Raising Riders

Riding bareback can be a great exercise to help with kids’ balance.

Children need room to grow in and out of the arena.

Four essential elements of a great youth riding instructor.

A child’s relationship with his or her first horse can make or break the rest of their equine careers. Finding a safe, enjoyable mount that’ll serve the needs of a young, inexperienced rider is a tall task, though. Just how broke does a kid’s horse need to be, what type of training should he have, and what degree of soundness issues can you manage?

In this new section, we’ll explore how horsemen and -women have introduced children to the horse world. In our first installment, National Finals Rodeo barrel racer Shali Lord discusses how she and her husband have developed a love for horses in their two children, Slade, 8, and Stealy, 3.