My daughter is almost 8, and she's been riding for a year. She loves it. She's not super talented, and she probably won't ever compete, but it's great exercise, it's been a huge boost to her confidence, she's bonded with the horses in a beautiful way, and she's learned a lot about responsibility.

I grew up in Scotland and took classes here for most of my childhood. It was a more low-key environment than here, but it's really what you make of it. Yes, some outrageously wealthy people ride, but that's not us and my daughter's just in it for the fun. Recently, I've started taking lessons again and it's just as fun (and addicting) as I remember!

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Anonymous wrote:Dont do it. Total money suck and useless skill. Take her horseback riding a couple times this summer with you as an activity. That is enough.

They're all "useless", soccer, little league, ballet. Even piano or violin lessons, drama, art classes. All useless, if you mean that they won't lead to a professional career. So that's a meaningless point.

MY kids do swimming and tennis. I would consider both lifelong sports to keep themselves physically engaged as adults and not "useless." Music also have lifelong benefits and helps with brain development.

Equestrian sport is about as lifelong as a sport can get. Nick Skelton, the gold medalist in show jumping at the London Olympics, was 58 at the time.

Being around horses also facilitates the development of the brain, particularly EQ skills.

Horses have been a lifelong passion for me, and have taught me innumerable skills. The sport fosters hard work, determination, grit, and humility. It fosters a team relationship -- with your core teammate, your horse. Those "boring" horse shows? A lot of hard work goes into those 5 minutes in the ring, and then you aren't always successful. There is a lot to be learned about how much work goes into 'success' from competing in equestrian sport.

I would not be half the person I am today without horses in my life, and all that comes with them. The ups and the downs.

That said, it is dangerous and expensive.

--For what it's worth, from an equine professional (some of us can and do make a career out of it)

Ok, but minus people that make careers out of it..

Most adults don't casually horse ride frequently in the spare time for exercise and socialization- nor do most adults own horses. As where, swimming is easily accessible, a must-have skill, and good for your body at any age. Tennis has both social and physical benefits for adults and all you need is a racquet and a court.

Many people do ride, just maybe not in your friend group. My facility caters to adult amateurs who ride several times a week. we also hold weekly wine and cheese get togethers (before COVID) and hope to start again soon as most of them are in the medical or education fields and have been vaccinated.

Even more people go riding casually on vacation. It's an incredible thrill to go, say, hunting with the Galway Blazers or trekking across Mongolia, and that is something you cannot do without significant experience in the saddle. Riding is also a lot like riding a bike -- you can, in fact, pick it up again casually and be safe enough to canter around a foreign landscape, though you won't be ready to go out and compete at a high level without spending some more time buckling down on your skills.

Tennis is fine if that's what you like, but it's hardly comparable. Do most adults own tennis racquets? I doubt it very much.

+1

Our barn has about 30 adults who ride, maybe 1/3 of which who show. Same thing with socials, etc.

Anonymous wrote:My 7 year old is very interested. This is not an activity or world I am familiar with at all. If you rode or your kids rode, I’d really appreciate some insight into how this all works. What kind of riding school should I look for? Any safety things to consider? Is it super expensive, and is the culture quite exclusive/fancy? What kinds of strengths would this build? Do you eventually choose one style and train in that, and do you have to compete or can you do it for the joy of connecting with an animal?

I know a lot about music, and could imagine leading a kid down that path if they were interested, but I have no idea about this and how to even do due diligence on a program.

OP my oldest started at age 7.

1. Horse camps at that age I would say no go. Not safe enough no matter how many instructors. Wait til child has more experience around horses. For us, it was around age 12, with lots of lessons and safety instuctions.
2. Private lessons vs group. At age 7 same as above if you can afford it or research the barn super carefully as many are not that safety-conscious.
3. Private barns are better for that age than say Potomac Horse Center in MD. Nothing wrong with the horse center but again they leave why too much to the child and or parent that knows nothing about horseback riding ie safety issues.
4. Three types of riders, Fancy Show riders, Pony Club or MGAA riders, and just riders. Barns sometimes are just one type or do all three. Depends on your family what you are looking for.
5. Pony Club and MGAA (mounted games across America) are great organizations but definitely have parents like crazy sports parents and can be challenging. But two of mine did this and enjoyed it very much.
6. Barns are all different. Wardoca mentioned on this site by PP is an excellent one. I did not read the whole thread sorry, so not sure where you are. But when looking at barns, Wardocca or Bascule in MD are both good examples. I am not a fan of Camp Olympia at all.
7. Riding is expensive when showing or not. There is no way around that, until child is older than can possibly work off some board.

Anonymous wrote:So many reasons not to. Not safe, expensive, not good exercise or good for your child’s body, very solitary. I had a good friend who grew up riding so I know a lot about it and would never encourage it for my kid.

You know NOTHING about riding. Literally nothing.

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

Sure they do. Horses like jumping. If they didn't like it, they wouldn't do it. Same with driving, reining, cutting, etc. They like it.

Dogs like agility courses. You don't feel bad for them, do you? Why do you feel bad for horses?

Look, I know they're crazy about some things, but tell me: what here can you really disagree with?

https://www.peta.org/students/student-life/say-neigh-to-horse-riding/

If you have ever been on a horse, you'd know that they can pretty easily get you off if they want to. Stop promoting this ridiculousness.

Anonymous wrote:My 7 year old is very interested. This is not an activity or world I am familiar with at all. If you rode or your kids rode, I’d really appreciate some insight into how this all works. What kind of riding school should I look for? Any safety things to consider? Is it super expensive, and is the culture quite exclusive/fancy? What kinds of strengths would this build? Do you eventually choose one style and train in that, and do you have to compete or can you do it for the joy of connecting with an animal?

I know a lot about music, and could imagine leading a kid down that path if they were interested, but I have no idea about this and how to even do due diligence on a program.

I grew up riding and my daughters (twins, age 6) ride now. As to your questions:

I would look for a barn that is close by, one that has other kids, and one that has good lesson ponies. You won't want to lease something right off the bat, so you will need to find a place that has something solid for her to lesson on for a while until you decide if she's really interested in it and wants to take the next step.

It is super expensive. There's just no way around it. You could do a lesson a week on a school pony, which wouldn't cost a ton, but if she starts riding more and needs to lease something, or she wants to do shows, it can add up quickly. So mostly it depends on the level you are doing. We pay $10K/year to lease a pony for each kid, $1,500/month for board, $500/month for lessons, $200/month for horse shoes, insurance on the ponies (I'd have to look that number up), thousands on equipment and clothes, and just dropped maybe $5K on a weekend horse show in NC. Of course, you don't need to do any of those things, but at some point your daughter is likely going to want to do more than one lesson a week.

I wouldn't say the culture is overly exclusive or fancy, although that depends a lot on the barn. Our barn has a lot of down-to-earth people who work hard to be able to pay for their horses and do a lot around the barn and at shows. Other barns have parents who wouldn't lift a finger to sweep an aisle, for example, and those barns are way more exclusive/snobby. The horse world gets a bad rap from those kind of people, but most of the ones who love it are not snobs, they just love the animals and love riding.

The strengths riding builds, especially for girls, can't be understated. There are articles out there discussing it, but basically (1) the amount of responsibility is huge (you are taking care of a living thing!) and it teaches kids a lot about that, (2) you can't muscle your way through riding, so you have to be attuned to your horse and how THEY feel because it is a partnership (this helps build empathy), (3) you are on a 1,000+ pound animal and it is (generally) listening to you, which builds a great sense of independence and self-assuredness. I could go on and on. My dad said having me ride growing up was worth every penny, and I feel the same for my kids.

You can switch styles over time, but generally you would ride English or Western. Within English though you could do Dressage, Hunters, Jumpers, or Eventing, which are all really different. You could always switch around (I started in Hunters, did pony Jumpers, tried Eventing, and ended up back in Hunters and Equitation).

You don't have to compete, but it's a great way to test your skills and be able to work towards specific goals. As an adult, I don't have any desire to compete anymore, and there are many women at our barn who do not. I think it's great for kids, but there is no reason you have to do. I spend time with horses because I love them, not because I want ribbons.

Hope this helps!

OP, ignore the weird classical music knife fight that’s broken out in this thread and get your daughter on a pony!

Riding is magic. It teaches confidence, balance, the ability to tune out the outside world and tune into your body, patience, empathy, responsibility, and bravery. (Not to mention terrific posture.) Riders carry themselves like queens, but aren’t afraid to get down in the dirt — voluntarily or otherwise. And a girl or young woman who knows she can successfully pilot a 1,000 animal is one who takes no shit from anyone who has opinions about what her body can or cannot do, or what it should or shouldn’t look like.

Like any other sport or activity, if you want to, you can spend stupid money. But if your name isn’t Bloomberg, your daughter can have just as much fun riding in a once/week group lesson, which around here seems to run about $50-70. From there, as she grows, you can look at other options, such as leasing a horse, doing pony club, or joining an inter scholastic riding team. But to borrow from our classical music friends, don’t start thinking about the whole concerto just yet — try playing some scales first.

Any good barn will put beginners’ safety first. That means they have appropriate instructors, ponies with the patience of saints, and a culture that teaches horsemanship, not just what to do in the saddle. To help keep your daughter safe, get her appropriate footwear, some breeches or jods with suede knee patches for stickiness, and a helmet. The paddock boots and jods you can buy cheap and used (Middleburg Tack Exchange or another consignment tack shop can help you), but the helmet is like a car seat and should be purchased new. Again like car seats, they last about 5 years and should be replaced after a fall. (Having recently performed an involuntary demonstration of Newtonian physics myself, I strongly urge you to get her helmet fitted in person rather than ordering it online, and to consider the new MIPS technology. It really makes a difference.)

Good luck in your search. And don’t worry about not knowing anything. There are lots of non-horsey moms out there, trailing in confusion behind their bright-eyed, filthy children. You’ll fit right in, and can always ask if you’re not sure about something. Horse people are friendly and always glad to help.

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Anonymous wrote:Dont do it. Total money suck and useless skill. Take her horseback riding a couple times this summer with you as an activity. That is enough.

They're all "useless", soccer, little league, ballet. Even piano or violin lessons, drama, art classes. All useless, if you mean that they won't lead to a professional career. So that's a meaningless point.

MY kids do swimming and tennis. I would consider both lifelong sports to keep themselves physically engaged as adults and not "useless." Music also have lifelong benefits and helps with brain development.

Equestrian sport is about as lifelong as a sport can get. Nick Skelton, the gold medalist in show jumping at the London Olympics, was 58 at the time.

Being around horses also facilitates the development of the brain, particularly EQ skills.

Horses have been a lifelong passion for me, and have taught me innumerable skills. The sport fosters hard work, determination, grit, and humility. It fosters a team relationship -- with your core teammate, your horse. Those "boring" horse shows? A lot of hard work goes into those 5 minutes in the ring, and then you aren't always successful. There is a lot to be learned about how much work goes into 'success' from competing in equestrian sport.

I would not be half the person I am today without horses in my life, and all that comes with them. The ups and the downs.

That said, it is dangerous and expensive.

--For what it's worth, from an equine professional (some of us can and do make a career out of it)

I'm 43 and I still ride recreationally. I don't jump anymore, so I stick to basic private and group lessons to refresh my skills, and trail rides. I do think like beach rides on vacations. Riding is mentally uplifting, physically challenging (but not overly so). There's an 80 year old in one of my group classes! He's fantastic at the canter. I love hanging out with him and bonding over our equine pals.

Agree - it's about as lifelong a sport as you can get.

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Anonymous wrote:My husband has one rule- no horses. His ex was a horse girl and it's a money pit. We live in a horsey area and I rode as a kid but he's adamant.

My rule is no pets we have to keep in a cage.

Which is exactly where horses are placed when they're not being ridden. It's cruel.

some barns put them to pasture when they aren't in their boxes. It isn't cruel. Do you want horses walking down Georgia avenue?

That would be awesome.

I like how you say "some" barns put them to pasture. Like that makes it better. It should be "all" barns put them to pasture "all" the time.

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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.

pp So tell us the conversation you had with horses? I think you don't want to pay for lessons. Your choice but, don't lie to your kid.

I'm rich, actually. This has nothing to do with money. It's not lying to a kid to say you don't think horse riding is morally right or humane.

What conversations have YOU had with horses?

I grew up in the country and we have a few horses and ponies. One horse was my own and for the time he was alive (bought at an auction) I took care of him. He was a quarter horse. I rode him almost every day, brushed him, fed him. I never had any horse riding lessons, I just learned it. I also had dogs as pets and did 4-H. I am not a country girl (I now live in the burbs) but I am a life long animal lover. I pretty much love anything related to animals.

My DD is only 6 so I haven't brought it up to her but I would love it if she took some lessons one day. Just to get comfortable with it and to connect with animals. I think it's a fantastic opportunity as long as you are comfortable with the safety.

I rode horse from age 4-15. It is an exercise. After an hour of serious training, you'd be quite tired. I have some wicked inner thigh muscles, I can hold you in death grip.
I rode ponies also from age 6-9, but they were less fun. Horseback riding is fairly safe if you are given a trained horse and I was as a child. My parents competed and so did I couple of years. I don't know why they always give you a heavyweight horse that should be pulling a cart, not carrying a human. They are not trained to do so, they are stubborn and clumsy. Well-trained horse listens to your every command and isn't scared easily. Nobody wants to give a beginner a well-trained horse because it took a long time to train them.
Ofcourse there's also a horse that is used to being circled around with a new rider day in and day out. We had ca 30 horses and ponies and nobody had a serious injury over the years even though we went through 100s of riders and were not extremely careful. I twisted my leg and had a few stitches but it was completely foreseeable, and voidable.
I will teach my kids, but we will do it in Eastern Europe where it is so much cheaper. I think it's a cool thing to know how to ride a horse.
We used to go to forest trails with horses and if one starts racing, so will others, there's not stopping an animal as big as a horse. We did not get them to stop until we were back on the big field and were able to get them circling. The faster they run, the less they shake, and it's so much fun. It's the sudden stops, moves and jumps that make a new rider fall off. More experienced rider sees them coming and can hold on usually, but not always.I went back to ride from ages 22-23 and remember falling only when the horse decided to stop suddenly. Few times I landed on my feet, few times over the neck and head of the horse, on my butt. Not a big deal. I'd do group lessons once a week for couple of months and be done with it because it is expensive.

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Anonymous wrote:My 7 year old is very interested. This is not an activity or world I am familiar with at all. If you rode or your kids rode, I’d really appreciate some insight into how this all works. What kind of riding school should I look for? Any safety things to consider? Is it super expensive, and is the culture quite exclusive/fancy? What kinds of strengths would this build? Do you eventually choose one style and train in that, and do you have to compete or can you do it for the joy of connecting with an animal?

I know a lot about music, and could imagine leading a kid down that path if they were interested, but I have no idea about this and how to even do due diligence on a program.

Horse back riding is a great sport. Fancy depends on the barn. There are very low key barns and "fancy" ones. You start with lessons. Most people around here ride Eastern. Most likely your kid may not continue but, to start find one close to your home. I'm sure if you google you can research barns and lessons and try them out. Wheaton stables near Brookside gardens seems like a good low key one.

Horseback riding is fun!

It is called English, not Eastern. Within English sports are dressage, eventing, show jumping, hunters, and saddle seat. Most people in the DC area ride hunter/jumpers, but there are large dressage and eventing communities, as well as fox hunting. Apparently there is a saddle seat barn too, but I don't know anything about that.

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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

I’ll check them out, thanks!

I think you expressed my problem with classical training really well. A classical musician is a vessel for someone else’s music, whereas jazz, rock, blues, etc encourage the musician to express him/herself.

It’s not that a classical musician can’t emotionally connect with the music—they can and do—but they are meant to be a medium for delivering someone else’s music in a very specific way and can’t really diverge from that.

This opinion is shockingly wrong. I'll assume it was an off-the-cuff remark and you didn't stop to think before you wrote. Artists diverge from what's written ALL THE TIME. Even if an artist wanted to, they could not play a piece the way another artist plays it. Of course it's about self-expression, like any other art form!!! I mean, duh. By the way, new classical music is being written every day, and performed publicly everywhere in the world. There are many contemporary classical composers. But even with the guidance of a living composer at their side, each artist is going to have a different take on the music, AND THAT'S WHAT THE COMPOSER WANTS. The performer turns the piece into art, not the composer.

Listen to the Bach Partita II when Hilary Hahn plays it and when Itzhak Perlman plays it - both beautiful, but extraordinarily different in color, timbre, tempo, interpretation. I prefer Hahn's contemplative version, even though it's not the accepted tempo. The truth is that we don't have much knowledge of how great musicians played their music before recordings. Much research has been done, and music has the most wonderful and multi-layered notation allowing someone from centuries long gone to guide your playing - but when all is said and done, you're alone in front of notes and markings, and you make the music your own.

First of all, calm down. I’m not talking about classical composers or solo classical musicians at the level of Itzhak Perlman; I’m talking about someone playing in an orchestra. They have to adhere to the interpretation of the piece that the conductor wants.

I played in orchestras for 15 years and trust me — I could not diverge from what the conductor wanted. The conductor is essentially a dictator.

Obviously someone composing music is engaging in individual expression. So are soloists.

But the vast majority of classical musicians are not like that. Most classical musicians—especially on the amateur level, which is what we’re discussing here—are playing in orchestras. They are taking direction from a conductor.

That is in contrast to an amateur playing the blues. That is almost entirely a question of improvisation. As long as you remain in key, you can essentially do what you want.

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Anonymous wrote:My husband has one rule- no horses. His ex was a horse girl and it's a money pit. We live in a horsey area and I rode as a kid but he's adamant.

My rule is no pets we have to keep in a cage.

Which is exactly where horses are placed when they're not being ridden. It's cruel.

some barns put them to pasture when they aren't in their boxes. It isn't cruel. Do you want horses walking down Georgia avenue?