Child safety should be your top priority when evaluating stables for horseback riding lessons. So what should parents look for in an appropriate stable?
There are thousands of horseback riding stables scattered all over the United States, from little plots of heaven in the middle of large cities, to small-town farms with rolling hills. Many parents have children who would love to take horseback riding lessons, but how do you ensure your child’s safety?
Searching for a Stable
You could probably pull out the latest copy of your city’s Yellow Pages and pick the first horseback riding stable that advertises riding lessons. However, that method might sacrifice safety for your child, as you can’t depend on every stable to take appropriate care of its animals or students. A better idea is to conduct a thorough and meticulous search for the perfect riding stable.
A phone call isn’t sufficient to determine the safety standards of a barn, so make sure you visit every candidate on the list. Talk with the head riding instructor, ask to see the horses used for lessons, and don’t be afraid to ask about that stable’s safety record. How many falls or serious injuries have occurred in the last five years? This is critical data, but you should also ask how accidents are handled by stable management.
Watching a Lesson
It is never a good idea to leave your child alone for horseback riding lessons, at least until you have witnessed enough lessons to be confident in their safety standards. Watch the lesson carefully, concentrating specifically on the instructor. Is he or she paying attention to the students? Are questions answered quickly and fully? Does the instructor stop to talk to other parents, answer phone calls or gab with stable employees?
Surveying the Horses
The way that horseback riding instructors treat their horses is an accurate indication of how they will treat their students. Are the horses well-groomed and well-fed? Do they seem alert and energetic while under saddle? Do you see any signs of illness or injury? A good horseback riding stable will use lesson horses only once each night, or no more than twice for walk-trot lessons, and the horses will have properly-fitting equipment.
Evaluating the Facility
In addition to the horses and the instructors, make sure you evaluate each facility you visit when considering horseback riding lessons. The barns, arenas, paddocks, trails and equipment should be in good condition, with no obvious signs of neglect. This doesn’t mean that a lesson stable should look like a multi-million-dollar farm, but rotten wood and broken fencing are good indicators of a neglected facility.
Choosing an appropriate stable for horseback riding lessons shouldn’t depend entirely on child safety, but make sure you feel comfortable at the barn. Gut instinct is almost as important as empirical data, so trust your own brain as you evaluate the possibilities.
