Re: riding lessons



enigma wrote:
Boo (6 in August) wants to start horse riding lessons this summer. so... what questions do i need to ask the instructor/stable?
i tried to get him into theraputic riding last year, but the wait list is miles long & starts over every 3 months.
lee

There are people on this newsgroup who know a lot more about horses than I do, so listen to them first.

My daughter took riding lessons for a couple of years when we lived in Atlanta. I knew the people who ran the stable and liked the way they operated, so I didn't look around for other options. However, a few things I would ask:

- Do they have a fair number of younger students? I know Boo has at least sensory issues, but really, a lot of 5- and 6-year-old can be a little unpredictable around horses, from what I've seen. If the instructors are used to dealing with little kids who are new to horses, that's a big plus, to me.

- Do they emphasize showing horses (this stable didn't)? Some of the stables in Atlanta, as best I could tell, emphasize dressage and show preparation; I wasn't interested in that.

- I'm assuming any reputable stable will require helmets; however, the stable where my daughter took lessons required helmets any time a child was doing anything with the horses - not just riding. If a child was grooming a horse, feeding a horse, walking a horse back to the stall - the helmet had to be on. Given the horse:child size ratio, I'd want this rule.

- When my daughter took lessons, the lessons included not just riding, but care of the horses. I liked that, because I didn't want her to get the idea a horse is just a big warmblooded motorcycle you hop on and ride, and then leave. I know there were other stables that did this, so maybe it's typical to teach horse care along with riding.

So much for ideas from someone relatively ignorant of horses.

Clisby
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