How young is too young for horseback riding lessons?

[city girl]

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.

 

[Countrymom]

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.

 

[FarmerChick]

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.

 

[Stauffer]

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.

 

[FarmerChick]

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!!

 

[michickenwrangler]

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

 

[Jjpiper]

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.

 

[lupinfarm]

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.

 

[username taken]

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

 

[lupinfarm]

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.