Finding a Stable and Riding Instructor for your Child

Finding a Stable and Riding Instructor for your Child

By Sally Batton

You've determined that your child is serious in her wish to learn to ride but you don't know what steps to take.  How do you find a safe, reliable riding instructor and stable for her to learn? You want her to progress in her skills and have a good time, but more importantly you want to find the safest, most professional program in your area.

The best way to find the right riding program is through word-of-mouth.  Talk to your friends at work or the parents of your child's friends and see where they ride in the area.  Then ask if they are pleased with the program, ask if safety rules are followed, and are their children progressing in their skills. 

HELMETS:  When discussing safety procedures, either with parents or riding students or even the barn itself, you need to ask the following questions.  First and foremost, ask the policy regarding riding helmets. The barn should require all riders to wear ASTM-SEI certified riding helmets at all times when mounted.  Many barns also require their younger riders to wear helmets at all times, even when just walking around the barn! If there is only one barn in your area, and that one barn doesn't require helmets, make sure you purchase one for your child. 

NUMBER OF RIDERS/LESSON:  Your next question should be the rider to instructor ratio.  For beginner riders, five to six riders per instructor is good.  Some barns only offer group lessons in eight, ten or even twelve riders but if your child is a beginner, she'd be best off in a smaller group.  If your local barn only has the large groups, you might want to ask about private or semi-private lessons. They cost more, but she will be safer and progress faster in the long run. 

INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATIONS: You next need to ask about the qualifications of the riding instructors employed by the stable. Do the instructors have some sort of certification? Many different certification programs exist and some states, such as Massachusetts, require their riding instructors to be registered with that state.   One certification to look for is the ARICP certification. This is the American Riding Instructors Certification Program and instructors from all over the country obtain certification in a variety of disciplines.  If your instructor is ARICP certified, you know that they uphold the highest standards of safety and excellence. Often any advertising for the stable will list the certification of the various instructors. Another certification program is the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA), which certifies instructors, accredits equine facilities, produces educational conferences and publishes educational resources such as horsemanship manuals, DVDs, safety video shorts, webinars, and much more. 

SCHOOL HORSE STRING: In your search for a riding center, it is a good idea to ask about the school horse string used in the riding lessons.  Although no one can guarantee that you'll never fall off, your chances are better with a calm, well-trained, older horse than a young Thoroughbred straight off the racetrack!  Ask the barn how many school horses they have and if they offer different horses for the beginner and advanced programs. At most barns, the beginner string can "pinch-hit" in the intermediate lessons, but usually the advanced horse string doesn't fill in for the beginner string.

VISIT AND OBSERVE:  Call ahead to the riding center you are interested in and ask when there is a beginner riding lesson with young children.  Are the horses moving around the arena in an organized fashion? Or does it look like a three-ring circus? Even the most novice observer should be able to tell if that lesson program is right for them.

Sally Batton is a cross-discipline riding instructor and trainer. She has been the Director and Coach of the prestigious Dartmouth Equestrian Team for over 25 years. Her riders have many regional and national accolades. Sally has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association and was named Instructor of the Year by the American Riding Instructor's Association. Sally is the founder of the Athletic Equestrian League, which emphasizes the development of correct fundamental horsemanship skills, thus allowing for progressive improvement in technique and performance.  Sally is also a clinician and teaches jumping, horsemanship, western and polocrosse worldwide.  Contact Sally: athleticequestrian@gmail.com, www.athleticequestrian@gmail.com, www.athleticequestrian.com.