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In a great many families, both parents work outside the home. Many families have only a single parent. Children are heavily scheduled. Many parents feel that their children’s homework load is heavier than it was in their day. Families seem to be constantly moving from one event to another. Adding another event to already packed calendars can seem like insanity.
One way to make sure that homework gets done, that family responsibilities are met, and that chores are completed is to engage your child’s sense of fair play and understanding that riding lessons are a privilege and not a right. Maintaining good grades in school and fulfilling personal commitments in order to continue lessons not only help to make the added event doable but also help to set a terrific work ethic and follow-through on commitments that will stay with your child throughout her life.
Once you’ve found an appropriate lesson barn and made the commitment to a series of lessons, there are some basic rules to follow. You will also have a lot to learn yourself as you watch your child from the rail.
Talking the Talk
Discipline. The two general disciplines of English and Western riding are further divided into particular styles or practices, such as dressage, jumping, reining, and equitation.
Longe (pronounced “lunge”). The handler works the horse from the ground with a long line attached to the bridle, directing him in a large circle.
Proper Safety from Head to Toe
As a parent, your first concern will always be for your child’s safety, a topic that is covered throughout this book. The one absolute rule that you should establish with your child before agreeing to any sort of riding program is that she must always wear the proper gear. And the two items of proper gear that are absolutely required are a certified safety helmet and suitable boots.
No Helmet, No Horse
The vast majority of riding helmets available today, from the economical to the wildly expensive, are “ASTM/SEI certified,” which means they are approved for equestrian activities. (ASTM/SEI stands for American Standard for Testing Materials and the Safety Equipment Institute.) If it doesn’t have that certification, don’t even try it on.
Hunt caps, derbies, top hats, cowboy hats, and other styles are not approved for riding and are for appearance only. These kinds of hats do not protect the rider’s head in the event of a fall; many of them won’t even stay on if the rider hits the ground. Be aware that even with a helmet on, a hard fall can result in a concussion. This is because the helmet protects the skull but does not protect the brain from hitting the skull, which is what causes a concussion.
Even a certified riding helmet will do little if it does not fit correctly. Take your child to a local tack shop and ask one of their staff to help you select and fit a certified helmet. Fitting a helmet isn’t difficult. Here is what you should look for:
• The helmet should fit all the way down onto the top of the head, cupping the entire skull. If it doesn’t, it is too small.
• The edge of the helmet should be no more than 1½ inches above your child’s eyebrows.
• Before buckling the chin strap, have your child vigorously shake her head back and forth. If the helmet moves around, try a smaller size.
• Ask your child to gently nod “yes” to make sure that the helmet doesn’t slip. Your child’s skin can move a little, so that the eyebrows go up and down, but the helmet itself should not move independently. If it does, try a smaller one.
• Buckle the chin strap and adjust it so that it fits comfortably under your child’s chin, in the notch between the jaw and the throat. Your child should be able to comfortably drop her chin toward her chest without being garroted, but you should not be able to get more than the width of two fingers, sideways, into the loop of the chin strap.
Riding helmets are now made in light but very durable material, and designs often include ventilation holes so that air can circulate and keep the rider’s head cooler. Sun visor extensions can be attached to the helmet to provide additional protection from glare. In the winter, ear covers protect exposed ears from freezing winds.
And helmets are no longer offered in only traditional black velvet or velveteen — many models are decorated with wild colors and patterns. Any helmet can be made downright eccentric, given the delightful choices available in nylon hat covers, which are easily changed to suit your child’s taste.
Buy Good Boots
Proper riding boots have a heel of about one inch and a sole that is neither too grippy nor too slick. The purpose of the heel is to prevent the rider’s foot from slipping through the stirrup and becoming caught — if the horse panicked and the rider fell off, the rider would be dragged (a nightmare scenario for anyone). The surface of the sole affects the rider’s ability to safely keep her foot in the stirrup without slipping out or getting stuck.
The boot’s structure from side-to-side is also critical — should the horse fall and the rider’s foot become trapped underneath, the strength of the sole could prevent the rider’s foot from becoming crushed by the horse’s weight. (Another nightmare scenario — but be assured that accidents like this are uncommon.) Finally, the toebox on good riding boots protects the rider’s foot from injury if a horse steps on it (“when” is more accurate — everybody gets stepped on sometime!). You really don’t want your child to be wearing sneakers or flip-flops when that happens.
Although kids do fall off horses in lessons, it is rare for them to sustain serious injuries in a safe and well-managed riding program.
For English riding, short boots (also called paddock or jodhpur boots) are appropriate for young children. They are often worn with jodhpurs or breeches that pad the inside of the leg so the stirrup leathers don’t pinch. They can also be worn with jeans, in which case half chaps to protect the leg are a good idea. They are available in both laced and zippered styles.
Paddock boots are fine for Western riding also, though cowboy boots are more traditional. Look for the “roper” style, which has a rounded toe and is more comfortable than narrow-toed models. In any type of boot, your child should be able to flex his or her foot easily so she can position it properly in the stirrup (heel down, toe up).
The boots should fit well and be comfortable — there’s nothing like the special agony of boots that rub heels raw and cause blisters. The boots should be just as comfortable worn in the saddle as they are while she is walking around.
Note: While artificial materials are cheaper, they do not allow the foot to breathe — especially important in hot climates. Invest a little extra and get real leather uppers.
Basic Lesson Attire
Riding clothes have been designed over hundreds of years to serve specific, functional, and sometimes, safety-related needs. Rule #1 in riding is “Safety first,” but Rule #2 should be “Appropriateness in all things.” So when your child goes to the barn for her lessons, it’s critical that both rules be followed scrupulously.
The following list should be appropriate for most beginning riders. Always check with the riding instructor before you buy, however, as many lesson programs have specific attire requirements.
A certified riding helmet
Sturdy boots with a heel
Stretchy riding pants that won’t bunch or ride up
A comfortable shirt that’s appropriate to the weather
Clothing should fit fairly snugly and be comfortable. Many instructors discourage loose or baggy clothing as this can obscure what the rider is doing with her body. (Is she slouching in the saddle or is her jacket bulging around her? Is her knee positioned properly?)
Because riders, especially young ones, approach riding because of love for the horse, there’s a tendency sometimes toward informality and comfort. This can translate to wearing sneakers and shorts, skipping the hard hat on a hot day, and perching bareback on a horse and popping a can of soda.
There are two sure ways to get hurt around horses: one is to rush or force them too quickly into doing what we want; another is blatant carelessness. It is critical that your child understand the potential danger involved with being around an animal that is as fast and strong as a horse. Yes, she loves them. And yes, in horse books and movies, the horses are utterly reliable and intelligent and calm … But in real life, even the most reliable horse can have a bad day or can be startled.
Jeans often create misery because the inner seam chafes the skin and the loose fabric may twist or bunch, causing further chafing. Leather chaps, either full or half, fastened over the jeans can solve the problem.
Talk with your child and ensure she understands how important these rules are, since you may not always be there when she rides:
Always wear a certified hard hat when mounted.
Always wear good riding boots.
Always respect the horse’s power.
Never rush or be careless.
Getting in a Group or Going Solo?
There are two basic types of lessons: group and private. Most beginning riders should start in private lessons, as this allows the instructor to focus solely on the child and allows the child to focus solely on riding, instead of finding her way around the arena in a potentially distracting group of horses and other riders. Once your child is proficient, though, group lessons are usually more economical, as the rates tend to be lower when the instructor is teaching several students at once.
Group lessons generally consist of three or four horse/rider combinations and typically run about one hour. All the riders in the group should be at the same competency or skill level. The horse your child rides in the lesson needs to behave appropriately in a group — even though they’re herd animals, some equines do not like feeling crowded.
When the instructor determines that your child is ready to safely participate in a group lesson, there are many benefits to having her do so. Here are just a few:
• Group lessons provide your child with a great way to get to know other horse-crazy kids.
• Riding with other children is great fun and helps to encourage your child’s efforts to make friends in the barn.
• Group lessons give students the opportunity to observe the instructor’s directions to other students, which helps to develop your child’s “eye” for correct riding practices.
• Group lessons help students learn to maneuver safely in an arena with others, which she will need to learn if she is interested in competing at some point.
Learning from the Ground Up
As herd animals, horses are fundamentally social beings, and although they make a variety of vocalizations, they do not rely significantly on sound to communicate with one another except over distances. Instead, they speak volumes through touch and through body posture. So for humans to effectively interact with horses, we have to use their own methods of communicating, in effect, to speak their language.
The first, most critical step in doing this is working with the horse from the ground, not in the saddle. One of the most crucial elements of ground handling is grooming, which involves more than the obvious purpose of cleaning the horse before putting on his saddle and bridle. Grooming lets the handler and the horse get to know each other through touch and up-close body language.
Correct grooming techniques gently communicate to the horse that humans have the right to handle him — brushing his body, lifting his feet, putting equipment on him — which establishes the handler as higher in stature or herd dominance. And because the handler, by effectively exerting his or her dominance, isn’t hurting or frightening the horse, the horse realizes the handler is trustworthy and not to be feared.
For all the positive elements of effective ground handling, there are some potential negatives. A handler who uses a currycomb roughly on a horse’s tender skin, for example, communicates unkindness and indifference. A handler who flinches from a horse’s snort or a tail flick communicates fear. A nervous handler usually creates nervousness in the horse, who may feel that there’s something nearby to be frightened of so he should be on his toes and ready to spook. More serious issues arise when the horse interprets nervousness as a sign that the handler is not a suitable herd leader, and therefore, the horse becomes pushy, ignores reprimands or corrections, and perhaps even acts aggressively.
Do-It-Yourself Grooming and Tacking Up
Everything that ultimately happens in the saddle begins on the ground. Because it’s very common at lesson barns for each horse to be ridden by many students, every successive student must establish and reinforce her relationship with the horse every time she works with that horse. It may seem that a lesson barn is providing great customer service when the staff prepares the horses before every lesson and students just show up and climb on; but actually this is an incredible disservice to both the student and the horse.
Barns that require students to handle their horses on the ground, and to groom them and tack them up, are not getting their horses cleaned up “for free” — they’re teaching essential horsemanship skills and beginning the critical, and immensely rewarding, steps toward developing a positive and appropriate relationship between horse and rider, before the student ever climbs into the saddle. This kind of close interaction helps to build confidence in the student and provides her with terrific satisfaction and even joy, since part of the pleasure of riding is working with the horse at all stages.
Your child’s favorite time at the barn may be spent grooming — before a lesson to become acquainted with the horse and afterward to rub out the sweat marks and reward the horse for his work. At the end of it, she’ll come out smelling like a horse — which, to a horse person, is way better than any rose.
Basic Barn Manners
Smoking is never, ever allowed in a horse barn or arena. This is because pretty much everything you’ll find in these areas is highly flammable — hay, grain, feed chaff, not to mention wooden barns and fences — and also because horses generally do not react well to smoke. For all horse owners, the potential of a barn fire and resulting tragedy for the horses is among their greatest fears. Seeing someone smoking in the barn area will usually provoke an angry response.
Everything that ultimately happens in the saddle begins on the ground. It’s critical, therefore, that the relationship between horse and rider be established early and be reestablished every time the student goes to the barn.
Never run around horses, yell, toss or throw anything, or make any sudden movements. Don’t open or close umbrellas, shake out blankets or jackets, and so on when horses are anywhere nearby.
Never tie a horse with the reins of the bridle. Use only a lead rope and halter to tie a horse, and only when a safety or quick-release tie is used.
Leave your dog at home. While some dog owners may think that letting Fido meet the horses would be a great idea, few barns allow it. Many dogs have a natural tendency to bark and lunge at the horses, to chase the barn cats, and to, well, act like a dog. None of this behavior is welcome at most barns, even those that have a dog or two of their own.
Safety First
If a horse becomes panicked — whether he’s tied and struggling against the tie, or he’s thrashing about in a stall, or he’s gotten loose and is bolting around the barn aisle — absolutely get out of his way. Never try to step in and catch an out-of-control horse if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Etiquette in the Arena
Just as there are rules of the road for driving a car, so, too, are there rules for riding horses. Unlike the written rules for driving cars, however, most of the rules about riding are learned through experience and the examples set by those around us. For obvious reasons, it’s important that all posted rules related to riding in an arena be followed explicitly.
Although some of the following descriptions may not apply to your beginning rider, it’s important to know what is expected in any situation. These warnings are not intended to instill fear — if anything, mentally anticipating reactions to the environment helps to control fear because it puts the rider in a greater position of control and readiness.
• Unless your child’s instructor directs otherwise, riders should mount prior to entering the arena (if there is a safe space for mounting, with sufficient head space) or mount in the center of the arena, completely out of the traffic flow.
• Ideally, all rider/horse combinations in the arena should be working on the same type of activities — jumping, for example, or flat work (that is, practicing the different gaits such as the walk, trot, and canter). Even more ideally, all rider/horse combinations in the arena should be very close in ability and skill level.
• When in the arena, slow-moving horses stay on the rail so that faster-moving horses can easily and safely pass them on the inside.
• It is a good rule of thumb for a rider to call out “passing” as she approaches a slower moving pair, although this doesn’t always happen and can’t be counted on. Therefore, prior to moving off the rail or picking up speed, it is an excellent practice to look over one’s shoulder and ensure that it’s safe to do so.
• When we drive cars in the United States, we move in opposite directions with our left shoulders on the inside. The same is true in riding, which is key to know when riding in a crowded arena.
• Riders must be constantly alert to other riders’ actions, speed, and direction, as well as the mental attitude of the other horses — unlike cars, horses have their own opinions about the goings-on around them and may kick or strike out unexpectedly.
• Riders should keep two to three horse lengths between themselves and the closest rider. If someone is having difficulty controlling her horse, other riders should find a clear path to move safely around the unhappy horse, leaving a great deal of space, and then keep their distance.
• Horses should never be longed (worked on a line) in the arena when others are riding.
• In the event that another rider falls off her horse, everyone in the arena should immediately stop their horses and turn them to face the fallen rider.
• Whooping and hollering, kicking the horse’s sides, flapping the reins, and generally acting like a Hollywood version of a cowboy is never allowed. Riding quietly and calmly, with respect for the horse and for others, is the proper etiquette.
Parental P’s and Q’s
As they do with every other pursuit their children engage in, parents want to provide support and encouragement and long to see their child do well. Sometimes, though, these wonderful intentions get the better of us and we act in a way we would never do otherwise.
Particularly because nonequestrian parents simply don’t have enough knowledge or experience to know what’s considered appropriate (or inappropriate) behavior, they may feel uncomfortable in a barn environment. Feeling comfortable is, of course, about more than just fitting in. Parents want to take an active role in their children’s activities, to understand the learning process, and, in general, to participate and be engaged.
But how do you do this when you feel like a fish out of water? No worries — it really isn’t difficult at all. You just need to know a few things about navigating your way around a barn.
Here are some ways you can assist your child in her learning experience, with tips on how to interact with the instructor, with the other parents, and the trainer’s staff (running a horse business takes a lot of effort).
• If your child cannot make it to a lesson, notify the instructor at the earliest possible moment.
• Always show up on time and have your child ready to go — appropriately dressed, riding boots on, helmet in hand.
• If your child is young enough to need reminding, make sure she has gone to the bathroom before mounting the horse.
• Pay the invoices on time — riding facilities have constant expenses to cover because horses always need to eat, barn workers need to be paid, and farms always have ongoing projects.
• If you have questions for the instructor or an issue to discuss, save it for a time when she is not interacting with students and you have some privacy. You should always feel comfortable asking the instructor questions — just pick a good time to do so.
• Do not talk to your child during her lesson, whether you are pleased with her progress or annoyed at her behavior. If you think she is being whiny or disrespectful, wait until you are in the car to discuss it. Never reprimand your child in front of the instructor or other children.
• Unless everyone is being positive and encouraging, do not discuss riders’ skills with other parents. Some riders will learn faster than others — this is natural. Young riders do not need to be reminded of their perceived errors or mistakes.
• Do not negatively discuss the instructor or the barn staff with other parents. If you have a concern, talk to the instructor directly or go to the barn owner or manager.
You’re Still the Parent
One of the most important rules about any kind of lesson is to let the instructor teach. The only exception to this is if you feel that your child is being pushed unsafely beyond her skills (for example, you can clearly see that your child is unsteady at the walk, cannot keep her feet in the stirrups, keeps dropping the reins, and is struggling to remain mounted, yet the instructor is asking your child to jump). This is not the same as your child being asked to try the next step in a logical progression of skills (for example, your child can sit the walk confidently and securely, so the instructor asks your child to trot).
If your child is genuinely distressed about something, you should absolutely step in and remove your child from the lesson. The entire point of this is that it be fun. If your child is fearful or crying in a lesson, not only is it not fun, it’s also potentially dangerous because some horses react to their rider’s emotional state — a frightened or fearful rider may result in a frightened horse. If the instructor doesn’t have your child dismount and leave the arena until she is calm, then you need to intervene.
Remember: You are the parent. You do not abdicate your rights or responsibilities when your child steps into the barn. You always have the right to intercede if you think a situation is potentially harmful.
TO WATCH OR NOT TO WATCH?
Even though every barn is different, parents tend to wait in one of two places while their child is in a lesson: in a viewing stand next to the arena (not all barns have seating areas, though) or in the comfort of their own car.
If you opt to remain by the arena to observe the lesson, be sure not to hang on or sit on the rail. It’s distracting to the riders and horses as they come by and could actually cause a horse to spook. (And it causes undue stress on the fencing material itself!) Wherever you decide to wait, however, make sure that your child is happy with the choice; some children may be nervous to have a parent observing the lesson, whereas others might find it thrilling to have an audience. Just ask your child what she’d prefer.
If you do form the habit of watching the lessons, look for opportunities to encourage your child, as well as the other riders. You don’t have to know the specifics of what each is doing or understand the nuances of riding any more than you need terrific detail to encourage kids in a soccer or baseball game. As you watch the children mastering each skill, like proceeding from walking to trotting, from trotting to cantering, make a point of congratulating them (after the lesson is over). Just telling them they looked great or were sure working hard is enough.
Learning to ride is a joyous, challenging, tiring, and ultimately wondrous experience — noting each child’s efforts along the way will mean the world to them.
Riding 101 — Why Are They Just Going Round in Circles?
For the nonequestrian, watching horses and their riders going endlessly around and around the arena can be not only perplexing but also about as exciting as watching paint dry. But with experience, you’ll realize there is much to be seen with each circuit. There are nuances in the horse’s movement — he’s striding out more, he’s maintaining a more constant speed, he’s able to keep on a straight line (much more difficult than you’d think), he’s going well into the corners, he’s bending better in his circles, he’s picking up his leads nicely, and much, much more. This kind of observation is very useful to the learning process and interesting to a viewer who can see the improvements or note the mistakes.
For the nonequestrian, however, it may be a bit of a struggle to find something interesting in the carousel-like trips around the arena, over and over and over …! If you’re planning to watch a lot of lessons and would like to know more about what’s going on in the ring, it might help to begin with a discussion of what the instructor and rider are working on, what they’re doing, and what they’re trying to accomplish. So we’ll begin by explaining the horse’s gaits and how the instructor gauges the skills of horse and rider.
Riders must learn what the correct position feels like, train their muscles to be able to hold it, and then to automatically assume the correct position whenever in the saddle. The back should be straight with good upper body posture. The head should be erect with the chin level and eyes gazing in the direction of movement. There should be a straight line from the center of the rider’s head through the shoulder, elbow, hip, and heel, and a straight line from the rider’s elbow through the hands and reins to the horse’s mouth. Heels must be down and toes up.
Working at the Walk
You’ll be seeing a lot of this gait, especially at first. It may seem boring to go around the ring at the walk, yet the rider is learning quite a lot. Your child is thinking about all the issues mentioned below while keeping her balance, moving with the horse’s motion, remembering how to hold the reins, trying not to tug on the horse’s mouth, and myriad other details. As you watch, look at the quality of the walk and ask yourself these questions:
• Does the horse move in a balanced way, with a willing attitude, at a steady and measured speed?
• Does he keep a straight line along the rail or does he wander back and forth?
• Does he bend his body as he goes around the corners or does he keep it rigid?
• Does he stay at a calm walk or does he jig and dance with impatience to go faster?
• Is the horse “on the bit” (his head is perfectly vertical) or is he ahead of or behind the bit?
• And how about the rider? Is her seat “deep” or does she appear ill at ease and loose in the saddle?
• Are her hands gentle, yet keeping good contact with the bit — in other words, moving forward and back in harmony with the horse’s natural head motion at the walk?
• Are her heels down and toes up?
• Is her lower leg jammed against the horse’s side or are they properly straight and maintaining a very light contact?
• Does the rider slump in the saddle or maintain good posture?
• Does the horse/rider pair look in harmony or do they appear stiff or uncomfortable with each other?
A wonderful way to show your child you’re enjoying her riding almost as much as she is is to videotape her. Play the video at home and have the whole family watch, and encourage your child to talk about what she’s doing onscreen and why. Still photos can be used the same way.
Watch the Horse’s Head
While the rider must achieve and maintain the proper position, the same is true of the horse. The rider’s position is intended to help the horse carry her, and the horse’s position helps him move in the most balanced way possible.
Incorrect: This horse is “ahead of the bit,” meaning that his nose is stretched out too far and the reins are too loose (note his uncertain expression and ear set).
Correct: This horse is “on the bit,” with his head perpendicular to the ground and good contact between his mouth and the rider’s hands. The relaxed ears and facial expression indicate the horse is content and comfortable.
Incorrect: This horse is “behind the bit,” meaning that his chin is too close to his chest because the reins are held too tight. His flattened ears and flared nostrils indicate his discomfort.
Talking the Talk
Grooming. Brushing and combing a horse’s or pony’s body, mane, and tail, as well as cleaning out the hooves.
Gait. The pace at which a horse moves forward. Most horses have four gaits — the walk, trot, canter, and gallop in English; the walk, jog, lope, and gallop in Western.
Collection. When a horse assumes a rounded, flexed, and balanced posture, which helps to increase his physical ability to comply with the rider’s requests. A horse can be collected at all gaits.
Contact. The connection, through the reins and the bit, between the rider’s hands and the horse’s mouth, which should be firm but without strain or tension.
On the bit. The horse is accepting the bit and the rider’s contact. This can be observed by the horse’s head position, which should be vertical to the ground when viewed from the side. A horse who is “behind the bit” will have his chin closer to his chest; a horse “ahead of the bit” will have his nose ahead of his forehead.
On the rail. When the horse and rider are moving along in the arena, next to the fence or rail.
Transitioning to the Trot
The horse and rider must master the qualities described at the walk before trotting — speed does not make these skills easier to attain! The trot is a two-beat gait much like a human’s jog, in which the diagonal legs (left front and right rear, right front and left rear) hit the ground at the same time. The most common trot is the “working trot” — a steady, brisk speed at which the majority of training is performed. There is also the western “jog,” a slow but steady two-beat gait; the English “collected trot,” a controlled, elevated trot for higher level work; and the upper-level dressage “extended trot,” a lovely gait at which the horse’s legs really stretch and reach.
Some horses’ trots are naturally lovely and springy, which makes them easy to ride once the rider gets the hang of how it feels. Other horses (particularly ponies) are cursed with hard, jolting trots that make this gait difficult and uncomfortable for the rider. For this reason, as well as to save the horse’s back from being pounded by the beginning rider’s seat, riders “post.” This is when the rider, moving in concert with the horse’s stride, alternately rises slightly and sits back in the saddle (for this reason, a posting trot is also called “rising trot.”)
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POSTING AND SITTING TROT
Posting is done “on the diagonal,” using the shoulder toward the outer side of the arena. So if the horse is circling clockwise, his left shoulder is the outside shoulder. The rider rises slightly out of the saddle when the left foreleg steps forward at the trot and sits back gently as the leg moves back — this is called posting on the left diagonal. If the right shoulder were closest to the outside of the arena, as is the case when circling counterclockwise, the rider would post on the right diagonal. It takes a lot of practice to post properly and to remember when (and how) to change diagonals.
English riders perform the posting trot to get their weight off the horse’s back and to make riding the sometimes-jarring gait more comfortable.
Riders also must learn to ride the “sitting trot,” which, just as it sounds, means that the rider remains seated in the saddle. This is actually harder to do well than posting, because it involves maintaining balance, proper leg position, proper seat position, and soft contact with the horse’s mouth. It takes quite a bit of experience to develop the ability to remain elegantly seated and move with the horse’s motions, instead of banging up and down against the horse’s trot.
Controlling the Canter
After your child has mastered the basic skills at the walk and trot (which could take months), she will be ready to think about cantering. The canter is the gait between the trot and the much faster gallop (your child will not be doing this in lessons!). The canter is a three-beat gait and is intended to be collected (controlled) and pleasing to watch. It’s moving at speed, but calmly. In contrast, the gallop is a four-beat gait, where you can hear each hoof striking the ground individually.
Although the idea of riding at the canter can be a little intimidating because it seems fast, the canter is actually an easier gait to ride than the trot. This is because of the rocking motion of the horse’s body while cantering.
At both the canter and the gallop, the horse “leads” with one foreleg or the other, meaning that either the left or the right foreleg reaches farther forward as the horse takes a stride. The horse leads with the leg that is to the inside of the ring, allowing him to balance better and bear his weight more correctly in the turns. In other words, when the horse is “on the left lead,” the left foreleg reaches farther ahead than the right; on the right lead, the right foreleg reaches farther ahead. If the horse is circling the arena counterclockwise, he should be on a left lead; if he’s circling clockwise, it should be the right lead.
When your child is riding at the canter, learn to figure out which lead she is on and whether her hands and heels stay down — the natural tendency for beginning riders is to tighten their body and draw up as the horse’s speed increases, so the heels come up and the hands rise. Remaining deep in the seat, keeping tension out of the arms and hands, and keeping the lower legs in the proper position rather than swinging with the horse’s rocking motion are the major tasks your child will work on as she learns to canter. And none of this is easy or intuitive! It takes a long while to get all of this right and to do it all consistently.
One of the biggest milestones your child will achieve at some point in her lessons is successfully riding the canter. The gait is smooth and rocking, and the speed is exhilarating. The first time she canters is cause for celebration!
Ongoing Assessment
After your child has been taking lessons for a while, how do you determine the continued safety of the lesson programs and appropriateness of what’s taught? In many ways, you can follow your own instincts. What do you see when you observe lessons? If the instructor starts teaching your child to jump, for example, and you can see that your child can barely steer and stop the horse, you need to put a halt to things.
As you watch your child’s lessons and talk to your child afterward, ask yourself the following questions:
• Does your child like the instructor and enjoy being around her?
• How well does the instructor interact with the students? Does she know them all by name?
• Do the students feel free to ask questions and discuss their concerns with the instructor? Does the instructor take time to listen and respond to the students?
• Does the instructor provide positive feedback?
• Does the instructor offer constructive criticism without scolding or harping?
• Is the instructor patient with your questions? Is your involvement and participation encouraged and welcomed?
• Can the instructor discuss details about your child’s progression off-the-cuff and in a detailed, thorough manner?
In some ways, learning to ride a horse is not unlike learning to drive a car. The instructor doesn’t just hand over the car keys and tell the student to have fun. The beginning driver has to learn about safety features, about the rules of the road, how to use the brakes to stop smoothly, how wide to take a right or a left turn … just starting the car can take a while to master!
It’s no different with riding, except that the horse is a living, breathing creature with a mind of his own. It is essential, therefore, that riders learn how to handle the horse on the ground (catching, leading, tying, grooming, tacking up), as well as in the saddle (how to steer, how to stop, how to stay in the saddle, to develop a balanced seat and soft hands, and so on) before ever pursuing more advanced activities that require a solid foundation. Going straight to jumping, for example, would be like taking a 15- or 16-year-old driving student and putting him on the Autobahn at 120 mph.
FROM A HORSE-CRAZY KID
When I was about two, my mom and grandmother took me out to Sandy Lake Park where they had pony rides. After my first ride was over I did not want to get off my pony. I started crying and throwing a fit because this first experience of riding was about to be over. The man who was running the pony ride allowed me to continue riding for free until I almost fell asleep on the pony that afternoon. From then on I was hooked.
To me, horses have always meant beauty, freedom, and an art of communication between an animal and a human. I have always been content to watch horses all day. When I was little, my riding buddies and I pretended to be horses and would personally jump over anything we could stack up. We would set up courses for our dogs to become the latest and greatest “horse” in our backyard.
The kindness of horses’ hearts captivates me. It is amazing how a person’s kind actions and words can erase a horse’s memory of wrongdoing and prior experiences with cruelty. How the horse, if treated right, holds no grudges.
Is My Child Ready to Move Up?
In the equestrian world, riders must earn the right to study and perform at higher levels by first mastering the foundation skills at the lower levels. Otherwise, serious injury to both the rider and the horse is all too likely. The topics that follow should be considered as a guide for assessing your child’s readiness to move to higher training levels.
Assessing Your Child’s Interest
Before determining if your child is ready to move on to a higher level of instruction, it’s important to be sure she is still enthusiastic about riding. Ask yourself the following questions, and of course, ask your child what she wants to do.
• Does your child still enjoy going to lessons and being around horses?
• Does she drag her feet and allow relatively minor details to prevent her from going to the barn or interacting with the horses?
• Is your child usually eager to be at the barn, even in inclement weather or when another activity conflicts with it?
• Is she reluctant to leave the barn when it’s time?
• Does your child actively seek out the horses when arriving at the barn?
• Does she have a favorite who is often the recipient of special pats and treats?
• When handling horses, is your child relaxed and confident?
Another aspect of assessing readiness is to observe her progress. When watching your child on horseback, ask yourself if she can adequately control the horse. Look for the following signs:
At the halt. Does the horse stand quietly or is he jigging around and tossing his head?
At the walk. Does the horse maintain a steady walk, go in the direction your child tells him to, turn and stop as your child cues him? Do your child’s feet remain in the stirrups? Do your child’s feet consistently maintain the proper heels down/toes up position? Is she sitting quietly in the saddle, relaxed and comfortable? Can your child maintain the proper length of reins (a straight line from the hands to the bit, neither taut nor loose)?
At the trot. Can your child maintain her seat in the saddle?
At the canter. Is your child comfortable and enjoying the speed and the experience? Can your child maintain her balance at the greater speed? If the horse were to give a happy little buck, would your child be able to handle it (both physically and mentally)? Can your child maintain control of the horse at the canter and maneuver safely and confidently around other riders/horses or obstacles?
If your child can do all of these things consistently, comfortably, and is still enjoying the experience, then and only then should jumping a very small jump be considered. And, by the way, jumping is not something anyone ever has to learn to do — it is just one of many disciplines riders can learn.
Parent and Instructor Roles
The decision to move a student on to higher training levels is a tough one — even for skilled instructors. This is because it takes a combination of mental and physical readiness: a professional instructor can easily determine the physical skills but no one can read another person’s mind, so mental readiness can be challenging to evaluate.
This is when the instructor–student relationship becomes particularly critical and when the instructor’s experience, skill, and knowledge truly are put to the test. Some students, for example, don’t have enough confidence in their increasing skills to believe they are ready to move on to bigger challenges. They may require extra coaching, extra encouragement, and (sometimes) being pushed a bit to take that next step. A skilled instructor, therefore, has to figure out how to help the student to develop self-confidence and to appropriately recognize (and believe in) her own abilities.
Another challenge for instructors can be students who have a burning desire to move on to higher training levels, but who simply don’t (yet) possess the physical skills to accommodate that desire. The instructor in this case must carefully channel those ambitions into building the foundation skills, yet keep the student from becoming bored while doing so. Even more important, she must prevent that student from putting herself into a potentially dangerous situation that exceeds her ability to handle.
Just as critically, how do parents, lacking the instructor’s skills and knowledge and experience, know when their child is ready to move to higher training levels? How do you know when your child is being pushed too fast or held back too much? How can you tell if the training level is safe and appropriate for your child? And how can you tell if you are the one either holding your child back or pushing her too hard?
It starts with observation and ongoing involvement — regularly observing your child’s riding lessons and seeing for yourself your child’s progress and engagement, her interaction with the instructor, how the instructor encourages your child and how your child responds. Listen to the instructor’s evaluation, even if there are aspects of it you don’t want to hear. Then listen to your own parental instincts. No one knows your child as well as you do, after all.