“Is my child old enough to ride a horse?” Parents ask this question a lot! What is the best age for a child to take horseback riding lessons?
Many children play with toy horses at a young age.
It was not a day that went by that I was asked if a three year old could take riding lessons. Believe it or not I got phone calls for 2 year old. A parent needs to understand that riding horses fun. Bu a 2 year old is not going to take riding lessons. They will be taking pony rides. Playing with horses when they are young doesn’t mean they are ready to take on a real horse. But visiting one and sitting on one might be nice.
Let’s check something out, though. Did your child say they want to ride a horse, or deep down do you want to ride a horse? Some parents have always had that same dream as their child.
Parents may have the opportunity to help with the child’s horseback riding lesson.
Most parents that get their children riding at a young age, do so because they always wanted to ride. My mom did that with me. My neighbors helped me with the itch to ride, and my mom was on board!! Although, my mom never became involved with helping me take care of my horse. It might be a great opportunity for a parent to live vicariously through their child.
At my barn a parent of a young child would be recruited to help their child groom, put bridle and saddle on, lead, and fetch and return the horse from the field, etc. You will learn a lot about riding a horse, just observing and listening to the teacher while your child is having a riding lesson. This will give you a basic understanding of what to expect if you buy a horse for your youngster. I highlighted basic, because there is a large amount of work behind the scenes that you will not learn.
There are some parents that would not be caught grooming or leading a horse. So make sure you let your child’s instructor know how involved you would like to be.
How fast will they learn how to ride a horse safely
Lets move on to the best age to start a child in horseback riding lessons. If your child is 2-5 years old. At 2-5 years old, a child typically does not have the level of cognitive development or attention span needed needed. To keep riders safe, an instructor may have helpers to hold he horse and riders during a lesson for a child under 5 years old. A special horse or pony is taken into consideration as well.
Many stables do not teach children under 6 years old. Although, I would stretch it for a 5 year old that has attended kindergarten for at least a half of year. Beginner riders need to be disciplined, follow directions, and know how to calm themselves. Teaching a child that has already been to kindergarten is much easier and they excel faster.
Finally, how long will it take for them to trot and canter or even jump a horse. Well, that depends on the child and the parent. Some children might take longer than others. I had a 3 year old take 2.5 years as a lead line student before she could ride on the lunge line. And another student came to me as a 4 year old and was riding on her own in a year. She did ride the most docile horse we had and after she broke away from the lunge line she still had a runner with her. Until she could trot and turn and halt on her own. And each rider had to pass tests that led them to cantering a horse by themselves. Every instructor is different.
Some children are more mature than their companions
I am not saying you should not start a 2-5-year-old with riding lessons and caring for horses. I agree with exposing them to horses at that early age. But, it takes a different approach to teaching if the child is not your own. Safety is so important. As an instructor, I welcomed a lesson or pony ride to a 3-5 year old. But, I was set up to offer a safe pony, side walkers and leader.
Your child might be a mature or athletic five-year-old who will be a natural, as we see in other sports. Those individuals take to riding naturally. I tell those parents that their child is unique and a “talented” rider. Those that have good positions from day one and are not nervous. Then, on the opposite side, I have taught many who are scared and timid or have short attention spans. They want to quit riding 5 minutes into a 30-minute lesson and avoid unsaddling or brushing a horse and not enjoying cleaning a stall. Those riders should wait a while til they are more mature and have a longer attention span.
Have your child take an introduction horseback riding lesson
I have started many riders age 3, 4, 5. But, I also had the right lesson horses and enough helpers to make the lesson safe. Have your child take an introductory lesson, just to get a feel for the teachers abilities with a younger rider and their personality toward a young horse rider. Use your common sense and gut feelings to determine if the instructor and horses are a good fit for your rider.
Be sure to check out a couple of lesson barns and talk to the owners and instructors.
Before getting them started in lessons, you can do some research. Look up Riding lesson barns and ask if they take 2-5 year old’s. If they do, find out if the instructor and horse has experienced working with young children and then get references from the parents of a student of theirs. And go watch a lesson or two. Check out the barn for the barn rules and cleanliness.
Don’t Rush your child’s horseback riding lessons
It is important to remember that slow is better. It won’t be unusual for a toddler taught on a lead line similar to a pony ride for a few lessons or maybe as long as a year or two. I’m not saying their lesson will be just a pony ride. When they are ready they can learn a lot of basic riding skills. Lastly, an instructor should have no hesitations in telling you what they are teaching, and how your child reacted to new exercises or techniques.
Safety is #1
Its my experience that you can never me too safe. All riders should wear helmets, even if they are on a lead line. And foot ware should be considered. Follow this link to some safety tips for their feet. https://newtohorses.com/what-horse-riding-boots-do-you-wear/ And for their heads. https://newtohorses.com/horseback-riding-helmets-are-vital-to-safety/.
Falling from a horse does happen. And I did my best to make sure riders were safe from their very first lesson. Not only to avoid injuries, but also to provide comfort for rider and parent. Avoiding mishaps when riders start out as beginners is paramount for them to be confident around horses. And always wanting to continue their journey as a successful horseback rider.
Many Olympic Riders started out being led on a lead line or lunge rope
The lead line was used with some of my best riders during their first lessons. And some parents complained about paying for a riding lesson that seemed to be a pony ride. However, I explained to them that the experience of being led on a horse or pony is essential for the rider to gain confidence and balance. While being taught on a lead, they could do exercises such as touching their toes and standing up in their stirrups and out of the saddle. As well as learning riding terms and exercises.
Step by Step
Its important to allow a younger rider to take learning to ride horses slowly learning each skill step A rider can safely learn to walk and trot with a leader and side walkers, take trail rides, and more. When they are ready, I always will graduate my lead line students to a lunge line. Lunging is when the instructor holds a long line that is connected to the horse’s halter. The horse walks circles around me. I still will have hold of the horse for safety, but its help the young horseback rider feel and more independent. When the student is released, and riding on their own, they have learned to be calm and confident. Ready to move to the next step of riding independently.
You can full fill your dream and bond with your child while being involved with horses
Let’s go back to fulfilling your dream of riding a horse. Oh, wait, I mean your toddlers dream. If you want to be involved with horses, there isn’t anything wrong with that. Either you will eventually start riding yourself, or at the least, be a “horsey” parent while learning alongside your child.
I have seen many mothers or fathers bond with their children while spending time at the barn together. Parents can even decide to join them and learn to ride too. There are lots of horse activities that parent and child can do. Such as going on a trail ride and showing. You will later find more activities to do in my “activities with horses” category.
In the next few posts, I will describe why you want your child involved with horses. So keep reading or come back to see the next post https://newtohorses.com/benefits-of-horseback-riding/