Tranquility7 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 DD6 has always loved horses. I figured every girl does, so no big deal. But a few months ago, DS bought her the Kingfisher Horses and Ponies book, and she has practically memorized the thing. She can tell you EVERYTHING about horses... anatomy, breeds, grooming supplies, saddle styles, coat types, pony care, etc... So anyway... DH and I are actually talking about letting her take some riding lessons. But I'm worried it will be a huge expense of both money and time. I don't like to be halfhearted about things, so if we do it, I want to do it well, at a good training facility with good instructors and well-trained horses. (I don't anticipate buying a horse because we live in a typical suburban neighborhood, and our neighbors would not appreciate our converting our yard into a pasture, LOL! And boarding one would probably be too much trouble and too far away to be worth it.) DD comes by this longing honestly - my mother's life revolved around horses until she married my dad, and I always WANTED to be a rider but we lived in a city so only had very rare opportunities and I never got very good. I know that is part of why I want to let her have this experience. But I'm also really worried about the time and money commitment, especially because, like I said, I like to take things seriously - if you are going to do something, you may as well do it well! If time and money were no issue, I'd have her in lessons already and let her compete in shows. *sigh* So tell me your experiences and opinions... How much did lessons cost? How much was all the "stuff" you need? (helmet, boots, etc.) How often did DC go? How often did DC ride outside of lesson? Did DC compete? If so, how often and how much did it cost? Was it on Sundays? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 So much varies from area to area and style of riding. Lessons are $20-35/hour. You need a good well fitting helmet (about $35 for a schooling level one) and boots...can be used for $5-10 or new. If English likely a pair of riding pants... Often used for $5-10. Lessons are usually weekly Some girls only ride during lessons, esp at that age. As they get older they might be able to ride extra for.little to no cost of they ride other horses in the barn that need exercise...but not at 6 years old. One local barn has a few in barn fun shows. These were Sunday afternoons a few times a year. You can go big and show weekend shows every week. One option would be to see if you could find a local 4h horse group and start her in lessons there. Then she could start for real with the showing, etc at 9. Often instructors will have horses they will lease for the show season. 4h is usually much more economical than other shows. We ended up buying a pony and boarding it...then buying another horse...then more land (we are rural), a barn , 3td horse, horse trailers etc. :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Home Alabama Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 It has been ten years ago, but it seems like I paid about $30/hour when dd was 8 years old. When that teacher moved away a couple of years later, we found a therapeutic riding facility where dd took lessons. She had a lot of experience and maturity by then, and I didn't pay very long for those lessons. I can't remember the cost. It was not long before dd started volunteering there which compensated for the cost of her lessons. You might look for a similar place where your dd could learn the basics then volunteer. The rule at our place is a minimum age of 12 to volunteer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockhopper Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 It *really* does vary by area! I live in the metro DC area. My daughter's lessons are apparently a STEAL at $40/half-hour. (That's for a half-hour of instruction -- dd has another half-hour allotted to her w/o an instructor for getting her horse tacked, then grooming afterward). She has a friend that drives over an hour to take lessons at the same place, because places local to her charged over $1000 for an 8-wk session, and required a $75 evaluation (even though she was a complete beginner). My dd's stable provides helmets, so all new students need are suitable shoes and clothes (jeans is what most kids start in, then they want riding pants). We have a local riding consignment store and we were able to get her a used pair of short riding boots for about $20. Used tall riding boots (like show boots) are always about $75 -- I keep watching for a cheaper pair but nothing so far. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 It really varies by area. You only paying $30 an hour must be in a very low col area. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 (edited) But but but. If she is good and dedicated, lessons lead to horse shows, horse leases, horse ownership, boarding fees... lol My dedicated ballet dad husband has often said "At least she isn't showing a horse." Ballet can be pricey, especially if you add in residential summer intensives, but have you ever priced a dressage saddle? https://www.smartpakequine.com/saddles-691pc I'm mostly joking about the above, that's really hard core. This is a nice starter set, at not a bad price at all: https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/kids-new-rider-essentials-5007 But she should absolutely take riding lessons. Edited January 17, 2016 by LibraryLover 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 We are suburban too, and lucky to find an indoor riding place 5 miles from home. The base rate is about $55 per lesson. It includes a 1 hour riding lesson, plus pre-riding and post-riding tasks. The total time can be from 1.5 to 3.5 hours, depending on when we show up & leave. My kids generally go every Saturday morning, unless they have a conflict with another activity. The only thing they require us to have is hard shoes/boots and gloves. They allow kids to use their helmets etc., but we bought our own helmets after the first few lessons. The lessons sometimes include mock horse shows, complete with ribbons. :) They also participate in many actual horse shows, and they invite riders to participate, even at very early levels. They will loan the clothes for free. The show we participated in was not very expensive. So far we haven't taken the plunge into the really expensive side of horse competition, but we still spend a good $3,000 or more per year for two kids. I feel that it's money well spent, but there's no question it's a luxury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratford Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 My oldest has been riding for the past 4 years, my second oldest for about 3 years. We were lucky enough to find a fantastic instructor with reasonable expectations. Lessons are $35/hr once a week. Other than helmets and a rare pair of boots, everything we have purchased has been secondhand. The boys have ridden in several schooling or fun shows, usually on Saturdays in our area, each show costing about $75 per kid when all is said and done. We do not own horses and do not plan on that in the future; our instructor is generous and has provided horses for the boys to use in shows and in pony club (we do pay her for this.) My oldest is in his second year of pony club and is learning a ton and having a great time. I do worry that they are getting to the point where they won't be able to progress without owning a horse, but that just isn't something that we can afford. Thankfully, they are still enjoying themselves and learning. Good luck, it sounds like your daughter will love riding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Oh, and I was also going to add that after a certain level of experience and maturity, kids can defray the cost of their lessons / riding time by working at the stable. For a kid who really loves horses, this can be a big win-win. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheryl Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 DD6 has always loved horses. I figured every girl does, so no big deal. But a few months ago, DS bought her the Kingfisher Horses and Ponies book, and she has practically memorized the thing. She can tell you EVERYTHING about horses... anatomy, breeds, grooming supplies, saddle styles, coat types, pony care, etc... So anyway... DH and I are actually talking about letting her take some riding lessons. But I'm worried it will be a huge expense of both money and time. I don't like to be halfhearted about things, so if we do it, I want to do it well, at a good training facility with good instructors and well-trained horses. (I don't anticipate buying a horse because we live in a typical suburban neighborhood, and our neighbors would not appreciate our converting our yard into a pasture, LOL! And boarding one would probably be too much trouble and too far away to be worth it.) DD comes by this longing honestly - my mother's life revolved around horses until she married my dad, and I always WANTED to be a rider but we lived in a city so only had very rare opportunities and I never got very good. I know that is part of why I want to let her have this experience. But I'm also really worried about the time and money commitment, especially because, like I said, I like to take things seriously - if you are going to do something, you may as well do it well! If time and money were no issue, I'd have her in lessons already and let her compete in shows. *sigh* So tell me your experiences and opinions... How much did lessons cost? How much was all the "stuff" you need? (helmet, boots, etc.) How often did DC go? How often did DC ride outside of lesson? Did DC compete? If so, how often and how much did it cost? Was it on Sundays? My dd just entered her 8th year of riding (English and Western). I ride on and off but not as consistently as dd due to finances. You talk about it being all or nothing. Well, she is still very young to expect that, imo. That is the beauty of homeschooling. You try it and if you don't like it then you move on to something else. Still, I know where you are coming from. You want her to be committed and that's good. It's just a young age. Maturity brings that. We were taking English lessons at a barn that offered a special homeschool day and price. It was 30 min. for $10. Now, this was a group lesson and could have had 3-4 min. up to 8 maybe. That is TOO large for a group lesson even. The instructor had about 30 years of experience at the time and that was 3 years ago. She grew up with horses and was good. However, even with her qualifications she can only be so good due to the class size. The more kids the less individual instruction. HOWEVER, an inexperienced rider can benefit by being in a more advanced class b/c they are pushed. However, there is a deficit if an experienced rider would take a class with a less experienced group...say it worked best day/time in to the experienced-rider's schedule to be with inexperienced riders even if one time. Does any of this make sense? We used bike helmets for the longest time. Dh and Dd found a Troxel helmet and bag at a yard sale. It was in EXCELLENT condition and used by a former rider. Together it cost $10. We found leather western boots at a yard sale for $5, I think. We bought a crop at the Kentucky Horse Park when we visited years ago. Dd wears jeans for now. That's it for now. After 5 1/2 years (thereabouts) at 1 barn we decided to leave. The teacher was pretty much insisting riders to go 1 hour/$20. My dd and her best friend rode together. I'm friends with the Mom. We decided we didn't like the practice/attitude and found another barn. The girls started their 3rd year this past Sept. Now it's 1 hour/$20 but the teacher is so sweet. She has about 20 - 25 years experience with horses but I'm not sure about "teaching". She's just so sweet and accommodating. She had to increase her rate so now she is 1 hour/$25 but dd has progressed nicely! The girls were trading "barn work" for reduced rate. It worked only a couple of times and then it stopped. Still don't know why except there is an adult rider there who rides ALOT and the owner may have shown preference in giving work to the adult to help defray her greater monthly costs. At the first barn dd rode weekly. At this new barn, b/c of the price, she rides every other week. She will ride outside of class maybe 2-3 times a year. She and I rode with some new friends of ours (girls are friends and I'm friends with the girl's Mom. Different Mother/Daughter than the friend she's been riding with for 5 years). Dh and I will trail ride with her sometimes. DD competed 1 time and earned a ribbon - 4th place. :) That was in her 4th year of riding at the old barn. The saddles feel different. You'll have to find out what is the best fit. What is the expectation of your dd? Can you visit and ride a riding lesson in English and Western to decide which is better for her? Most barns have helmets to borrow. Be VERY careful that if you borrow one you dd does NOT end up with lice. We had a scare at the first barn with another kid and every since then dd has used her own helmet! I'm taking up riding again with the Mom of the girl above - the ones we brought with us as guests. (Not dd's best friend/riding buddy). This Mom and I will ride every other week due to the finances. They just built a house and it will increase our money out horseback as my dd already rides there. It will be SO much fun. I miss it. HTH! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 (edited) DD has been riding for several years now and is more into the horsemanship aspect of horses than riding for competition. I let her be the lead on that, so maybe some day. As of right now, DD spends between 10-15 hours a week at the barn, working with the animals, caring for them, and riding (only 1 hour of that is lesson riding). So take this advice from that point of view. The expense for the adventure will vary, depending on your geographical area, how intense and "competitive-oriented" the barn is, and whether the farmer is willing to barter with you (work a few hours, get money off your lessons or boarding fees). DD works at the barn in exchange for free access to this cranky nag that tries to toss her off and that no one else wants to ride, but she loves him and works her butt off in exchange for him, LOL! A barn focused-mainly-on-competition can be a bad thing in the sense that they may not take the time to nurture the true horsemanship aspect of riding and (maybe later?) owning a horse. A really competitive barn can suck the joy right out of it for your DD. So beware of what you wish for as far as "a good training facility", because around here, that means a highly competitive and/or jumper barn. DD found a barn that preaches Parelli horsemanship, and it is very gentle and low-key and has a work-with-the-animal kind of vibe. Then wouldn't you know, the owner retired and closed up shop. So she found another natural horsemanship barn and is very happy there. If you search your area for "natural horsemanship", they will be sure and guide your DD in the proper care of the animal and teach her how to develop a relationship with the horse. Horseback riding can be very expensive, or you can do it for a lot less. Lessons range from $35/hour - $55/hour in this area. As far as equipment goes, at minimum, she will need boots with a heel and a helmet. Add in gloves if you are in a cold-weather environment or do not have access to an indoor ring. Do not spends tons on a helmet; an excellent helmet can be had for $100 or less. The ones for multiple thousands of $$$ get you a brand name and not much more than the $100 helmet. Decent rising gloves - $50. You don't need special clothing (other than long pants) if you are not competing. DD started off taking lessons once per week, and now she is at the barn doing God knows what multiple days per week. So start slow at once per week, see if DD likes it, and get a feel for where she wants to go with it (flat competition, jumping, pleasure riding). My DD does not compete (hasn't had the desire), but has mentioned she might like to some day. FTR, you can live in suburbia/city and own a horse; you just board it. Around here, that's about $500/month, give or take $75. DD6 has always loved horses. I figured every girl does, so no big deal. But a few months ago, DS bought her the Kingfisher Horses and Ponies book, and she has practically memorized the thing. She can tell you EVERYTHING about horses... anatomy, breeds, grooming supplies, saddle styles, coat types, pony care, etc... So anyway... DH and I are actually talking about letting her take some riding lessons. But I'm worried it will be a huge expense of both money and time. I don't like to be halfhearted about things, so if we do it, I want to do it well, at a good training facility with good instructors and well-trained horses. (I don't anticipate buying a horse because we live in a typical suburban neighborhood, and our neighbors would not appreciate our converting our yard into a pasture, LOL! And boarding one would probably be too much trouble and too far away to be worth it.) DD comes by this longing honestly - my mother's life revolved around horses until she married my dad, and I always WANTED to be a rider but we lived in a city so only had very rare opportunities and I never got very good. I know that is part of why I want to let her have this experience. But I'm also really worried about the time and money commitment, especially because, like I said, I like to take things seriously - if you are going to do something, you may as well do it well! If time and money were no issue, I'd have her in lessons already and let her compete in shows. *sigh* So tell me your experiences and opinions... How much did lessons cost? How much was all the "stuff" you need? (helmet, boots, etc.) How often did DC go? How often did DC ride outside of lesson? Did DC compete? If so, how often and how much did it cost? Was it on Sundays? Edited January 17, 2016 by reefgazer 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I should add that my kids do other sports, so they don't ride except during weekly lessons. The exception is when they do horse camps on school vacations. We they use whatever horses are available when they show up for lessons. We could lease or buy a horse and board it there, but it wouldn't make sense for us since we wouldn't have time to ride more anyway. It would just be an added responsibility, and right now I have enough of those. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38carrots Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I agree with Reefgazer. Look for a natural horsemanship barn. At this age, you DD can't be seriously competitive unless you have an expensive baby-sitter horse and / or unless she rides many hours a week. Horseback riding is a "late start, slow development" sport. A natural horsemanship barn will give her the right skills and mindset that she will be able to take to any discipline when she is old enough to figure out what discipline she wants to ride in. There's more to it than "Western vs English" and there are many aspects of those shows that she might have trouble with when she learns more about what's involved. Be prepared to change at least a couple of barns before you find the one that will be a good fit. Some that will look awesome at the beginning of this journey will look pretty horrible when you look back at them. Even the greatest barns tend to "reveal" themselves the more time you spend there. Beware of barns that want you to immediately buy everything--grooming kit, attire, and so on. Once a week lessons is a good way to start, especially at 6. It is not a sport in which you can progress quickly. Most start at around 8 years old. Many instructors wouldn't even take someone yonger than 9, unless they are exceptionally mature. I hope you find what you are looking for. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edelweiss Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 But but but. If she is good and dedicated, lessons lead to horse shows, horse leases, horse ownership, boarding fees... lol My dedicated ballet dad husband has often said "At least she isn't showing a horse." Ballet can be pricey, especially if you add in residential summer intensives, but have you ever priced a dressage saddle? https://www.smartpakequine.com/saddles-691pc I'm mostly joking about the above, that's really hard core. This is a nice starter set, at not a bad price at all: https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/kids-new-rider-essentials-5007 But she should absolutely take riding lessons. I had to laugh (or cry) when I read this post. I have two daughters. One studies classical ballet and goes to one (or more) summer intensives every year. She competes in YAGP, gets private lessons, etc. However, ballet daughter's costs are nothing compared to my daughter that rides horses. She has horse shows 26-28 weekends a year. We now own two horses for her. It is a VERY expensive sport, but it is worth it for us. She loves it and is thriving. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 My 4 year old does group lessons as part of an after school program for very little $. I don't think there's much instruction at this age but she is riding a horse and helping groom, etc every week, but mainly she gets to run around a barn :) I wanted to say that while I have mixed feelings about 4h and the massive amount of paperwork related thereto, the horse program in ours seems really excellent and I hope DD can participate when older Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 I think there are very few activities where if your DC actually had a real passion you wouldn't find yourself dropping a lot of money. Horses are obviously expensive, but... I have friends who got into soccer and eventually found themselves traveling -- as in flying to get to tournaments and recruiting events. I didn't encourage gymnastics because my dd was not destined to be 5'1". She did get into ballet and that got quite expensive. I've heard stories about music pursuits. I think it is truly wonderful if you find an activity that your DC has a passion for, that also provides focus and self discipline and other things. With many activities after the child reaches a certain skill level there may be opportunities for him to trade for lessons or practice time. I see teens volunteering at barns, referring games, teaching the preschool dance classes. If you count up future costs of anything, you will find there's no activity you can "fully" afford. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 (edited) I think the difference is that horses are expensive from the start. Here lessons average $40-$60 an hour. Some schools require signed commitments for weekly lessons and also require significant deposits. I can think of many passions for young elementary students that don't start at $240 a month. (None of which interested my dd... :glare: ) Edited January 18, 2016 by Woodland Mist Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 I think the difference is that horses are expensive from the start. Here lessons average $40-$60 an hour. Some schools require signed commitments for weekly lessons and also require significant deposits. I can think of many passions for young elementary students that don't start at $240 a month. (None of which interested my dd... :glare: ) SEE, the answer is just to BUY the horse......and the house with land.....and build a barn.....and buy the truck to pull the trailer you will buy...... Seriously, I can keep our horses here at home for about $120/month per horse and that includes hay, grain, bedding, farrier, vet, etc. We are in a lower cost of living area for this stuff but it is way cheaper for me than lessons would be. Granted it is a lot of work........esp with windchills below zero and 8 inches of new snow......but my girls and I can ride 7 days a week if we wanted, as long as we wanted, and don't have to drive to do so. Can you see how starting lessons morphed for us :-) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Buying the horse made the most sense here, too. The moral of the story? Never take your 3-year-old on a $5 pony ride... ;) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Also, there are other horseback riding opportunities OTHER than showing. We trail ride. We wear good boots and good helmets and the rest of our outfit really doesn't matter. We have no cost other than the gas to drive to the trails......or we just ride out our back door. That really cuts it down as well. My dd does do a few fun shows once in a while and those are $4/class and she usually does 2-3 classes.....so cost is minimal. Some shows can cost you hundreds of dollars or more per show for fees, trailering, stalls, training, and on and on. For us 4H was minimal paperwork and one meeting a week from May through August. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cera2 Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 You might be able to find intro to horses lessons on groupon or living social to try it out. I was able to find packages of either one or three intro lessons at a few different well regarded barns in our area for my kids to try (usually worked out to around $20 a lesson while normal is $40-$50). It turned out that one of my girls loved the idea of horses but not the actual practice of tacking/riding/cleaning up/etc. The other thought riding was okay but decided she would rather focus on dance. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 It turned out that one of my girls loved the idea of horses but not the actual practice of tacking/riding/cleaning up/etc. The other thought riding was okay but decided she would rather focus on dance. THIS is critical. Make sure that where every you do lessons has the child also working on the catching/leading/grooming/clean up the poop, etc. Some lesson barns have the horses tacked and tied waiting for the rider and they just hop on and ride and then tie the horse back up. That is NOT learning about all of the care involved in horses. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainbird2 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 (edited) Well, I can tell you what our 2.5 years of riding was like. DH and I didn't know anything about horses. We just wanted to find a safe place for DS to ride. DS started lessons at a hunter/jumper barn at 6.5. We were told to go the more difficult route (English saddle) because it was easier to go from English to Western if he ever wanted to change. (Not sure if this is true or not as I am not a horse person. We just took advice from horse people we met.) We went to a nice, child friendly barn that was known for their safe horses and ponies. We started at 1 lesson/wk at $55.00 a lesson. When he turned 7, we went to 2 lessons a week. Soon after, we went to 2 privates a week and 1 group lesson, $65.00 for each private lesson (so, $130.00/wk for privates) and $50.00 for a group lesson. Then we added a half lease for a step up from a school pony, $500.00/month. Then, we stepped it up to a much nicer pony before we started showing, $650.00 per month. By the time we were done, we were spending $850 - $950 per month on horses. COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY RIDICULOUS FOR MY 9 YEAR OLD CHILD. (ETA: Other people may be able to afford to train at this level. We still needed to build DS's college fund, not pay for his horse hobby.) But guess what? We had taken the cheaper route by doing a lease. Everyone else was buying $30K ponies and boarding them. We had also decided to do just 1-2 horse shows a year, not 1-2 every month (like everyone else was doing). You don't want to know how much horse shows cost. Really, we were at the wrong place. We didn't come from Texas oil with an unlimited income. We could have bought a horse and gone the 4-H route, which is supposedly wonderful in our area, but kids have to be at least 9 to ride or show in 4-H, and, DH and I did not have the time or energy to care for a horse. We also wanted "to do it well, at a good training facility with good instructors and well-trained horses." Just wanted you to know what that looks like in a high COL, or, Cost of Keeping Horses area. :( Ds doesn't ride anymore. He takes tennis now and he really likes it. He says he misses horses, but we told him that if he goes back, it's only 1x week on school horses and no shows. We know that won't be enough for him, though. He's making friends at tennis right now, so I think he will stick with that for a while. I found that I grew attached to our leased pony, and leaving the barn was really, really hard. Ds's teacher was beyond wonderful...I cried like a baby when we left. Just know what you are getting into, and know that horses are like a bad drug for some kids. If your dd is horse crazy right now, just know that it's going to get more and more and more expensive. And, it is unbelievably time consuming (another reason we quit.) I'm sure you can find some sort of middle ground. We were on a downhill super-speed roller coaster...don't do what we did! Edited January 19, 2016 by rainbird2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainbird2 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I'm smiling here. Basically, if you have to add up the costs, you can't afford it... :lol: AMEN to this!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula in MS Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Horseback riding is expensive but doesn't need to be to start with. My daughter switched from ballet to horseback riding when she was 10. She spent 2 years taking once a week lessons at a non-competitive barn with a very good English riding instructor. She learned a lot about riding and horses in general--how to groom, fit a saddle, behavior. When the instructor retired, she moved to a competitive stable with an instructor that was recommended to us. She rode another year just once weekly. I kept telling her that we were not buying a horse, but you know how that goes..... So here she is on her fourth year riding with her own horse, and she just turned 14. :) I would say to look for a barn that covers all the basics of horsemanship. If you do go down the path of ownership later, they need to have a good handle on how to take care of the horse. Steer clear of barns that have grooms that just bring you the horse to hop on and ride. Where we live, the lesson prices are about the same either way, but the educational aspect is way different. For a beginner, the rider needs some boots, a helmet, and some riding pants. Most of those things you can definitely get second hand for a 6 year old. As far as competitions go, there are usually school shows that are local with very low entry fees. Or, you can skip them altogether. Just be warned that you are in for some expense if the horse obsession does not wane. Not only is the horse expensive, it is a huge time commitment. My daughter spends 4-5 days a week at the barn riding. That calculates to 15-20 hours a week with driving, grooming, and time actually on the horse. But it is like any other sport, to get better you have to practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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