Your Horse Crazy Child Wants to Ride a Pony. What's 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.”