Children Learning to Ride Horses

I grew up with horses. My old neighborhood had stables and the most beautiful horses. I wasn’t as big of a horse fan as my sister was. Well, I had My Little Ponies but that wasn’t the same thing.  My sister had all kinds of horse posters, horse statues and even shirts with horses on them.  One of the things we both did when we were young was taking horseback riding lessons at our neighborhood stables.  It was a lot of fun. We also were able to learn more about horses. We would comb their manes. We also had to learn the parts of a saddle and even how to put the saddle on properly.  I would always bring an apple for my horse after I rode. I learned the proper way to clean its hooves too.  I used to love when I had a chance to ride a horse.  I felt so proud and in charge.  I had to be careful not to scare the horse or make it go too fast.  Taking riding lessons is a lot more than just getting on a horse and riding around. You also have to learn important safety tips.   After all horses are animals, and can be unpredictable. 

 You really learn how to be responsible. If I didn’t behave, I wasn’t allowed to go to my riding lesson.  I didn’t want to miss a minute of it so I was always on my best behavior.  I didn’t do any competing.  I wasn’t looking to become a famous equestrian. I just liked to ride horses. I am not sure I would have been comfy with all the jumps. I wasn’t very brave.  Some of my friends that took riding lessons did all the jumps and the courses. I had private lessons with my sister so we only did what we were comfortable with.  I remember going to neighborhood friends horse shows. It looked so cool, but at the same time it wasn’t for me. 

I would love for Noah to take horseback riding lessons; if that is something he would be interested in. I am sure I can find a pony club  for him to join when he is on summer break.  He loves animals so, maybe.  He likes to look at pictures of his mom on a horse.   I still remember how to clean a horse’s hooves and could properly install a saddle in a pinch.  If your child is interested in horses, you should give them the chance to learn to ride.  Going on a pony ride at the fair or zoo is totally different than letting them go out and really ride.  Kids get to know the horse on a more personal level, and they get to really learn how to take care of horses and the techniques to ride a horse.

Did you ever take horseback riding lessons when you were young? What did you think?