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 Equine Kingdom offers lessons for children only as young as
3,
due to safety issues. Children will
first learn to catch a horse, groom, tack up (put the saddle and bridle on).
From there they will learn to lead the horse up to the arena, tighten the saddle
and ready the horse for riding. They will learn to mount and dismount a horse
safely, learn the emergency/flying dismount, learn the cues for walking,
trotting, and cantering the horse. Please leave the timetable for this up to
your instructor - she will determine when your child is ready to move on to the
next step, and will never push a child past what she thinks they can handle. If
you think your child can do more than she is allowing them to do, feel free to
ask, but do expect a detailed explanation of why your child has not progressed
past a certain point. Your riding instructor should always be able to give you a
good evaluation of your child's abilities, goals, and progress over a certain
period of time. Generally children will
ride for a week or two before they begin trotting - the first several lessons
being spent on basic safety and mastering cues, steering, etc. Cantering takes
much longer, based on the requirements of balance, coordination, and bravado of
the child. Please remember that it IS
possible that your child will fall off of a horse - it is merely a part of
learning how to ride correctly. Very few falls (fewer than 99%) result in more
than scratches and bruises, maybe a strain. If the child is not hurt, they MUST
get back on the horse - it is integral to the progress of their riding and if
they do not get back on, there is a very good chance that they will spend the
rest of their lives too scared to ever mount a horse again. Concern is
understandable, but never try to tell the riding instructor what to do, unless
it's obvious negligence on the instructor's part. Leave the consoling/cajoling
to the instructor. Many children try to use their parents as an excuse to not
have to get back on the horse. Unless the parent (s) are called for specifically
BY the instructor, plan to stay outside the arena and merely provide moral
support. Back to Riding
Lessons |
