Things You'll Need:
- ASTM/SEI certified riding helmet
- Appropriate footwear (shoes with heels)
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Step 1
Purchase the appropriate safety gear for your child. At a minimum, this will include an ASTM/SEI certified riding helmet and proper footwear.The helmet should be fitted by a professional. Take your child to the store and have someone help you find the best helmet for your child. The helmet should be snug. It should not move down over the child's face when you pull on the brim. It should have a harness to keep it on your child's head during a fall. It should sit squarely on the head, never tipping backward to sit on the neck.You will also need boots or riding shoes with a heel. The heel keeps your child's foot from sliding through the stirrup—this in turn prevents your child from getting dragged by the stirrup in a fall.Additionally, you may purchase a protective vest, available from many tack shops and online sellers. These vests protect the torso in case of a fall, helping to prevent broken ribs, injured spines, and internal injuries.
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Step 2
Hire an appropriate, trained instructor for your child. Many instructors in the US now go through an Instructor Certification Program. They have been reviewed and evaluated by their peers, and stay up-to-date on current training methods and safety techniques.A good instructor will also be able to advise you on the proper equipment and mount for your child. Keeping your child safe on horseback is a team effort, so if you are not an experienced horse person yourself, hire an expert.
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Step 3
Choose a safe, experienced horse for your child. Whether buying, leasing, or renting, you will want to find a horse that will remain calm in all situations.Many parents initially choose ponies such as Shetlands for their child's first horse. While the size might match, these are not the safest mounts for your child. Often these ponies are too small for an adult to train or ride, and they are often treated as pets. This can result in a spoiled horse, one far more likely to injure your child than a well-trained larger pony or horse.Your child's horse should stand calmly both on the ground and under saddle. He should not spook often, nor run away when spooked. He should respond to the child's requests and aids.You may want to look at the horse's history. Who has ridden and trained him? Have other children been successful on him? Many children's horses are passed from child to child, as each rider outgrows the mount and passes him to the next. In this way, one pony or horse safely introduces many children in the joy of horseback riding.
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Step 4
Be proactive about your child's safety while horseback riding. Check the tack—the saddle, girth, stirrup leathers, bridle—for wear or tears. Girths that suddenly break, or stirrup leathers that tear away while your child is in the saddle are completely preventable hazards. Perform daily checks and weekly detailed examinations to ensure your child's equipment is in top form.
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Step 5
Teach your child how to move around a horse.When walking behind a horse, you should let the horse know you are there by keeping close to the hindquarters and placing a hand on the horse as you move around. Horses have a blind spot behind them, and this helps them know where you are.Never walk in kicking distance of a horse's hindquarters. Either walk very close, touching the horse, too close for the horse to properly kick you, or walk entirely out of the range of striking hooves.Never let your child sit or kneel around a horse. He needs to be able to quickly move out of the way should the horse spook. Squatting or crouching for close-to-the-ground tasks is much safer.
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Step 6
Ensure there is always an adult present when your child is on horseback, preferably a knowledgeable adult who can spot a dangerous situation before it develops. Should your child have a problem, having an adult present can quickly calm the situation, and the adult can call for help if necessary.
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Step 7
Allow your child to have some independence while on horseback and while around horses on the ground. Riding horses is a partnership between the horse and rider, and your child will be much safer if she learns to have confidence in her horse.This confidence and trust builds as your child develops horsemanship skills, as she learns about horses and how to behave around them. It comes from experience, from working with the horses.Many parents in the horse world want to help their children by cleaning stalls, grooming the horse, tacking up and feeding. While it may save time (and burn some boredom from just hanging at the stable waiting for your child), it is actually detrimental to your child's horsemanship training.Your child misses out on learning how to feed a horse, how to look for problems like lameness and soreness that could cause the horse to behave badly and injure someone. She doesn't develop an instinct about horse body language, and how she should react to different dangerous situations.Keeping your child safe on horseback involves more than just a helmet; it requires knowledge and skills. Ensure your child develops those skills by allowing her to engage fully in the riding experience, on and off the ground.
