How to Choose a Riding School for Your Child

Learn how to choose a riding school for your child even if you don't know one end of the horse from the other.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Notebook
• Transportation
• Two or three Saturdays

1. Evaluate your child's interests. Many kids (and probably all little girls) love horses. Listen to what your child talks about -- does he or she have a specific dream or a general fascination with horses? Some riding schools specialize in one style of riding.

2. Try to contact some experienced horse people or parents of riders in your area for recommendations. Check the Internet but remember that many riding stables don't have their own website. A good place to start is the United States Pony Club site, www.ponyclub.org, where you can contact a local club and through the club various members.

3. Make up a tentative list of riding stables that are within reasonable driving distance of your home and visit them. Follow these steps to evaluate them.

4. Check for Safety. Four basic requirements -- (1) a responsible adult responsible adult present in the stable when children are there; (2) every child who is on a horse wearing boots and a riding helmet; (3)a reasonable level of control over the kids (no running, shrieking, giggling packs) and (4)usual safety things -- fire extinguishers, emergency numbers, insurance.

5. Check out the facilities. Is the stable reasonably clean? It may smell of horses (naturally) and be dusty but it shouldn't stink of filth. Do the horses' stalls have water and clean bedding?
   Is there a separate riding area? Does it have safe, secure fences? (No sagging barbed wire or plain wire strands, broken boards,or missing pieces patched with rope.) Is the footing reasonably smooth and free of holes, junk, and trash?
   Is the place basically well-maintained? No sagging barbed wire fences, piles of rusty old junk, puddles of urine, or dilapidated stalls constructed of odds and ends.
   Is the harness clean and supple looking? Watch out for cracked, dried out leather and tack patched together with twine.

6. Check the qualifications of instructors. Is the instructor qualified to teach a child like yours? There are no national or state licensing requirements for riding instructors, but some organizations offer certificates, and some instructors have had formal training at a college. You can ask.
   Watch a lesson and use common sense as you would in picking a coach for your child. Does the instructor explain things well? Do the students appear unduly frightened? Does the instructor have control of the class? Does the school have an established lesson plan?

7. Check out the horses. Do they look healthy and well-cared for? You should not be able to see their ribs. Their coats should be shiny and clean (unless it is winter when they may be shaggy). The horses should look at you with mild interest, pricking their ears toward you in a friendly way when you come in. No lines of dispirited horses tied to a hitching rail in the sun.

8. Evaluate the horses. Are there horses for different levels of riders? How many lesson horses are available for beginners? Intermediate riders? Remember, for beginners, quiet, helpful, friendly, gentle horses are far more important than the champion show jumpers available for the advanced students.

9. Evaluate feasibility. Can you drive to the stable once a week or find another parent to share driving chores with? Are there discounts for advance payment or for regular students? Can you child help with stable chores to pay for his or her lessons?

10. Evaluate the real lessons. Riding can teach more than a mere sport. Will your child learn to take care of the horse, including grooming and saddling? (This teaches responsibility and most children enjoy it.) Does the instruction take into account different temperaments of horse and rider? (Your child can learn courage and self-reliance by being challenged with different mounts but too spirited an animal can cause a permanent fear). Is there an implied lesson of brutality? (Watch out for language like "needs to learn who's boss!)

11. Consider your own interests. Is there something at the stable or nearby that you can do to amuse yourself? A lounge to read in? A park to jog in? Country roads to bicycle on? Antique shops to browse?

Tips & Warnings

• A good stable is a happy place, for horses and riders.
• Helmets help prevent many serious injuries. Boots help keep a rider from being entangled in the stirrups.
• See if there are opportunities for supervised "hanging around" at the stable; many children love just being around the horses, watching others ride, and so on.
• Avoid stables where you see a horse being beaten (struck more than one or twice).
• Avoid stables where you wouldn't invite the other patrons to your home for a party. (OK not everyone will fit in at a sit down dinner for the ambassador but riders, trainers, and clients should be reasonably respectable in manner and appearance.)
• Avoid any place where the horses have untreated sores, appear lame, and don't look reasonably friendly and calm.