Your Child’s First Riding Lesson Checklist

Katelyn over at All Holiday Cafe took her daughter to her first riding lesson yesterday and wishes she knew the tips below before she went, so she’s providing you with them.

Preparing for Your Child’s First Riding Lesson
We had our first riding lesson today and we learned a lot of dos and don’ts. I thought some of the things we learned might be useful for parents who are thinking about signing their kids up for lessons, too.

SXC.hu

Before the first lesson
Head to a local tack shop to buy a riding helmet and a pair of riding boots. You don’t need any other gear for beginner lessons.

You’ll need to take your child along to get the helmet to be sure you get one that fits. If your child can’t come along, measure around the widest part of his or head, right above the ears and give the measurement to the store clerk. Don’t try to substitute a bike riding helmet for a horseback riding helmet. They are not the same thing and a bike helmet won’t work for lessons. (As one unhappy child discovered. He wasn’t thrilled to have to trade his bike helmet in for one of the school’s riding helmets.)

Ask for boots that are a size too big and have your child wear thick socks until the boots get tighter. Otherwise, you may end up spending $80-120 for a pair of boots that are worn four times. (Remember, these shoes will be worn for lessons instead of getting daily use.) Don’t buy cowboy boots if your child is taking English riding lessons. They have the wrong type of heel. Ask for paddock boots instead.

You may also want to check to see if the tack shop has a consignment area. We were able to buy a very new looking pair of boots for $20 that were much pricier on the new shelf. However, please don’t buy a used helmet. If someone fell while wearing it, it could have damage that wasn’t visible and could fail to protect your child if he or she takes a fall.

By the way, I could have opted to be even thriftier and go for a borrowed helmet from the school, but I heard the words, “We’ve only ever had one lice outbreak,” and decided there is just no way I’m risking being a part of the second one!

The day of the first riding lesson
Here are a few things to keep in mind for the first lesson:

-  Dress your child in loose pants, like sweats with elastic on the bottom.

-  Dress yourself in comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes. I ended up walking the horse around during the entire first one and a half hour lesson and was super glad I was wearing sturdy shoes when the little gal dropped the reins and the horse reacted by tromping on my foot.

-  Plan to have your child spend time before and after the lesson caring for the horse. We spent a total of two hours at the stable.

Bring a snack and a drink for the child to have in the car after the lesson. I was really glad I did.

-  Have fun and don’t worry about remembering everything. The teacher will remind your child to sit straight, keep toes up and heels down, or to hold the reins right during every lesson until he or she catches on and does it right.