Impish Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Can someone help me out re: what to look for in a stable/riding lessons? Diva's been begging, I'd like to arrange something for her, but am totally clueless. I wouldn't know a good place from a bad one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil' maids in a row Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Hi there! My husband was a barn manager/trainer/riding instructor for 15 years, and I also spent a lot of time at different barns. I have seen a lot of bad situations, as well as plenty of good ones. Things to look for (these are my opinion, not everyone would agree) - Clean, healthy, well cared for horses. Their hooves should not be overgrown, they should not have sores on their bodies, you should not be able to see prominent backbones, ribs or hips (though some gaited horse have prominent hips). - An instructor that requires helmets, proper boots and long pants. - Well cared for appropriate equipment. (Especially look at the bit. Snaffles, low curb bits = appropriate for a beginner rider, high curbs, twisted snaffles, bicycle chain bits = look somewhere else) -A clean barn. No barn is spotless, but look for clean water buckets, stalls with fresh looking bedding, swept aisles. -Appropriate school horses. No horse is perfect and even school horses have bad days. But expect horses that are generally safe. - Nice instructors. I have seen instructors belittle riders and brutalize horses. Your child and their mount should be treated with respect. If the instructer pops a horse's nose because it was trying to bite - ok, if he kicks him in the gut because he took a step while someone was mounting, or terrorizes it because it refused to jump a fence - look somewhere else. -Appropriate lessons. Young children should start out on a lunge line or a lead line. Kids need to learn turning and stopping before they do much at a trot. Kids need solid flatwork skills before they take on jumping or trailriding. -Be catious when using a horse professional to help you buy a horse. I have MANY horror stories. Generally get a 2nd or 3rd opinion, get a vet check, and know that they recieve a commission. SOME trainers/instructors knowingly inflate prices on horses for clients that they know can afford it (often anyone involved in the sale of a horse gets 10% commission, some professionals encourage sellers to inflate the price so they get a bigger commission). SOME encourage clients to buy horses that are inappropriate for them knowing that they will then make more money because they will be called on to train the horse (and the kid will still have to pay to ride school horses). *** This is truly my opinion and many will disagree, but... Start with english riding. Most kids want to do western, and western is great. But English is safer imo - because there is less saddle to get hung up on in a fall. I feel that english riding simply developes better riding skills, that will translate into other forms of riding later on. Good luck and enjoy, I think riding is one of the best sports for kids, and it is a lifelong sport. Meredith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil' maids in a row Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Consider calling your local large animal vet. He would probably steer you right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsnapper Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 A local charter school here pays for extracurricular activities, including riding lessons. The vendors for activities have to be checked out before receiving approval to be a school vendor. That's one level of being "checked out". But also the earlier posts about quality and safety are very important. We were lucky enough to find a place that had the safety element, the facility was simple but well maintained, and the teachers were on the ball with tailoring a lesson to the age and lack of skill of my daughter. It seems like if they have lots of strict rules, then they're "anal" about safety and that's a good thing when it comes to my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 Thanks for the responses. I wouldn't know a snaffle from a puddle though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I'd just ask to sit in on a beginner class and watch the instructor's style with the kids. My kids have only taken a handful of lessons, but my good friend teaches riding lessons. She's a fun teacher but gets really serious about safety issues. The only person I've ever seen on a horse at her barn w/out a helmet is her. I agree with what everyone else says, except the part about English vs. Western.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 http://www.equisearch.com/tack_apparel/bit_gallery/bittypes/ Try this article about bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nata Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 (edited) I agree with everything Meredith said. I'd go visit and notice if anyone is riding without a helmet...I don't care if they are the owner or an instructor...no helmet, no business. Our barn has a rule that no child may enter the barn to groom or tack up without a helmet on their head. Also, are the horses kept turned out or stuck in stalls all day. Horses are herbivorous herd animals and it is essential for their well-being to be turned out with other horses and have either grass to graze or hay if the grazing is poor...it doesn't need to be acres and acres of green rolling fields, but a sand paddock with a shed and enough room to play around a bit, stocked with hay, is just as good. There may not be hay in front of them ALL the time, but a cursory glance at the horses will tell you if they are underfed...jutting hip bones and ribs and sunken glazed eyes are a warning! Also ask how many students per group and whether more than one lesson are taught at the same time. IMHO a group should NEVER have more than 4 people...3 is even better. There is only so much one person can see at any given time! Another good indicator is to ask how many times a day the school horses get used. Where my daughter rides it is once...twice maximum. Anything more than twice sounds like a warning of a "lesson mill" where your child may be exposed to potential hazards. Where beginner riders are concerned, less distractions and students per group, the better...in fact our barn requires privates for the first few lessons until the child is deemed ready for a group setting. Edited June 12, 2012 by nata Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 first of all, how old is your daughter? I don't think it's wise to start a child before the age of 8. then i think you should decide if she wants to ride English (think jumping) or Western (think cowboys). After you've decided about that, find a couple of barns in your area that give lessons and just show up there some afternoon after school or on a Saturday morning. I know you don't know what to look for but i think you'll be able to tell if the barn is clean and you can tell if a horse isn't being taken care of. If there are parents around (watching the lesson) start asking them questions. They will give you the good, bad and ugly of that barn. After you've found a barn you like then I would schedule a few private lessons. One thing i would ask about is if, say the lesson is an hour long, if that is the riding time or if that includes tacking and untacking (getting the horse dressed and undressed, brushed, cooled down etc). You want to find a barn that has actual riding time that does not include tacking and untacking included in the actual lesson. someone in this thread mentioned that the trainer doesn't wear a helmet, i'm not okay with that. the trainer is a role model and if they are on a horse, they need to be wearing a helmet. I would not put my child in a class with more than 3 people (after several private lessons). If you child is not interested in ever showing, then i would find a barn that doesn't show. most barns that show are going to gear your child toward showing and that can be brutal especially if they don't want to do it. If i were you, i would make absolutely sure that your daughter wants to ride horses because it is VEERRRYYY expensive. Honestly, I don't think once a week lessons are a good thing. IF your daughter wants to continue on with riding, then it is going to take her a very long time to advance with once a week lessons, especially if she doesn't have a horse to practice on, this is just my opinion though. You are going to need boots with a heel and a helmet. Do not buy a used helmet, you don't know if it was ever involved in a fall. If your child ever falls off a horse, the helmet needs to be replaced, no question. I think it's great that she wants to learn how to ride. I can't even begin to tell you the things riding has done for and taught both of my daughters. the relationship between a person and her horse is second to none but it is work....and it's HARD work. Remember, you are dealing with a 1,000 pound animal who is huge and has a mind of his/her own. Hope this helps a little bit. One more thing that i think is VERY important, you want to find a place that turns their lesson horses out. it is crucial for horses to be outside as much as possible. there is NOTHING that will sour a horse faster than no turn out and being abused (yes i said abused) by little kids who think nothing of hitting the horse because it's not 'behaving". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 It's Diva. She's 13. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Hi there! My husband was a barn manager/trainer/riding instructor for 15 years' date=' and I also spent a lot of time at different barns. I have seen a lot of bad situations, as well as plenty of good ones. Things to look for (these are my opinion, not everyone would agree) - Clean, healthy, well cared for horses. Their hooves should not be overgrown, they should not have sores on their bodies, you should not be able to see prominent backbones, ribs or hips (though some gaited horse have prominent hips). - An instructor that requires helmets, proper boots and long pants. - Well cared for appropriate equipment. (Especially look at the bit. Snaffles, low curb bits = appropriate for a beginner rider, high curbs, twisted snaffles, bicycle chain bits = look somewhere else) -A clean barn. No barn is spotless, but look for clean water buckets, stalls with fresh looking bedding, swept aisles. -Appropriate school horses. No horse is perfect and even school horses have bad days. But expect horses that are generally safe. - Nice instructors. I have seen instructors belittle riders and brutalize horses. Your child and their mount should be treated with respect. If the instructer pops a horse's nose because it was trying to bite - ok, if he kicks him in the gut because he took a step while someone was mounting, or terrorizes it because it refused to jump a fence - look somewhere else. -Appropriate lessons. Young children should start out on a lunge line or a lead line. Kids need to learn turning and stopping before they do much at a trot. Kids need solid flatwork skills before they take on jumping or trailriding. -Be catious when using a horse professional to help you buy a horse. I have MANY horror stories. Generally get a 2nd or 3rd opinion, get a vet check, and know that they recieve a commission. SOME trainers/instructors knowingly inflate prices on horses for clients that they know can afford it (often anyone involved in the sale of a horse gets 10% commission, some professionals encourage sellers to inflate the price so they get a bigger commission). SOME encourage clients to buy horses that are inappropriate for them knowing that they will then make more money because they will be called on to train the horse (and the kid will still have to pay to ride school horses). *** This is truly my opinion and many will disagree, but... Start with english riding. Most kids want to do western, and western is great. But English is safer imo - because there is less saddle to get hung up on in a fall. I feel that english riding simply developes better riding skills, that will translate into other forms of riding later on. Good luck and enjoy, I think riding is one of the best sports for kids, and it is a lifelong sport. Meredith[/quote'] :iagree::iagree: I actually go so far as to say that after a month of lessons I take away the saddle altogether and let the child work on the lunge line and learn to feel the horse. They will be much safer if they develop a good seat before they move on to harder stuff. The only things I would add to this list, is to make sure that the instructor requires the kids to always wear helmets and proper footwear. I like to see an instructor that is big on safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.