Riding a horse can be an amazing experience for children. Horseback riding requires not only physical strength but also emotional maturity and for this reason, we offer riding lessons for children that are 6 years old and above.
The benefits to riding include developing a strong core and motor skills, increased confidence and balance. Riding develops their ability to take instruction whilst challenging their balance in motion.
What age should I start my Child?
This will depend on factors such as how co-ordinated your child is, their attention span, how well they can concentrate and the child’s balance. Sitting them on a horse every month or so aged four to six years is a fun way to integrate riding into their lives. Children tire easily at this very young age so you only want short sessions of 15 or 30 minutes until they have reached five to six years of age. Then they are developmentally ready to take on bigger riding challenges.
For children aged 4 to 5 years, we offer 15 or 30 minute pony rides. Please note “Pony Ride” is a term for a short ride and does not relate to the size of the horse. Wattle Creek horses range from 14hh to 16.3hh and are all very gentle for the young rider.
BOOK A PONY RIDE
Apart from our fantastic central location (12km from the Brisbane CBD), Wattle Creek also has more qualified ‘Australian Equestrian’ coaches, and coaches in training, than any other equestrian centre in Queensland…what does this mean for you and your kids? It means that you are receiving the highest quality coaching available in Brisbane. Our programs are tailored to suit your children’s goals and ability.
We develop the children’s confidence in moving with the horse, firstly in walk and trot and as they develop their centred balance, in canter. This is done on a lunge line (like a big lead rope) where the kids can focus on themselves and the Coach has control of the steering and speed of the horse.
During the first few lesson we teach the riders to steer left and right and stop and go. As confidence and communication skills improve the Coach removes the lunge line and the rider starts to ride independently of the coach.
We progress the lessons at the riders learning pace.
Below you will find the costs for a individual private kids horse riding lessons. For the beginner rider we would recommend you start with a 30min lesson, but for those children that have had previous lessons we would recommend the 45 minute lessons. If you are unsure which lesson would suit your child, please get in contact with the Stable office and they can help you further with making a decision that is best suited.
Beginner Child Lessons do not canter. Intermediate Child Lessons is where the riders learn their first canter at Wattle Creek.
