Lazy Daisy Children's Horses

11/16/2024

A Quick Look back on the first half of November. Time flies when you are having fun.

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween 🎃 from our barn crew to you!

10/25/2024

Little ones can do mighty things too.

When the confidence and drive to do it all comes together. ❤️

10/03/2024

Are your kids needing a fall activity?

The weather is great for some outdoor fun!

Come on out! We have lesson spots available. Ride your horse or learn on our trusty horses.

Horses are great for kids!!

09/16/2024

Practice, practice, makes everything better.

09/07/2024

Field trip opportunity!!
Who wants to take a journey to the Silver state and watch some of the best reined cowhorses?
September 13, 2024
Reno Livestock Events Center
Reno, Nevada

If you are interested in joining us, send us a message.

08/25/2024

🎉Saturday group lessons are back!🎉
Come join the fun. Bring your horse or learn with one of ours. Comment or PM for details 🐴

08/24/2024

Good morning ☀️ from the boys.

08/10/2024

08/02/2024

https://www.facebook.com/100063856669752/posts/958580672947146/

Riding schools for children -

I used to teach children riding lessons a lot. It was really fun and rewarding to instill in young people care and respect for the horse, and good riding skills. I found chikdren far more receptive and empathetic than many adults, because they hadn’t been taught to ignore horses expressions to get something done.

The pressure from parents to accelerate the kids skills to more fun stuff, or to prevent the child’s boredom, was a steady presence in teaching- along with maintaining the school horses soundness and mental well-being from being ridden by beginners. Keeping lessons good for both horse and rider was a job of creativity and constant adjustment. I believe it can be done, but the culture at large doesn’t typically make it profitable, as many parents struggle to want to pay for lessons on sound husbandry and good riding basics. The kids want to canter, by God!

I have some firm beliefs about good riding stables, and I realize the expense and strain and adjustment is an ever pressing reality, I stand by these beliefs:

-children should learn good riding fundamentals first, and not progress to trotting, cantering, jumping until they have a good understanding of a balanced seat and can demonstrate it

-children should learn care of and respect for the horse comes before their entertainment. Grooming, tacking, warming up and cooling down, quitting an activity or adjusting if the horse is stressed, learning groundwork, etc, should be a non negotiable

-children should learn to feel a balanced horse to the extent possible. A beginner horse should not simply be a lame horse that tolerates them, but one to teach th em how to ride- children should not be set up for a future of kicking and pulling to get a horse to do something, but learn to feel how to direct a horse with their body, and to feel movement that is balanced, setting them up for a lifetime of being able to balance future horses.

- children should learn to read accurately equine expression and well-being. Children should not be taught to describe horses as lazy, stubborn, etc- these are taught by adults and children learn to adapt these views. The adults are responsible for setting the culture and views of horses and their handling.

Many riders struggle with normalizing tight, crooked, and unhappy horses because this is what they learn to ride on. The instructor is responsible for setting the culture of what their program entails, and I believe this means setting firm boundaries on what the purchasing client can expect, instead of catering to unreasonable demands to keep business. That is a whole can of worms in itself, but one worth opening.

07/21/2024

Went on a great working field trip with this girl! Got to watch her do her thing and met some great new friends!

07/04/2024

Doing a little browsing in the barn!
So helpful.

06/28/2024

Congratulations Bella on your new partner. We have great adventures ahead!!

06/23/2024

Coming soon!! Watch for exciting new things!!

06/21/2024

These kids are sure putting the work in. ❤️

05/29/2024

We had a great time hosting another Holistic Horseworks clinic. Thank you for helping the horses and their people feel better!!

Watch for future clinic dates from ~
Lazy Daisy Children’s Horses
All Outta’ Whack
Holistic Horseworks