Your child has talked of nothing but horses since they could speak. They have begged and pleaded, willing to do anything just to be near a horse. But what they really want to do is ride. They want to sit atop one of these majestic, one thousand pound animals, and fly.

You, on the other hand, find the prospect terrifying. As a parent, you want to give your child the opportunity to ride but you aren’t even sure where to start.

Finding the right horseback riding instructor for your child takes a little bit of work, in the United States, there is no national test or certification for riding instructors or trainers. Anyone who wants to be a horse trainer or instructor can hang out their shingle and start taking clients. You don’t want to put your child or your wallet in danger with someone who doesn’t have the education and experience required to teach your child to ride.

In this post, I am going to give you some things to look for in a good instructor, and some red flags that should send you running the other way.

Finding Some Riding Instructor Candidates

The best way to find some candidates to teach your child how to ride is to ask a horse person in your area. If you don’t know any, social media sites like Facebook and Reddit are a good place to start. Search for horse-related boards in your area and ask for some ideas.

If you’re not sure what to ask, copy and paste the paragraph below to get you started. Don’t forget to insert the discipline and town!

Nonhorsey parent looking for a riding instructor for my child. We are located in (town) and he/she is interested in (insert discipline here). Interested in safe lesson horses, correct training, and lots of fun! Thanks in advance.

Keep a running list of instructor and farm names so you can investigate each one further. Put a star next to anyone who has gotten a lot of recommendations.

Another great resource to find a riding instructor for your child is to contact the national governing body for the discipline your child is interested in. Below is a list of some of the national governing bodies with a link to their instructors.

• United States Dressage Federation
• National Reining Horse Association
• United States Hunter Jumper Association
• United States Eventing Association

Red Flag!! An instructor who isn’t recommended by a lifelong horseperson (either through a personal connection or a national governing body) should be carefully investigated!

What Discipline is Your Child Interested in?

Depending on your area you may have five or 50 different riding instructors to choose from. This will also depend on the type of riding (normally referred to as a discipline) your child is interested in. For non-horsey parents, this can be tough to figure out. There is reining, dressage, hunters, barrel racing, western pleasure, saddle seat…the list goes on. If your child knows the type of riding they would like to do, great! You have a leg up, if not it is usually best to start with a discipline that focuses on balanced riding and let your child explore from there. Dressage or reining are good choices if they are available in your area.  If your child is interested in jumping, you should look for a hunter or jumper trainer to get started.

Red Flag!! Trainers who “just teach riding” or “trail ride only” are ones to steer clear of. A good instructor will be trained in at least one discipline.

What to Ask Potential Riding Instructors

If you are new to horses it can be hard to figure out what to ask a potential riding instructor. You want to keep your child safe but your not sure what is and isn’t important. Here is a quick list of questions to ask:

• How long have you been teaching?
• Do you show and if so at what level?
• Have your students done well at shows? Can you give some examples?
• What is your favorite age group to teach?
• Do you still take lessons or attend clinics? (The answer to this question should be YES)
• Do you encourage your students to attend clinics? (Again, the answer should be yes)
• What organizations are you a member of?

As a nonhorsey parent, some of the answers to these questions may be confusing. A dressage instructor may talk about being a bronze medalist, a barrel racing instructor may talk about running 2D times, and a jumper instructor may talk about competing at HITS. All of this may seem like Greek to you so take notes and do some research after you speak to the instructor. If you have questions you can even leave them in the comments here and we would be happy to answer them for you.

Red flag!! Instructors who are not members of a national organization, who do not attend outside events (or don’t encourage their students too) or who do not pursue continuing education for themselves should be moved to the bottom of your list.

Farm Visits

Once you have got your list and spoken over the phone to a few potential instructors it is time to visit some farms. You should watch the instructor give at least one lesson before you sign your child up to ride with them. Some of the questions you might ask yourself while you are watching the lesson are:

• Do I understand the instructions given? Even someone not well versed in horses should understand the basic concepts taught in a beginner lesson.
• Do I like how the instructor speaks to the students? Some instructors are blunt, some are soft, some are silly. You need to ask yourself if you think your child will pair well with this instructors style.
• Has the instructor stayed focused on the lesson? I.e. no cell phone calls, leaving the ring to check on someone, speaking to someone for a long period of time instead of teaching the students.
• Do the students seem comfortable and attentive? A riding lesson shouldn’t look like a geometry class. The students should look like they are enjoying themselves.
• Does the instructor explain the why along with telling them how? Why should the rider keep the horse on the rail? Why should the student keep her heels down? Connecting the why with the how helps students learn and shows you the instructor has a good foundation for teaching.

Red Flag!! Instructors who spend to much time on the phone, who only give basic instruction (okay trot around the ring now) or who are generally inattentive to their students should be struck from your list.

While you are visiting the farm there are a few other things you should consider before signing your child up for lessons at the farm.

Safety

The safety of the horse and rider should be a priority at any farm. Horses are big animals and can injure someone quickly and without meaning too. Students should be required to wear helmets, long pants, and a boot with a small heel.

A good instructor will also teach good handling practices to keep everyone safe. This might include how to lead a horse properly (stay at the shoulder, never wrap a lead rope around your hand!), how to tie a safety knot, and how to safely pick up and clean a horse’s feet.

Red Flag!! No helmets required, helmets only required over fences, students tying horses to things that can move, people leading horses with just a lead around the horse’s neck or anything else that puts horse or rider in more danger than necessary.

A Well Kept Farm

Keeping a farm in good repair is more than just for looks. A farm that is kept clean and free of debris is safer for the horses and your child. Giant manure piles breed all manner of insects that can spread disease, rusty farm equipment can prove dangerous if a horse is spooked. The farm doesn’t have to sparkle with perfect white fences and chandeliers hanging in the aisleway but you shouldn’t feel like you just pulled up to a junk yard either.

Here is a quick list of questions to ask yourself when you are considering a particular farm for your child to take lessons at.

• When you pull up to the farm what is your first impression?
• Are the fences in good repair?
• Are the pastures clear of debris?
• When you walk through are the aisleways clear and swept?
• Are the stalls clean and well bedded? (no urine smell, only a few piles of manure, at least 2″ of bedding)

Red Flag!! Fences held up with baling twine, being knocked over by a smell of urine when you walk in, general disarray of a barn should send you running right back to your car and on to the next farm.

School Horses

If your child is just starting out chances are you don’t have a horse of your own for him or her to learn on, that means school horses. A school horse is a horse your instructor owns and lets students ride during lessons. Like a well-kept farm, school horses should be well-kept too.

The number one priority of a school horse is to be SAFE. Ask your potential instructors about their school horses. A good instructor will have a few quiet school horses or ponies that are great for a child to learn on. These horses likely won’t be the prettiest in the barn, and they might have a few grey hairs around their muzzles, but if they are quiet and safe they are worth their weight in gold.

Red Flag!! School horses who run away with their riders, bite, or require a chain over their nose or under their jaw for handling. These horses might be fine for more advanced riders and experienced horsemen but they are not beginner school horses.

Welcome to the Horse World

You have visited some farms, avoided the red flags, and found a great horseback riding instructor for your child, let me be the first to welcome you to the horse world. It’s a strange place, one where four-legged critters take center stage and those who love them spend most of their time and money keeping them safe and sound. As a parent of a new rider things may seem a bit overwhelming right now, but rest assured, in a few years you will be the wise horse parent rubbing off boots, memorizing patterns, and whispering ‘keep your heels down’ under your breath as you watch your child and their equine friends shine. You will hold your breath over the first jump, ride along with them in their first show, and dust off their jackets the first time they take a tumble. Welcome to the horse world.