How young is too young for horseback riding lessons?

[Mini-M Ranch]

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?

 

[lupinfarm]

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.

 

[freemotion]

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.

 

[ducks4you]

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.

 

[2468herdsrgr8]

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 :/

 

[2468herdsrgr8]

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....

 

[()relics]

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

 

[valmom]

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!!

 

[Mini-M Ranch]

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.

 

[2468herdsrgr8]

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