Horse riding as an activity — yay or nay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Indeed we do! I started out playing classical music from 5-17yo (piano and cello) and have since played rock and blues guitar (I’m now in my mid-30s). I do think starting with classical gives good discipline in terms of attention to detail, but it can also make it difficult to switch to an improv mentality, which is extremely important for succeeding as a rock/blues musician. I had to unlearn a certain rigidness in order to progress as a rock/blues guitarist.

I guess my point in posting to you is that I hope that, if your daughter decides to move into non-classical music at some point, that she can take the good from classical training, while being mindful of what she might need to unlearn.

Exactly. You don't know how hard it would have been in terms of ear training and rhythm accuracy if you hadn't started with classical first. As it was, you didn't notice the lack of challenge in that department and only noticed the one skill you didn't have

Yes, but as I said, I had to unlearn rigidity that otherwise would’ve led to failure as a rock/blues guitarist.


OP here. That’s ok, I’m really interested in this also, both as a pedagogical point that applies to things other than music and to music specifically. I trained classically and also regret not doing jazz earlier. Do you know the duo Igudesman and Joo? I think that attitude of seeing music as expression and communication is so important, and often lost when you start with a “do it this way” approach.
I also believe that a good teacher can teach rhythm accuracy and ear training in the context of non-classical music. Keep in mind that most—if not all—excellent rock musicians had no classical training at all.

But I don’t want to derail OP’s thread more than I already have.

Oops, posted amid yours:

OP here. That’s ok, I’m really interested in this also, both as a pedagogical point that applies to things other than music and to music specifically. I trained classically and also regret not doing jazz earlier. Do you know the duo Igudesman and Joo? I think that attitude of seeing music as expression and communication is so important, and often lost when you start with a “do it this way” approach.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WOQaK7NHY-4

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22:11.

Safety is a big issue. A young friend of a friend was thrown off her horse and paralyzed. You want a barn that takes safety seriously, and that starts by picking the right horses for beginners: well-trained, sedate ponies fazed by nothing! They're not going to look pretty, but their purpose is to keep the kids safe and intelligently interpret poorly executed commands so that students learn along the way

You'll see that instructors also come in varying qualities when you observe lessons.

OP here. This is what I’m worried about. How do I know if they take safety seriously? What would I ask or look for?

Sorry to hear about your friend’s friend, that is awful. Was she injured while riding competitively at a high level? One of the things I’m wondering is if it gets dangerous at a certain point due to speed and the kinds of maneuvers you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Horses don't need little (or big) humans riding on their backs for fun. Cut them a break, please. Seriously.

I'm completely serious. The title of this thread is "horse riding as an activity -- yay or nay?" I vote nay. Horses don't want to be ridden. That's what I'd tell my 7 year old.

[Anonymous]

My daughter rode for three years. It was outrageously expensive and time consuming. I was happy when she moved on to other things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Horses don't need little (or big) humans riding on their backs for fun. Cut them a break, please. Seriously.

I thought they had been domesticated for thousands of years. Doesn’t that mean they are bred to thrive on a certain amount of human contact?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:22:11.

Safety is a big issue. A young friend of a friend was thrown off her horse and paralyzed. You want a barn that takes safety seriously, and that starts by picking the right horses for beginners: well-trained, sedate ponies fazed by nothing! They're not going to look pretty, but their purpose is to keep the kids safe and intelligently interpret poorly executed commands so that students learn along the way

You'll see that instructors also come in varying qualities when you observe lessons.

OP here. This is what I’m worried about. How do I know if they take safety seriously? What would I ask or look for?

Sorry to hear about your friend’s friend, that is awful. Was she injured while riding competitively at a high level? One of the things I’m wondering is if it gets dangerous at a certain point due to speed and the kinds of maneuvers you do.

NP. Horse back riding is one of the most dangerous sports. I have a friend who had a bad fall and injured her back, requiring surgery. I myself had a bad fall and injured my hip (lab tear). Decades ago, when helmet wearing was only starting to be required, there were always head injuries. Those are less common now.

But horse back riding is also a sport that children and adults do, unlike most of them that are really only for kids and maybe adult pros. It does tend to be elitist and upper class but it doesn't have to be. Just be aware that there will be people spending a tremendous amount of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:22:11.

Safety is a big issue. A young friend of a friend was thrown off her horse and paralyzed. You want a barn that takes safety seriously, and that starts by picking the right horses for beginners: well-trained, sedate ponies fazed by nothing! They're not going to look pretty, but their purpose is to keep the kids safe and intelligently interpret poorly executed commands so that students learn along the way

You'll see that instructors also come in varying qualities when you observe lessons.

OP here. This is what I’m worried about. How do I know if they take safety seriously? What would I ask or look for?

Sorry to hear about your friend’s friend, that is awful. Was she injured while riding competitively at a high level? One of the things I’m wondering is if it gets dangerous at a certain point due to speed and the kinds of maneuvers you do.

PP you replied to. You'll see it when you observe the temperament and responses of the ponies, and when the instructor talks about horse safety, insists on boots with heels, doesn't let the kids learn to canter before they're ready, and includes a bit of bareback riding, excellent for balance.

I don't know how the paralyzed girl is doing, but it was at competition level, so she wasn't just starting out. Another girl I know was stepped on by her horse after she was thrown or fell off, as a beginner student, and that was because the barn management was irresponsible, and the horses were way too hyper to be suited to beginner lessons. Luckily she made a full recovery - probably because the horse didn't put his entire weight on her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter rode for three years. It was outrageously expensive and time consuming. I was happy when she moved on to other things.

+1

It's very time consuming. And expensive. But cheaper than therapy, the counselor told my parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter rode for three years. It was outrageously expensive and time consuming. I was happy when she moved on to other things.

What’s expensive? The lessons and equipment, or competing/ owning a horse?

I’m just comparing it to music, which I did at a pretty high level and my child seems to want to do also. It can add up. What I like about it is that you can enjoy it for your whole life, collaborate in ensembles, learn discipline and growth mindset through daily practice, and participate in a musical community. This definitely has the community aspect but it doesn’t seem to have daily practice unless you get super serious and buy a horse. So if DC does it for a few years, is it basically just having an expensive pet and learning mutual respect for animals etc.?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:22:11.

Safety is a big issue. A young friend of a friend was thrown off her horse and paralyzed. You want a barn that takes safety seriously, and that starts by picking the right horses for beginners: well-trained, sedate ponies fazed by nothing! They're not going to look pretty, but their purpose is to keep the kids safe and intelligently interpret poorly executed commands so that students learn along the way

You'll see that instructors also come in varying qualities when you observe lessons.

OP here. This is what I’m worried about. How do I know if they take safety seriously? What would I ask or look for?

Sorry to hear about your friend’s friend, that is awful. Was she injured while riding competitively at a high level? One of the things I’m wondering is if it gets dangerous at a certain point due to speed and the kinds of maneuvers you do.

NP. Horse back riding is one of the most dangerous sports. I have a friend who had a bad fall and injured her back, requiring surgery. I myself had a bad fall and injured my hip (lab tear). Decades ago, when helmet wearing was only starting to be required, there were always head injuries. Those are less common now.

But horse back riding is also a sport that children and adults do, unlike most of them that are really only for kids and maybe adult pros. It does tend to be elitist and upper class but it doesn't have to be. Just be aware that there will be people spending a tremendous amount of money.

I’m sorry about your injury. Does this kind of thing happen when you’re just learning to ride, or more with jumping and racing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:22:11.

Safety is a big issue. A young friend of a friend was thrown off her horse and paralyzed. You want a barn that takes safety seriously, and that starts by picking the right horses for beginners: well-trained, sedate ponies fazed by nothing! They're not going to look pretty, but their purpose is to keep the kids safe and intelligently interpret poorly executed commands so that students learn along the way

You'll see that instructors also come in varying qualities when you observe lessons.

OP here. This is what I’m worried about. How do I know if they take safety seriously? What would I ask or look for?

Sorry to hear about your friend’s friend, that is awful. Was she injured while riding competitively at a high level? One of the things I’m wondering is if it gets dangerous at a certain point due to speed and the kinds of maneuvers you do.

PP you replied to. You'll see it when you observe the temperament and responses of the ponies, and when the instructor talks about horse safety, insists on boots with heels, doesn't let the kids learn to canter before they're ready, and includes a bit of bareback riding, excellent for balance.

I don't know how the paralyzed girl is doing, but it was at competition level, so she wasn't just starting out. Another girl I know was stepped on by her horse after she was thrown or fell off, as a beginner student, and that was because the barn management was irresponsible, and the horses were way too hyper to be suited to beginner lessons. Luckily she made a full recovery - probably because the horse didn't put his entire weight on her.

Thanks. Sounds scary. I feel like I’m going to have to start another thread about how you tell your kid you won’t be allowing an activity they really want 🙁

The sad thing is there really is no equivalent or alternative if a kid wants to ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter rode for three years. It was outrageously expensive and time consuming. I was happy when she moved on to other things.

+1

It's very time consuming. And expensive. But cheaper than therapy, the counselor told my parents.

People who complain about how expensive it is really must differentiate between various commitments! Most children do an hour of horseback riding lessons on weekends or after school, at a local barn. It takes less time than the usual sport practice and games, and isn't very expensive. If you're talking about casual eventing, then that's a whole other story, and it's like comparing travel sports to rec. And if you're talking about buying one or more horses in Europe, shipping them here, paying for top boarding and vet fees, plus transport to shows all over the country, then it's again another matter entirely.

Be specific!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:22:11.

Safety is a big issue. A young friend of a friend was thrown off her horse and paralyzed. You want a barn that takes safety seriously, and that starts by picking the right horses for beginners: well-trained, sedate ponies fazed by nothing! They're not going to look pretty, but their purpose is to keep the kids safe and intelligently interpret poorly executed commands so that students learn along the way

You'll see that instructors also come in varying qualities when you observe lessons.

OP here. This is what I’m worried about. How do I know if they take safety seriously? What would I ask or look for?

Sorry to hear about your friend’s friend, that is awful. Was she injured while riding competitively at a high level? One of the things I’m wondering is if it gets dangerous at a certain point due to speed and the kinds of maneuvers you do.

NP. Horse back riding is one of the most dangerous sports. I have a friend who had a bad fall and injured her back, requiring surgery. I myself had a bad fall and injured my hip (lab tear). Decades ago, when helmet wearing was only starting to be required, there were always head injuries. Those are less common now.

But horse back riding is also a sport that children and adults do, unlike most of them that are really only for kids and maybe adult pros. It does tend to be elitist and upper class but it doesn't have to be. Just be aware that there will be people spending a tremendous amount of money.

I’m sorry about your injury. Does this kind of thing happen when you’re just learning to ride, or more with jumping and racing?

At a good barn with good instructors and trainers and good schoolhorses, beginners are usually very safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 10 year old daughter plays the violin and rides. It all depends what your priorities are. We always told her we would invest in her music but not in her horseback riding.

Because of this, the violin is costing us more: $90/hr private lessons vs. $60-70/hr group lessons (depends on the size of the group), and $5K fractional size violin and bow because she needs something better than rentals at this point in her musical development (we're not planning to lease or buy a horse in the near future!). We'll be looking for a quality full-size violin and bow in the next few years and it might add a zero to the price.

If we prioritized horseback riding, she'd be in private lessons with a leased horse by now, and that might still be doable on our income, but the next stage would not.

So google all the teaching barns in the area. Our favorite is Waredaca, but they're not taking beginners due to Covid (they need a lot of hands-on instruction) and they're in the process of finding new horses. The culture is not fancy at all! For the first few lessons they will probably let you borrow the helmet. Please do bring boots with a heel, it's a safety requirement so that feet don't go through the stirrups and get stuck there, potentially blocking dismount and causing injury.

Horseback riding builds core and leg strength primarily, but also arm and upper torso a little. You can just take lessons casually for ever, but if you get good enough, you can choose to compete. You can learn different styles of riding, but the accepted method to learn is English, just like the best grounding in music is classical.

God I so hope.. not at the same time!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My 10 year old daughter plays the violin and rides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter rode for three years. It was outrageously expensive and time consuming. I was happy when she moved on to other things.

+1

It's very time consuming. And expensive. But cheaper than therapy, the counselor told my parents.

People who complain about how expensive it is really must differentiate between various commitments! Most children do an hour of horseback riding lessons on weekends or after school, at a local barn. It takes less time than the usual sport practice and games, and isn't very expensive. If you're talking about casual eventing, then that's a whole other story, and it's like comparing travel sports to rec. And if you're talking about buying one or more horses in Europe, shipping them here, paying for top boarding and vet fees, plus transport to shows all over the country, then it's again another matter entirely.

Be specific!

Thanks, that’s helpful. Absolutely no eventing or buying a horse. It’s partly because I am just considering the weekly lesson route though that I wonder how much a child can get out of this.