Teaching Children to Ride

Teaching children to ride is extremely rewarding. Their enthusiasm, open hearts, and keen attitude to learn make children good students. Their fondness of ponies is a joy to behold. Most children are quite fearless when it comes to riding and it is the responsibility of the instructor to ensure their safety comes first and their exuberance to ride is carefully channeled. For the nervous rider, much patience is needed and allowing a child to sit on a pony and be led can work wonders for their self-confidence.

The instructor should talk to the parent to learn about the nature of the child in general, their attitude toward animals and horses in particular, and prior riding experiences including any negative or positive events. It is also wise to ask the parent (out of the child’s hearing) if there are any physical or mental challenges for the child, and to have some idea of the child’s physique including height. The child’s age, mental maturity, and experience in other sports are also helpful to know. For example, if they participate in gymnastics or ballet, this would indicate that they have some semblance of balance and are also used to following instructions and being taught. Can they ride a bicycle? Obviously, this also requires balance and would demonstrate that the child has already mastered some of the skill sets needed for riding.