How to pick the right barn...

Now that you have decided that you want your child to ride, you need to choose a barn. There are many different factors that go into picking the right barn for you. There are some questions you need to ask yourself first before you start looking.

· Do you plan on competing at some point and at what level?

· Does the barn have time you are available for lessons?

· Do you want group or private lessons?

· Do want to tack your horse for lessons?

· How far are you willing to drive for your barn?

These are a few things you will need to know when looking for a barn. This is because some barns only compete at certain levels for example “A” shows, “B’ shows, local shows, etc. Making sure a lesson time is available for your schedule, because barns may not have openings in their programs during your availability. Knowing if you want group or private lessons makes a different too, because not all barns do group lessons. Knowing how involved you want to be part of the riding process is important as well, because there are barns that will do everything for you. You just have to show up and ride and then go home.

For us, we wanted a barn that was hands on. We looked for a barn that started with private lessons and moved to group lessons, once the rider was confident enough to be in a group. Once they have gained enough confidence and control of the horse they are able to join a group lesson. The barn we chose also allows kids to learn how to groom and tack a horse prior to riding. We wanted them to be part of the riding process and know what it took to take care of the horse prior to riding. We also wanted a barn with a variety of horses to ride. This gives them a chance to try different personalities of the horses and how they respond to commands. There are horses that are “push button”, do exactly what you ask, and some that are the complete opposite they will make sure you really want them to do what you are asking; the “stubborn” ones J. We wanted a welcoming barn to new riders. This is how we ended up at our current barn On Course Riding Academy northwest of Chicago. We started at a different barn and moved to increase the opportunities for riding and competitions. We wanted to do IEA which is a competition where you don’t have to own your own horse to compete. The barns share their schooling horses. I will get more into detail about competitions in a later post.

A barn should also be one where the horses look happy and content. How do you know if a horse is happy? They typically will just be standing relaxed or eating and don’t mind if you come close to them. Some barns have the horses live outside when not being used and they love it, some more than others. They get to be horses. There are some barns that have turn out but they stay in a stall part of the day. That is good too. Barns do this for many reasons it isn’t a red flag if they are not out all day, it is just a different way to doing things.

The main thing is that you feel comfortable with where you end up. If you don’t like something or something feels off then change. It is okay to change barns. There are times during training that your needs change or location changes. You have to feel comfortable and engaged in your training to get the most out of it.

Happy barn hunting!