# How young is too young for horseback riding lessons?



## Mini-M Ranch (Aug 30, 2009)

I have a 4 year old and a 5 year old.  We do not have horses, but am hoping to get some riding lessons for our kids because we would like to have horses when we get more land.  (and out of this yucky economy  )  Are they too young?  Also, what is a reasonable price for lessons, do you think?


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## lupinfarm (Aug 31, 2009)

I would not be starting any earlier than 9 years old, but a lot of people who have horses do.

Prices can range dramatically for lessons, some places charge $25 for a private lesson, others as much as $75. Depends on region, country, state...level of coaches at facility, quality of lesson horses, etc.


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## freemotion (Aug 31, 2009)

When I taught riding years ago, there was the occasional child who was that young....mainly the boss's kid....who wanted to ride, and  usually 5 minutes was their limit.  Most lessons are 30-60 minutes, too long for a young child.

They just don't have the control of their limbs or the attention span at that age.  

I had parents who insisted, so they would pay for a very expensive babysitting session.  I try to tell parents to wait until the kid begs continually for lessons.  I also felt that, especially in the case of a young child who was getting lessons because the parents wanted to ride, not the child, that the kid would only trot when he/she begged ME to let them trot, etc.  It always broke my heart to go to a horseshow and see terrified kids getting yelled at by a parent.

You are absolutely correct in wanting to get lessons for them well in advance of getting horses.  But it is a bit early.  If the child is extremely athletic, maybe 7 or 8 for a short lesson.  See if you can get a place to let the two kids split a half-hour lesson at first, and only extend it if they beg.

As for the price, now is the time to go to various places and observe the lessons with younger children.  You will find the prices are all over the place, and so is the quality and the safety.  So you can't really choose based on price.  Better to get fewer or shorter lessons for a higher price if the safety and quality is there, but the higher price certainly does not guarantee that it will be.

You might enjoy getting a few lessons for yourself right now.  That would be a great way to check out the local barns, and get yourself back in shape to ride, and get hooked into the local network.  This is how you find the best horses, too sometimes, and the best deals.  I am offered free horses ALL the time, most of them would be ideal for youngsters.  The owner's main concern is a good home, so they only offer it to someone they know and trust.


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## ducks4you (Aug 31, 2009)

I agree. The youngest I taught was a 6 year old, but it was a handicapped situation.  This was many years ago but I have learned since then that Downs Syndrome children make great strides in learning to crawl by supervised exercises on horseback.  MOST  of my riding students were horsecrazy MS or HS girls.

If they are horse crazy later on, get them lessons, ask their instructor to find a couple of safe horses and BUY them.  There are SO MANY things that teenagers can get into today either with the wrong crowd or involved with perverted adults, it's BETTER to have them hang out with their horse and practically live in the barn throughout their teenage years.   Showing's great, if you can afford it, too.  Most kids lose interest when they hit 18.  There's a good market for reselling the well broken horses after that.  Unless, of course, those horses become *your* horses.


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## 2468herdsrgr8 (Sep 1, 2009)

ducks4you said:
			
		

> I agree. The youngest I taught was a 6 year old, but it was a handicapped situation.  This was many years ago but I have learned since then that Downs Syndrome children make great strides in learning to crawl by supervised exercises on horseback.  MOST  of my riding students were horsecrazy MS or HS girls.
> 
> If they are horse crazy later on, get them lessons, ask their instructor to find a couple of safe horses and BUY them.  There are SO MANY things that teenagers can get into today either with the wrong crowd or involved with perverted adults, it's BETTER to have them hang out with their horse and practically live in the barn throughout their teenage years.   Showing's great, if you can afford it, too.  Most kids lose interest when they hit 18.  There's a good market for reselling the well broken horses after that.  Unless, of course, those horses become *your* horses.


I HEAR you ! I am letting my 11 yr old daughter do whatever when ever she wants to do with her horse or taking lessons...just to be away from the city....I want her to get the horse bug BAD!!!....Right now she has a english  lesson twice a week and she comes along to our western lessons also plus rides /grooms her horse whenever...But i still pay alot for shoppin' adventures not at the mall but the tack stores :/


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## 2468herdsrgr8 (Sep 1, 2009)

My daughter and i took western lessons when she was 8/9 yrs old until she was 10 ...almost 2 yrs ....I was doing it to have a mother daughter time with her and plus to learn myself...but OOOOh Vie!....we had one patient coach ....she 's  a mom so she has been there done that .....she has nerves of steal because there were some younger kids in the lessons sometimes even older....even my daughter ...that complained ...it was to hot...it was too cold ...my bum hurts....my legs hurt ...I HAVE TO GO PEE!!!! .I"m thirsty !!!...I laughed..but ..it takes away from the other people in the lesson ....My daughter volunteered at the barn also ..so she got a horsey fix and learning stuff again .....I know this coach spends ALOT of time with  the kids working on the ground with horses safety and ground work etc....


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## ()relics (Sep 2, 2009)

You don't specify what type of lessons that your kids would be starting....If you can sign them up for a general horsemanship/horse knowledge course that is geared for kids I would say Go for it....Never too young to learn to "Be around" horses....Although they may be a little young to start anything more disciplined than just the basic "get on a horse,stay on a horse,make it stop, make it go, ride it in circles,recognize the parts of a horse,know how to rig him,with help,"...I guess like a basic 4H beginners class.....If you had your own horses you wouldn't have to ask because they would have already learned alot of this on their own...for free...but when it comes to paying for the lessons age is important..Doubtful they , at their ages, would get your moneys worth from a lesson...
I started with a young lady last sunday who is 12....She went from "I've never been on a horse" to riding circles stopping starting and dismounts in 2 hours...Her parents are getting their moneys worth....My son, on the other hand, has been riding big and fast barrel horses since he was 8...he showed in open class speed shows long before he was old enough for 4H, he is 11 now....simply because he was around horses and "figured it out"....He has never had a lesson....
Could you maybe lease a horse from someone to give the kids horse time and then determine if they are "ready" to move on?....JMO


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## valmom (Sep 2, 2009)

I have had horses since third grade- I was one who begged and whined for one.  I have ridden all my life.

I had horses of my own when my son and daughter were born- they grew up with big horses. My daughter (younger) begged to ride and wanted lessons. The person who did kid's lessons at the barn I boarded at  didn't like taking anyone less than 6yo. But, my daughter was always around while I was there, and they knew each other. She finally agreed to teach my daughter at 5 yo. She was in her first lead line class that year (and got second!). She went on to have her first pony at 6, her first big horse when the pony was outgrown, and taking over my eventer when she her horse got too old.

Be careful what you start!!


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## Mini-M Ranch (Sep 2, 2009)

Pretty much we were wanting horse care, horse knowledge, how to "sit" on a horse, not really "riding" yet.

I understand that they are young.  Right now, thanks in part to my mother and my mother-in-law, my 5 year old son is OBSESSED with computer/video games.    This is NOT okay with me.  As a matter of fact, I barely let them watch television, but everytime they stay with one of the grandma's, they are "plugged in"  Incidentally, this is weird to me, as my mom never let us have a video game when I was a kid.  

Anyway, they do love animals.  This is an obsession I can approve of!  

Thanks for your thoughts!  I think we will wait until next summer to decide anything for sure.


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## 2468herdsrgr8 (Sep 2, 2009)

When we first moved out to the country and DD wanted a horse we all took lessons as a family .....hubby who has been around horses growing up ,myself and DD who was 8/9 yrs old and our sone who was 12 ....Ended up hubby did it for 2 months and our son dropped out because there was no playstation connection on the saddle ...so DD and I continued ....now our son uses the horses as a chick magnet ....but he doesnt ride just hubby dd and i


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## city girl (Sep 13, 2009)

My daughter is six and started taking lessons a few months ago, when she was still five. She's very strong and athletic and was begging for lessons, and I want her to have the horse bug too.  (I couldn't get it going in my son, but it has totally taken hold in my daughter!) 

Anyway, I think it depends on the kid. My daughter is loving it.


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## Countrymom (Dec 13, 2009)

I know I am a little late in jumping in here, but figured I would give an opinion! LOLOL

My oldest daughter started riding around 4 years old.  In a small pen on a wonderful Arabian horse that was and is an absolute Gem.  My other two basically grew up riding because we had so many and I rode so much.  If they could convince me to ride with me, they would usually sit in front of me and I would allow them to use the reins.  

Now both my daughters didn't start cutting until they were 8 years old.  My son showed his first time this last year as a 7 year old and did fantastic.  

I do give lessons and general rule of thumb is lead line and basic walk/stop at 4 years old.  By 6 they can work on more.  That is for the average kid that doesn't ride a whole lot.  

The best thing in the entire world was being involved in a mini and shetland pony club.  They learned how to handle and show ponies and minis from the ground first.  Built TONS of confidence and allowed them to get involved and accomplish something.  If you have anything local, there maybe a breeder who teaches children how to show and handle ponies.


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## FarmerChick (Dec 14, 2009)

I had my daughter on "pony rides" thru the backyard when she was about 2 on my horse.   Sadly my horse passed a year later and right now she is 4 (soon to hit 5).....this spring I will be looking for 2 new horses.  I will get my horses over the next year or so and my daughter will be up and riding then.  

I think about age 6 is good for real riding lessons.  They need to have some concentration---and I mean those lessons you are paying for..LOL




If you want to get lessons...could you split the hr. between your kids?    You kinda want the horse basics and attention spans are short.  Call a few stables in the area who cater to kids.   Maybe your split lesson could give them a short ride each to learn balance and then get some information about horses etc. and that will get them into horse riding.
Prices vary sooooooo much from state to state and location to location.


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## Stauffer (Dec 14, 2009)

in college, I worked with a 4 year old. Her mom owned the ranch I was working at and we'd saddle up her shetland and I'd lead them around and at the same time give her a lesson. Some days we barely made it past tacking up, other days she'd be on that pony for an hour or more. The lesson ALWAYS started with her catching her pony, leading him to the tacking up area and helping groom and tack him up.  A couple of years later she was riding around while on a lungeline instead of a leadline. When she was 6, almost 7, her mom bought her a larger pony (around 12.3hh or so) and started her more on him. She was running barrels later that year on him and doing barrel clinics. This kid has an great seat and light hands, as does her older sister who was also started in the same way riding when she was younger. These kids both have a solid foundation under them and it shows. The barn owner would give "freebie" leadline time to young siblings of students she taught since it was usually only 10 minutes of horseback time. She also ran summer day camps for all ages with appropriate activities to keep them busy when it wasn't horse back riding time.


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## FarmerChick (Dec 14, 2009)

yea and then the biggie---can your kid do it at a young age.  some are ready, some are not.  the individual themselves is the biggest part of the puzzle!!


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## michickenwrangler (Dec 26, 2009)

I've been giving my daughter informal lessons since she was three. She's 5 now. She'll only be on the horse about 15 min or so before wanting to get down. I have a buddy seat and she'll ride double with me on trail rides, sometimes up to an hour without complaining. But on a trail ride we talk, she has scenery to look at, deer to watch out for, etc...

The barn owner's 4 yr old son only rides for 15 min at a time too


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## Jjpiper (Dec 26, 2009)

I made my daughter wait until she was 8. She is now 10 and does hunter/jumper competitions. Which means jumping courses of as many as 10 jumps up to 2 feet high. We pay $40/hour for lessons (includes school horse and instructor in a semi private class). That is the highest price in our area (some are as low as $20) but we are paying for quality instructors at a quality facility. My daughter still needs help tacking up mostly because she is too short and can't carry her own saddle. Younger kids (like said before) may not have attention span or coordination for these type of lessons. Bring them to a facility and have them hang around or groom the horses and give a few rides but don't push them too soon or they will get bored quickly or hurt (scared) and quit completely. Sew the seed but wait until they are physically ready. Have fun.


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## lupinfarm (Dec 26, 2009)

Stauffer, I'm like the little girl you described. Light hands and a natural seat. The biggest problem I ever had was getting the horse to go! My gelding wasn't so bad, he had a bit of pep in him anyway but we had a big slow TB mare and she'd just fall asleep in my hands. We ended up freeleasing her to a girl I rode with who was heavier handed and kind of a nutcase. She wasn't nearly as good a rider as me, but it was the only way Smoothie would ever get any exercise. She ended up showing her and did quite well on her.


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## username taken (Dec 26, 2009)

hahahahahahaha

I'll be in the minority here. 

My two younger sisters (13 and 14 now), started riding when they were 10 months. Rode horses before they could walk. 

I'm the other end of the spectrum ... 21 yrs old and only just learning to ride now! lmfao


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## lupinfarm (Dec 26, 2009)

LOL username taken.

That's okay, my mum went to a boarding school on the premise that she was developmentally challenged (which she isn't LOL but she was poor and it was the only way her parents could get her into a good boarding school where she would be taken care of and get the education she deserved, she's quite bright). At the school they had a stable where the students kept their horses and she cleaned the stalls just to be near the horses, never rode ever until she was in her 40s when I started riding at 9 years old. 

My brother has ridden a bit, but he will be starting western next year at 15 almost 16 years old.

I'm a rerider, I stopped riding when I was 16 or 17 when my horse went to live with my coach when she moved to Alberta, I now have 2 horses.. one pasture puff and the other my own riding horse prospect and I'll be 21 in 2 weeks.


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## landis1659 (Jan 18, 2010)

My sister-in-law took her grandaughter for riding lessons because she loved horses so much.  She was 5 when she started.  Most of the kids in her group were about her age.  She's been going for 3 years now and loves it.  They particapate in the local parades now and everything.  So it might now be too young if the instructor knows what there doing. This was something from the local Park District was offering.


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## MaggieRae (Jan 18, 2010)

When I took riding lessons at a riding academy, you were allowed to begin at the age of 5 years old. I think I started at around 7... If you have kids that don't listen well, don't let them start at 5. It's too dangerous of a sport/hobby. I have that problem when I ride now if little kids are out and about. You tell them not to do things because they can get kicked or stepped on and hence hurt, but they ignore you. I'm lucky my horses are  *kind of* tolerant to little ones. It's the big ones they like to be mean to.


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