So how do you pick a barn for your young child?
The first step in selecting a barn is likely location. However, the horse crazy child in your family is not your only child. You’ve got other children you need to chauffeur to soccer practice and gymnastics. There are only so many after school hours in the day for extracurricular activities, I understand. But you have to ask yourself is the closest option your safest and best option? 

The second factor is likely the lesson cost. Is the person the cheapest in that area or are they competitive with their pricing? What credentials do they possess? Will the facility owner or head trainer be the one instructing your child or will their assistant be teaching? Will it be a combination of the head trainer and the assistant trainer? Fostering relationships with the trainer is particularly important for their growth and comfort. 

The third determining factor is if the facility has an indoor riding ring?  In order to continue lessons through the winter should your child show a serious commitment to the sport, you'll likely want to be at a facility that has an indoor. If the facility doesn't boast an indoor you run the risk of inconsistent lessons due to the unpredictable weather. However, there are a lot of lessons that can be taught and learned in the barn even if riding doesn't occur. 

I encourage you to take to social media and look up the facilities you’re considering on all of the social platforms. Check out their reviews on their Facebook page as well as on Yelp or Groupon. What makes them unique? What are people saying about their experiences there? What are people saying about the instruction? About the horses? 

The fourth thing you should REALLY be asking yourself is is this place safe? How do you know it’s safe? What makes it safe? We'll cover this topic next. 

So your horse crazy child wants to ride a pony, what are the next steps? 

It goes without saying “you get what you pay for,” but what should you look for and expect in an establishment that offers horseback riding lessons? 

First, I’ll say that everyone thinks horseback riding is expensive. I do not disagree. I believe it to be true that parents try to put off the equestrian experience for their child based solely on cost. “What if my child decides they don’t like it after we purchase the boots, helmet, and pants?” Well, I will tell you that their is absolutely NO price on safety, in a multitude of ways. Parents should make sure the child commits to a certain number of lessons before either stopping or continuing lessons. This can be a tough, yet teachable moment for kids that sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do, or work with people we don’t want to work with, but making them try it for a short period of time is an invaluable lesson beyond the riding lesson itself. Horseback riding lends MANY learning opportunities for children. How to care for something else, how to work as a team, how to communicate verbally and nonverbally, peer mentoring, teaches problem solving, following directions, increases balance and dexterity, improves mental health, and is physically conditioning, to only name a few benefits. You will certainly get your money’s worth with the “right fit facility.”