EXCERPT

So your child wants to ride, and you don't have a clue about where to find an appropriate stable. You can find places that offer lessons through information found at local feed and tack stores, by talking to people in the community or those found at horse shows, or maybe just driving around and stopping at stables to inquire.

If you don't know where else to start, pick up your local Yellow Pages and look under listings such as Stables, Riding Academies, Horse Equipment, and Feed Dealers. If you are a computer user, check the Internet listings, also. Or your child may have friends who are already into horses. They and their parents can be a wonderful source of information.

Check out the tack stores in any case. After you have located them, consult their bulletin boards for local businesses' advertisements, horses for sale or lease, and stalls for rent. Pick up the free local advertising publications that list the same things in even greater quantity. Talk to the staff; most of them are involved in the horse world outside the store, and find out where they keep their horses, if they show, trail ride, or whatever. Bring a notebook and pen and take notes; names, phone numbers, and any comments.

Trail rides and rentals are a good way to broaden your child's riding experiences. In fact, taking an hour's trail ride, which usually proceeds only at a walk, is a great way to get an introduction into the feel of the horse's motion, and the coordination required to hold the reins. Wide experience with different horses, even rental barn or trail-riding horses, is very worthwhile.

Look for summer camps that specialize in horses, or that incorporate horse care and riding into their general program. Many children start out their equestrian experiences in this way.

The 4-H organization has a strong equestrian program in many parts of the country. If there is such a program in your area, this may be a good option for your child.

Visit local stables, look around and talk to people there to find out what each one is like and offers. Talk to the trainers at the stables, and if necessary, make an appointment. If you discover a horse show or clinic happening in the area, attend, watch, and talk to people there.

Take your time. Visit various barns and trainers. Take a sample lesson or two. Don't be afraid to ask what these people charge for their services, as cost is one of the factors that you need to take into consideration when choosing specific horse-related activities.

Choosing a Riding Instructor

When you find a stable or trainer that you think you like, sign your child up for a lesson or two. Most trainers will allow this, as they know that people do shop around.

Some trainers have certification, and this shows that they possess the skills necessary to teach at the level of their accreditation. What the certificate does not show is how well they can transmit that information to your child. Riding is very subjective and emotional, and that includes riders relationships with their trainers. For a beginning rider, you need to select a trainer that your child likes and who likes your child, who understands him and what he needs to learn comfortably. One more point: Any instructor that you consider should demonstrate a concern for safety, and be prepared to deal with any emergencies that might come up.

Few instructors are forever. It is likely that your child will move on to several instructors over time. Trainers are outgrown, interests change, and sometimes conflicts arise. Occasionally a child will have more than one instructor at a time. All of this provides your child with a broader background in horsemanship skills.

All the riding disciplines, such as English, Western, or Saddle Seat, require the same riding fundamentals. Your child can start his riding education in any of these with a competent trainer, and he will be able to transfer his skills to another discipline if he later decides to do so.

A trainer that is good for one person may not be at all suitable for another. For example, some trainers specialize in competitions. Such a trainer is a sports coach, demanding performance of a certain level for the benefit of the team. For individuals who are themselves competitive and whose goal is competition, this is a perfect match. Other riders, less competitive, with less self-confidence or who are more sensitive, may crumble under such instruction and would be much more successful with a gentler, slower-progressing instructor. Some trainers of both sorts love children and specialize in teaching them. You can recognize these by the happy, confident child students they have. Others, recognizing that they have limited patience with little ones, prefer to work with adults or advanced youth. And some trainers who themselves are very accomplished riders may prefer to take on only very advanced students.