I am just curious as to what the optimum age is to introduce children to riding and the best way to go about this introduction?

Other than the occassional pony ride they have truly not been exposed to horses. ;) We do seem to have some riding stables around my area.

I am interested in this for the exercise and for the possible sensory benefits for my children and would appreciate any information and direction you are able to give.

Thank you for your time!

Hi Leigh,

Every stable has its own regulations regarding age acceptance. If one has the advantage of having access to horses (or be it a friend's, relative, neighbour, local stable etc), visits under adult supervision, no matter what the age is a great way to start. This way you can control and monitor the situation depending on your child's reaction.

If you notice that your child seems to show an interest in horses, some stables offer a trial period or a camp that would let your child try this out, and see if horses are still fascinating. Should your child show fear or display strong feelings of avoiding getting near or on the horse, please do not force the issue and respect the child's wishes: horses can at any time knock a person's confidence when one feels intimidated.

If you are confident that your child would benefit from being involved with horses, the first step would be to decide which avenue you want to take; is this just for casual fun or are you looking at the therapeutic value of it?

If it's just for fun, ask around (tack shops are a great source) for a reputable and safe stable that caters to children.

If you are looking for therapeutic purpose, you can contact your country's therapeutic riding association for stables near you. In Canada it's the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA), in the United States it's the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Inc (NARHA) and in the UK it's Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA).

Not every instructor is automatically certified or qualified to teach for therapeutic purposes, so ask for a brochure from the centre and find out what their qualifications are. If one tweaks your interest, call and ask if you can come and visit the premises. A tour can then be scheduled where you and your child can visit the horses and watch a lesson.

Because you are interested in a fun way to get your child physically active as well as benefiting from the sensory aspect, I would recommend that you go the therapeutic riding centre route. And that's not because I'm a therapeutic riding instructor but because I'm also certified as a "regular" instructor; I can look at both sides equally in order to make my decision.

During your visit, the person in charge of processing eligible candidates, this may be the head instructor or the stable's therapist, will then advise you on which direction to take. If your child is a candidate (not every centre offers the exact same services), you will be given forms to bring to your family physician for him/her to fill out.

Depending on the age, size and abilities of the child, the OC or instructor will then recommend which type of horseback activity would best suit your child: hippotherapy, adapted vaulting or therapeutic riding (saddle).

Hope this answered your questions and that it wasn't too overwhelming.

Take care,
Lynne