse shows, exhibitions, and other equestrian-related events.
Lesson barn. A generic term that refers to any facility where riding lessons are given.
Riding school. Combines a dedicated focus on learning to ride well with hands-on instruction in horse care. Riding schools are often owned and operated by the senior instructor and may have an assistant trainer or student trainers on staff. Most riding schools have several “lesson master” horses to accommodate a variety of riding levels and abilities.
Finding a Good Instructor
The first step in finding an instructor is to find out which stables in your area offer riding lessons. Lesson barns come in all shapes and sizes, from an enormous and sprawling professional equestrian center with many trainers on staff to a small, private barn in which the owner gives lessons to a handful of students on two or three horses. It’s not the size or grandness of design that’s key here, however — you should be looking for safety and knowledge and appropriateness of instruction. And just because people say they give lessons and have gentle horses doesn’t mean that they are qualified to teach or that they actually do have appropriate horses for beginners.
There are several ways to do your research. Start with an Internet search, typing in something like “stable AND ‘mycity’” (meaning use the name of the location where you live). Try variations too: “riding lessons AND ‘mycity’,” for example. Some stables, though not all, advertise in the local yellow pages or the local classified weekly papers. Some post business cards and fliers on the bulletin boards in the local feed stores and tack stores. You can try calling horse vets (sometimes listed under “veterinarians, large animal”) in your area and asking if any of their clients give riding lessons. And don’t forget about the county Extension agents who specialize in horses as well as any local 4-H group(s).
It’s also worth asking around your neighborhood and at your child’s school to see if anyone can recommend a lesson barn — personal referrals are a great way to locate a barn and a good instructor. Whether armed with a referral or having found a barn through research, you’ll want to follow the same process for checking them out for yourself. Just because a barn is right for someone else doesn’t mean it will be the right place for your child. You can’t always be sure that the barn was thoroughly checked out by the person who gave you the referral; and personalities and teaching styles differ.
Start by calling the stables you’ve found. Ask to speak with the owner or barn manager if possible; first ask, though, if they have time to talk, since they may have a barn full of kids and horses at that moment. Consider how professional they are in their responses — the person on the phone, whether he or she is the trainer or instructor or barn owner, should be knowledgeable, patient, and interested in your inquiry. You should be aware, however, that a lot of barn phones are answered by the students themselves, so don’t be too quick to judge the barn by the person answering the phone!
Asking the Right Questions
The following questions will help you determine if this stable has the right kind of learning situation for your child. If these are answered to your satisfaction, plan a visit to the barn to see what the facilities look like and to observe a lesson before making a commitment.
1. What age riders do you teach?
2. Does your barn specialize in a particular discipline?
3. Do you have experienced and well-mannered lesson horses?
4. What are the instructor’s qualifications?
5. What are your safety precautions?
6. How would you define your lesson program?
Let us examine each of these questions more thoroughly.
What Age Riders Do You Teach?
There is a great deal of debate over “how young is too young?” Some instructors will not teach anyone younger than eight years of age. These instructors feel that younger children simply don’t have control of their own bodies yet; they lack balance, strength, and coordination, which puts them at greater risk of injury around horses. Other instructors believe that five years of age is acceptable, assuming the proper safety precautions are taken.
Aren’t Lessons Expensive?
You don’t always get what you pay for: obviously, one of the factors in selecting a lesson barn will be expense. But the lowest price isn’t necessarily the best option and the highest doesn’t guarantee the best learning experience. The most important element in selecting a lesson barn should be your child’s welfare as expressed through the operation’s safety efforts, the dependability of the lesson horses, the skill of the instructors, and the condition of their facilities.
A more important issue, however, is your child’s own readiness. Is she sincerely interested? Is she mature enough to exercise personal control and not race up to a horse, yelling and jumping up and down? Is she balanced enough to sit quietly in a saddle? And is she intellectually focused enough to take instruction?
If your child meets all of these qualifications, a five-year-old on a dead-calm pony, under the supervision of a skilled and experienced instructor, in a controlled situation and a small enclosure, would be acceptable. Children this age should never, under any circumstances, be allowed loose on a horse, however.
Does Your Barn Specialize in a Particular Discipline?
Truthfully, in the beginning stages of learning to ride, the particular discipline (type of riding, such as dressage, hunt seat, Western pleasure) doesn’t really matter. What’s critical is for a new rider to develop a solid and proper foundation (good seat, soft hands, knowledge, and confidence). Rather than focusing on a particular discipline, look for a barn that specializes in teaching children to ride and that has well-trained and experienced school horses.
Then why ask this question? It helps you determine how knowledgeable and skilled the instructor is. If the person answers that she rides or teaches every discipline, well, sure, that’s possible. But the follow-up question should be, “What’s your specialty?” If the person can’t specify, you should wonder about this. Generalists do exist in the riding instruction world, but people who are really passionate about riding almost always have a favorite way to ride. That passion will translate itself to their students, so it’s useful to know which discipline is of greatest interest to the instructor. You’re also trying to establish rapport with the instructor, so asking about her interests is a logical first step.
Do You Have Experienced and Well-Mannered Lesson Horses?
This is critical. A beginning rider needs a calm, experienced lesson horse so that he or she can focus on just learning to ride. Aside from the obvious safety issues, a fractious pony or horse could terrify your budding rider before she ever gets a chance to learn whether riding is something she wants to continue.
“Lesson masters,” as these horses are called, are worth their weight in gold because it takes a certain disposition to put up with day after day of inexperienced riders hanging on the reins, thumping their sides, tilting sideways in the saddle, and being clueless or fearful. A good beginner’s horse might not be the most beautiful, but he will pack children from sunup ’til sundown in a consistent, trustworthy, and dependable manner.
SIZING UP HORSE AND RIDER
When considering the type of lesson horses at a barn, keep in mind that the mount should fit the physical stature of the rider. Putting a small child on a 16.2-hand horse (about 5½ feet at the withers), no matter how gentle the horse, makes no sense. With such a stretch up, how would an adult standing on the ground properly assist the child in need? Young children should ride small ponies, ideally, 12 to 13 hands in height. Period. That puts the child about four feet from the ground, which is plenty. Most children find it intimidating to be any farther off the ground.
Here’s an acceptable way to determine if the rider and the pony/horse fit: With the feet in the proper length stirrups, the bottom of the rider’s soles should be about even with the bottom of the animal’s belly.
What Are the Instructor’s Qualifications?
Intermediate to experienced riders who want to pursue a specific discipline need highly qualified instructors who are certified, who have competed successfully in their chosen discipline, and who have a barn full of experienced and talented horses on which to compete.
Beginning riders, however, have different needs, so look for a barn with an instructor who specializes in teaching beginning riders. This takes a special level of patience, kindness, and the ability to find things that are done well and recognize them enthusiastically rather than harp on what is being done wrong. The beginner’s instructor also needs to be creative and engaged in order to find ways to make even the most repetitious lessons fun and interesting.
Some instructors seek certification, just as professionals in other fields do, to enhance their knowledge and professionalism. There are a variety of certifications offered, some online, some from individuals who have created their own training and instruction methods (with varying standards and results), and some through highly reputable associations and training centers. One of the latter is the American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA).
Above all else, the instructor must focus on safety. He or she must insist on the proper gear for the rider and must make sure the horse’s tack is in good repair and properly fitted to the individual horse.
The instructor must also be certain the horse is in good health and is behaving appropriately before ever allowing a child on his back. Even lesson masters have bad days! A good instructor won’t use a horse who is lame or sore in any way, or who has been used several times already that day.
Anyone who takes on the responsibility of teaching a potentially dangerous sport to children must have the skills to address these issues, the foresight to prevent problems before they happen, and the motivation to immediately address any issues that crop up.
Professional Memberships
Asking if a barn or an individual instructor is a member of a horsemanship organization gives an opportunity to learn more about their approach to horsemanship and lessons. As in any other profession, organizational involvement can be an additional sign of professional dedication and credibility.
Organizations might include the United States Pony Club (USPC), an outstanding organization focused on teaching horsemanship to children aged six and older; United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the governing body for American equestrians; or the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), the governing body for the discipline of dressage. There are many, many others, for nearly every breed of horse or style of riding you can imagine.
What Are Your Safety Precautions?
The instructor should be able to provide a lengthy description of how she and the barn’s staff go about keeping students safe. Here are some issues that should be covered:
• Do they insist that riders always wear a certified riding helmet? Do they ensure that it’s properly fitted?
• Do they regularly clean and inspect tack, making sure it’s in good working order and that none of the leather or stitching is rotting or splitting?
• Are the arenas regularly maintained to make sure the footing is safe and even?
• Do the instructors (or trainers or exercise riders) regularly “fine-tune” the lesson horses to reinforce their manners and refresh their training?
• What do they do with horses who misbehave? How do they define “misbehave”? Do any of their horses bite or kick? Do any of them buck or rear?
• What happens if/when a horse does any of these things? (The answer should be an adamant response that the animal is removed permanently from the lesson program.)
Describe Your Lesson Program
Many lesson barns provide a printed brochure or program that describes the levels of lessons offered and exactly what students will learn at each level. Ask for a copy to be sent to you. The following is an example of what you might expect:
Beginning riders will learn the proper names of the horse’s main body parts. They will learn to properly groom, lead, and tie a horse, as well as how to tack up (put the equipment on). They will learn how to mount and to sit in the proper position, how to hold the reins, and how to steer and to stop at the walk.
Second-level riders will learn the names of horse colors and breeds. They will learn how to do a sitting trot and a posting trot, including the use of trotting posts or poles (rails laid flat on the ground for the horse to walk or trot over) and the ability to perform controlled movements (circles, serpentines, and so on) around the arena.
Each barn will have different ways of achieving the basic goals. The point is that there be a coherent lesson plan, with goals to work toward that can be measured and achieved.
WHAT’S A SHOW BARN?
From the perspective of identifying the ideal lesson barn for your child, it’s helpful to know if the barn is considered a “show barn.” Although this should not be the deciding factor in whether you have your child take lessons there — it’s just another piece of information to consider — riding at a show barn may entail a commitment to participate in horse shows. Riding at a show barn often means that the students are expected, or even required, to regularly compete in horse shows around the area. Generally, show barns will have a particular discipline (jumping, for example, or reining, or dressage).
Knowing your child and the degree of her interest and dedication will help you to decide if a show barn would be the ideal place for her to learn to ride. For a beginner, a show barn might feel intimidating or it might be inspiring. Show barns can be a great place for intermediate or advanced riders to hone their skills and to gain broader recognition for their efforts and talent in the discipline of their choice.
The Barn Visit
After you finish your phone calls and have a pretty good feeling for two to three barns on your list (if you’re fortunate enough to live in an area with several stables), it’s time to schedule some barn visits. Ask the instructor if you can observe a lesson that matches your child’s skill level. And be sure to spend time just visiting, talking with the instructor between lessons (be prepared for, and patient with, interruptions, as students will be in and out with a real-time need to have their questions answered).
Talk with some of the students and observe how well they seem to get along with one another. Watch how the horses are handled and how the instructor interacts with the students. Note if there are older students helping the younger ones; if so, do they appear confident, attentive, and appropriately knowledgeable? Are they good with younger kids?
There are bound to be other parents waiting for a lesson to end, so use the opportunity to talk with them and see what they think of the barn, of the instructor, of the horses, and so on. Ask them if there have ever been any safety issues or if a rider has ever been injured. See if you can get a sense for whether they’re pleased with their child’s experience or if they’re involved with the barn only because they’re not sure where else to go.
Ask to observe a lesson or two at any barn that you are considering. Seeing the instructor in action will give you and your child a much clearer idea of how good a fit that particular establishment will be.
Surveying the Stables
As you’re looking around, consider the facilities. While it’s important that the buildings and grounds be well maintained and tidy, the primary consideration should be safety. Here are a few things to look out for.
The Aisles. Barn aisles see a lot of traffic, especially between lessons. Are the aisles wide enough to accommodate lots of (big) bodies safely? Is there enough room for students and horses to move around one another? Are the floors uncluttered or are they used for storage of tack trunks, hay, or equipment?
The Stalls. Horses don’t need ritzy quarters, but a barn must be basically clean, which means that the aisles should be swept regularly, stalls cleaned out daily, manure disposed of properly. Are the stalls well-bedded and free of the strong smell of ammonia? Of course you’ll catch whiffs of ammonia (it’s a barn, after all), but your eyes shouldn’t be watering or your nostrils burning.
The Rules. Are children allowed to handle the horses without supervision or must they wait for the instructor’s okay? Do the children taking lessons and handling horses have on proper clothes (good boots and hard hats)? Are dogs allowed? Many students have younger siblings who tag along to the barn; are they allowed to run loose and be loud?
Public Spaces. How does the office look? Okay, scratch that — barn offices are usually an example of controlled chaos. But check out the tack room — is it clean and organized? Are the saddles and bridles and blankets neatly hung on pegs? Eyeball the equipment — does the leather look clean and solid or is it dirty and cracked? Are the saddle blankets stained and covered in hair? Are the girths or cinches dirty and sweat-stained? Or is everything neat, tidy, and in good order? Remember: if you select this barn, you’ll be depending on the equipment you’re looking at to keep your child safe and in control of a large animal.
An example of a tidy and well-maintained barn with a 14-foot-wide aisle, which allows plenty of room for horses and people to move about.
The Importance of the Barn Environment
People are people and, just like with any other group, there will be an environment at each barn that reflects the personalities and interests of the people who spend time there.
There’s no “right” or “wrong” environment. Some barns are laid-back and relaxed, some are intense and highly focused, and so on. The key is to find a barn that reflects your child’s personality, a place where he or she will thrive, will have the opportunity to learn from a skilled and experienced horse person, and will enjoy meeting other kids with similar personalities.
It’s important that you are comfortable with the environment too, because chances are good that you’ll be spending some time hanging out there as you wait for a lesson to finish or while attending an event.
A Word on the Youngest Riders
If you feel that your five- or six-year-old child is capable of starting lessons and the instructor agrees, be aware that a child that young should never be put on a pony and allowed to be in control of the reins. The proper way to begin teaching very young children is in a round pen (a small, fenced-in area with sandy footing, about 60 feet in diameter).
The pony should be properly tacked up, using either a Western saddle (which has a horn, like a handle, on the front to hold onto) or a lead line saddle (which looks like an English saddle but has a strap or handle on the front to hold onto).
The First Lessons
A qualified and experienced person should lead the pony quietly, calmly, and at the walk only. This is called a “lead line” lesson. It should be private (just your child) and shouldn’t last more than 30 minutes, since young children tire easily and have a hard time concentrating for longer periods.
The lessons should focus on helping the child gain confidence in being up so high, learning to sit tall and quietly, keeping his or her feet in the stirrups (not as easy as you’d think), and developing good balance. This may sound tedious to an adult, but to a child, the thrill of just being on a pony is significant. And a good instructor will find ways to keep the lessons interesting — a pole on the ground for the pony to step over can look to a child like a four-foot-tall jump, and the satisfaction of crossing it at a stately walk does wonders for the child’s excitement and confidence.
Making Progress
Only when the child can keep her balance, maintain her seat, consistently keep her feet properly in the stirrups, should she be allowed to take up the reins and learn how to hold them properly and (for the sake of keeping the kind pony kind) somewhat loosely. At this point, still on the lead line for safety, the child can be allowed to ask the pony to turn left and right and to stop.
When the child has developed the consistent and confident ability to steer and to stop, the instructor will consider allowing the pony and rider to go into a fenced-in arena. When this transition occurs, it is advisable to begin a series of longe (pronounced “lunge”) lessons in which the pony is at the end of a long line with the child mounted and the instructor holding the line and controlling the pony as he circles around. This gives the child a chance to experience riding in a much bigger space at some distance from the instructor before adding the complexity of controlling the pony on her own.
A Word to Parents
When you’re the adult tasked with leading a pony around while your child rides and maybe the weather is unpleasant or you’ve had a long day at work or you’re just plain bored with going in circles … look over your shoulder at your child’s face. Her expression will probably be enough to put a spring in your step and help you make a few more circuits of the round pen or arena.
Assessing the Arenas
While not every facility has an arena, they are especially important for youngsters learning to ride. A fenced arena provides a contained area in which a rider can focus without having to worry about steering around obstacles or having to deal with uneven footing, as you would in a field. What’s the weather in your area like? Does it rain a lot? Is the summer sun merciless? A covered or an enclosed arena may be a necessary consideration.
Arenas can range from purely workmanlike to palatial and spectacular. There are three standard types of arenas — indoor, covered, and outdoor — which can be further refined for specialized needs such as jumping, dressage, or Western disciplines such as cutting, reining, roping, or barrel racing. Whatever the type, you’ll need to consider the following factors, as the arena should be the sole area in which your child will ride (at least until he or she develops significant riding skills and confidence).
All arenas should be large enough for the disciplines practiced in them, should have smooth footing, and should be lighted so that there are no shadows or overly bright spots cast by the lights, since these could frighten a horse.
Fencing and Footing
What kind of perimeter fencing does the arena have? Whether indoor or outdoor, the arenas where beginners ride should be enclosed so the pony or horse can’t bolt and run away. Inexperienced riders need arenas with solid, chest-high (to the horse) fencing to help control the horse while working in the arena. An enclosed arena also helps young riders feel a little more confident.
What is the footing and how deep is it? The footing should be even (no holes or depressions, nothing that could cause a horse to stumble) and forgiving (riders do fall). The best footing is sand that’s regularly raked by hand or machine. You may also see shredded rubber or shredded bark. Raw dirt is never a good choice, as it compacts like concrete when dry, is bad for the horse’s legs and feet, and is dreadful to fall on in the event a rider loses her seat.
How well does it drain? Slick and sloppy footing after a rainstorm is unsafe. Although this is more typically an issue in outdoor arenas, be aware that indoor rings can also have drainage problems. It always pays to ask.
Is the ground level? A stumbling horse can throw off even the most experienced rider’s balance — for an inexperienced rider, it can mean the difference between staying in the saddle and falling.
Does the arena become dusty when in use? This can be an issue either indoors or out, especially with several riders using it. Dust, especially blowing dust, makes riding extremely unpleasant and can lead to respiratory problems for both the horse and the rider.
Size and Safety
The arena must be large enough to accommodate the number of horses used in the lesson with at least three horse-lengths between each horse/rider combination. And there should be enough room for everybody to get away from each other if something, somehow, sets off one of the horses. Plus, there must be enough room for more experienced riders to learn how to canter and to safely make it all the way around the arena before having to put on the brakes.
Looking at Lighting
Your child will probably be riding after school or in the evening. Whether the arena is indoor, covered, or outdoor, it’s essential that the lighting effectively light the arena. Here are a few factors to consider:
Are there enough lights?
Are they powerful enough?
Are the light poles tall enough? (Your child will be on top of a horse, so you don’t want her to be blinded by bright lights on too-short poles; also, in areas with lots of bugs, it’s useful to have the lights quite high, since light attracts bugs.)
Are the lights focused well? There shouldn’t be any “hot spots” (areas of intense light), dim spots, or shadows, which can look like a frightening hole in the ground to a horse.
Are any of the arena lights burned out?
Where is the light switch? Does the facility owner allow riders to turn them on or off when they wish? (If so, please always be courteous and turn off lights when your child is the last to vacate the arena. Most facilities operate on extremely tight budgets and big electric bills can wreak havoc for them.)
There should never be anything unsafe in the arena — no trash, no stored equipment, nothing a rider could fall on or that a horse could slam into. If the equipment is placed between the arena’s rail and the outside wall, it’s probably fine. But if it’s located someplace that a horse and rider could directly access it, then it creates a hazard. Remember that a frightened horse doesn’t pay much attention to what’s in front of him when he bolts — he’s too busy running away from whatever frightened him. So you cannot count on a spooked horse to avoid hazards in his path, let alone a rider who might become unseated. The key is simple common sense — if there’s a possibility that an item could become a hazard, then it is a hazard and needs to be moved.
IS THERE A ROUND PEN?
Not every facility has a round pen, which is an enclosed circular area for working horses in close proximity, but they are incredibly useful when working with inexperienced children, especially if the children are quite young and have never sat on a horse or pony. Round pens create a much smaller area in which the young student can ride, with the instructor close at hand. Because round pens also tend to focus the horse or pony and to help him keep his attention on the rider and on the instructor, they are often used for training purposes as well.
The ideal size for a round pen is about 60 feet in diameter, which makes a large enough space that the student can control the horse or pony to turn in different directions and to stop but is not enough space for the animal to move at a high rate of speed.
Round pens are commonly created with a series of metal-pipe panels but can also be constructed with solid walls. They are usually open to the elements; however, a covered round pen is wonderful in hot climates or inclement weather.
A good instructor will keep the lesson interesting by frequently having the students change direction, ride in small circles, step over poles, and weave through cones.
This is a panel-style round pen with solid walls. A round pen should be about 60 feet in diameter and must have proper footing.
Finally, what’s true for footing in arenas is also true for round pens — it shouldn’t be too deep or too hard, it should be level and shock-absorbing, should drain well, and should be managed to control dust (especially in a solid-wall round pen where airflow is restricted by the design).
The Evaluation Ride
All good instructors will require an evaluation ride to determine the rider’s balance and comfort level. If the child has been on a horse before, the instructor will assess her skill level. The number of people of all ages who say they’re “experienced riders” is legion, but truly experienced riders are not that common. An experienced rider is competent at judging a horse’s abilities and temperament and has the skill to adjust her own riding to handle the animal. “Experienced” does not describe a rider who has frequently sat on a horse doing the nose-to-tail trail ride during summer vacation!
A good instructor will listen politely to the rider’s description of her ability and then will personally assess the rider’s skills. The instructor often does this by putting the rider up on a trustworthy school horse, then longeing the horse while observing the rider’s seat, leg position, balance, and so on. (Longeing is when the horse is put on a long line and moves in a circle around the handler — his speed is controlled by the handler on the ground and not by the rider on his back.)
Only after the initial assessment confirms that the child possesses the appropriate skills should she be allowed to control the horse in the arena under the instructor’s supervision. Many beginning riders (even ones who have had some lessons but need more attention to the fundamentals) will continue doing longe lessons until the instructor determines that the rider is skilled enough (and confident enough) to be allowed to control the horse in the arena.
Going to Horse Camp
Riding camps provide a wonderful way for kids to become involved with horses and to help determine their true level of interest. As with other camps (such as soccer or football or cheerleading or band), riding camps typically occur during the summer months when school is out. They can last a few hours several days a week or can be all-day affairs that run for weeks. Many include an overnight component.
All of them involve horses, of course, so must be held at a barn or appropriate facility. The key is to determine the level of involvement with the horses and the intended outcome for each camp — in other words, what should the participants be able to do at the camp’s conclusion? What is the camp’s lesson program intended to teach?
Just as with any other type of camp, not all are created equal. The worst of them are little more than a day-care situation that just happens to be held at a riding barn, while the best offer superb training from dedicated equestrian professionals, using well-trained horses, in an environment that encourages a love of horses and of learning about them.
Finding the right camp for your child and for your situation requires time, research, and on-site inquiries. You should apply the same criteria to a riding camp as you’d apply to a lesson barn.
This initial lesson is also an excellent opportunity for you to evaluate the instructor. Pay close attention to everything that goes on. Note how the instructor interacts with your child and how he or she handles the horse or pony. Watch how your child relates to the instructor and your child’s demeanor around the horses, as well as when mounted. See how the horse or pony behaves. And, best of all, after the lesson, ask your child how she felt about the lesson, the instructor, the barn, and the horses.
Longeing is a technique used to train horses and to work with inexperienced riders to develop their confidence. It’s also a great method for perfecting specific skills, even for more experienced riders, since the person on the ground controls the horse, allowing the rider to concentrate on her own movements.
STILL CRAZY ABOUT HORSES
I have loved horses since as far back as I can remember breathing! Nobody else in my family seemed to have this horse “gene,” but it’s been with me forever. As a child, horses meant everything to me — the very reason to live. It meant getting excited when we passed them in a pasture as we drove by in the family station wagon, and I couldn’t crank my neck far enough around to see them. Or approaching a horse trailer on the highway to see what was inside (which I admit still gives me a thrill!).
I used to spend hours with my best friend crawling around on the front lawn on all fours, pretending we were horses. We would ride our bikes as far as we could go to all of the nearest stables so we could walk the aisles and pet every head that would hang out of the stall to greet us. And we played with our model horses for endless hours.
My parents tried to discourage it, thinking it would be a phase I would grow out of — in fact, my mom is still waiting for that to occur! I think it was hard for them to understand being so passionate about something when they just didn’t get it. I think when one is born with the horse bug — completely and totally captivated — it’s hard for anyone to understand if they don’t have the bug themselves. I didn’t get my first horse until I was an adult, but I kept the passion with me all through the years and finally made it a reality when I was 29.
Making a Decision
How do you know when you’ve hit the jackpot? When you’ve found the barn that’s perfect for your child? When you’ve found a safe and skilled instructor who’s also great with kids?
Well, you made an excellent first step by doing your research. If everything you’ve seen and heard feels right, and the orientation lesson is a success, trust your own instincts. How do you feel about what you’ve seen and the people you’ve met? How does your child feel about what she’s seen and the people she’s met? This is your child and no one knows her better than you do. No one is in a better position to select the right barn and the right instructor than you are.
The Best Barn
Which of the examples below is the perfect barn?
A serious facility that is focused entirely on following riding traditions, teaching horsemanship skills, and competing at recognized shows throughout the season.
A place that is informal, relaxed, maybe a little disorganized. The horses are all healthy and happy, the children have a lot of fun, and there’s usually music playing and people sitting around talking.
A palatial facility where the horses live better than some humans do. A staff of instructors teaches several disciplines and there are multiple arenas onsite. The center is run efficiently and is spotless, and there are very clearly defined rules and procedures.
A small stable run by the owner, who’s also the sole instructor with a talented high school student who helps out. The daily barn work is performed by her, along with the help of several horse-crazy kids who are thrilled by the chance to spend more time with horses.
The answer is: whichever one feels best to you and your child.