What Age Can Kids Learn Horseback Riding?

Some people love horses, so they want to get their kids to learn about horses and start riding them. After all, riding a horse is a fun experience and a useful skill, so your children may want to participate. If you want your kids to participate in horseback riding, you need to figure out what age you plan to let your children learn how to ride horses.

Consider Maturity

If you plan to let your children ride horses, you need to focus on their maturity levels. When interacting with horses, you need to remain mature to avoid injuries and problems. For example, if you let a child get near a horse, he or she may not know how to treat the creature.

If your child requires constant supervision, he or she may not be ready for horseback riding. Otherwise, you need to hold the reins and walk alongside the horse while your child rides it. In short, no matter what age you decide to let your kid ride horses, you need to make sure he or she has enough maturity.

Look Up Regulations and Rules

Even if you want to let your child ride a horse at a young age, you need to figure out when places in your area allow children to ride horses. For example, if you want to go horseback riding near Yellowstone, the different riding lengths have age restrictions. They only allow five-year-olds to ride for one hour, while everyone needs to be over seven to ride for two hours.

Depending on where you live, you may have to follow laws and regulations to avoid fines. Keep in mind these regulations and rules exist to keep you and your children safe. If a place establishes rules concerning an age requirement, make sure you listen to them.

Pick the Right Horse

If you plan to let a child ride a horse, you must choose the right one to help. For example, some horses get upset or stressed out based on the situation, so you want a calm horse. Otherwise, the horse could get upset and injure your child by throwing him or her off its back.

Make sure you find a horse with a history of remaining calm and working well with children. Even if you find a good horse, you need to check him or her the same day to ensure the horse is in a good mood. Otherwise, you risk the horse getting upset and causing problems for your child.

Put Safety First

As you decide what age to let your child learn horseback riding, you need to focus on safety and protect your child. For example, if your child can’t balance well, you don’t want him or her to ride a horse yet. You also want to stick close to your child during the ride to help him or her during an emergency.

You need to help your child get on the horse by lifting him or her up. You have the option to use a stand or chair to help your child get on the horse. It doesn’t hurt to give your child protective gear, so do everything to protect your kid.

Remember to prioritize the horse’s comfort, as it directly impacts your child’s safety. Ensure you have a well-fitted, high-quality saddle pad and top-notch bridles. Also, consider using over reach boots for horses, as they cover the entire hoof, providing protection from overreaching and other potential impacts.

Also read: Why are Dressage Saddle Pads Important?

Learn From a Teacher

If you can’t figure out how to determine if your child can go on a horse, you can talk with a teacher. Contact horseback riding teachers in your area to see if they only take students above a certain age. Doing so will give you a better idea of when you should let your child learn.

Teachers establish these rules to prevent children from getting hurt, so make sure to listen and not push to have your child take the classes. On top of this, the age requirement works as a guideline. You need to decide if your child is old enough to handle horseback riding without issues or problems.

Conclusion

Horseback riding works great for kids and adults. As you research the topic, you can identify the right age to let your child get involved with horseback riding. When you do so, you can keep your child safe while offering a fun experience to let your kid have fun some while interacting with horses.