Cita
Posted : 8/10/2012 10:26:22 PM
Just saw this! Would be happy to give my $0.02 - I took lessons about once a week(ish) from age 8-16ish, and spent a number of summers riding every day.
mrstjohnson
Questions:
1. What should I look for in a riding stable
2. What can I expect to pay?
3. How often should her classes be - this might be dependent on #2 - if its really expensive I will have to evaluate how often she can ride, etc.
Thanks!!!
Definitely PM Max's Mom - she was a better rider than I've ever been, and she knows the area :) But based on what I do know...
1) If you can find an experienced horse person, see if you can have them help you screen stables. It is REALLY really important to have a good stable/instructor. If you're looking yourself, you want to find an instructor that's a little uptight and OCD about safety and barn management, but someone that also has a good attitude. In my experience, most riding instructors fall into one of the following two camps - super laid back, not terribly conscientious about safety, kind of fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, or super uptight, drill sergeant-like, lots of yelling and sometimes swearing for "motivation." Typically, the latter tend to turn you into better riders, but can also kind of spoil the fun out of it.
2) This is WIDELY variable, especially depending on geography. As a very very rough estimate, I'd estimate around $40 for a half hour of private instruction. You will have to decide if you want group or private lessons - based on your hopes for Riley, I'd guess private would be the best bet. (I tend to always favor private lessons.)
3) Once a week is typically where people start, to see if they like it. It all depends on your budget and schedule. The more, the better. I was never able to get very competitive because I was often unable to ride more than once a week - that really held me back after I'd been riding a while. However, for the first year, once a week would probably be sufficient. If you can do more often and she's having fun, GREAT!
Feel free to email me if you have any more questions - I don't have that much time to be on these forums these days but would be more than happy to chat via email or something :)
As for the knee issue, I honestly have no idea. You can talk to her doctor, but unless her doctor is an equestrian, he/she probably wouldn't have a full idea of what riding lessons would entail. I'd definitely say give it a try - Western indeed might be easier on the knees? Or dressage? - and see how she feels. Honestly, she probably wouldn't be doing anything REALLY intensive for at least a few months, so the early stages will mostly be to see if she likes the horses, likes the trainer, is able to focus, that sort of thing.
I think horseback riding is one of the best activities possible for helping kids learn responsibility and self-confidence - at least, it was really great for me :) I hope you find a great place to try, and I hope you both have fun! Would love to see pics!