What is it about the equestrian world that has young children begging their parents for a horse, sometimes even before their first ride?
Should we introduce our kids to this sport, one that’s very costly but accessible right here in our own backyard? If your kid dreams of riding a little pony and can smell the manure from a mile away, perhaps you need a Sunday drive though Southlands to investigate the options.
According to Alison Martin, a riding instructor and author of the Southlands Riding Club 70th anniversary book — which launched two weeks ago — big names in Vancouver history like Nat Bailey, W.H. Malkin and the Woodward family helped establish equestrianism in our city and put the name of Southlands on the map.
“Southlands is such a unique neighbourhood to have in an urban centre,” she said. “It has been kept, protected and fought for through times of urbanization and now we’ve come full circle back to this organic, agricultural focus. We need to celebrate this community. It needs to be cherished.”
Since Southlands originally drew elite members from the upper echelon, you’ll find lessons in English styles like hunter, jumper and dressage. But it’s also a popular outdoor family activity, and Martin said riding has recently become more of a ladies’ sport than it was in the beginning. You will see a lot of moms riding with their kids.
The sport is family friendly, and as Pippa Emrick explains, kids who are keen should start a formal riding program by age 10. A child can safely mount a pony at age three when eye-hand coordination has improved, she said.
Emrick, a student-turned-instructor from Wildwoods Paddocks, said there are options for parents whose kids are hell-bent on the fantasy of owning or leasing a horse. Local barns offer volunteer programs, and since kids have time to kill, being around the animals they love can nurture their passion.
Helping out in the barn can mean everything to a child who needs and wants to be around horses. The experience itself may just end their fantasy… or not. Emrick runs a reward program at Maynards and says that duties like mucking out stalls and grooming horses can earn hopeful riders a badge, which can then be traded for riding time.
The other option is to enroll in formal lessons at a riding school, if you can get in.
“Riding has really taken off over the with the economy getting better again,” she said. “People know about the area and many schools are quite full.”
Everything about riding is expensive. Unless you are planning a one-time get-it-out-of-her-system party at Maynards Pony Meadows, in order to really commit to the sport, you’ll need money and lots of it.
The average cost of a private lesson starts at $75 and hour and a semi-private lessons at $50. Group packages or summer camps can slightly alter your overall tab.
If you are lucky enough to know someone with a horse or can afford to lease or board your own, Vancouver is full of multi-use trails and fall is an ideal time to ride. Wandering Southlands on horseback or taking the Salish Trail from Pacific Spirit Park down to Spanish Banks are ideal fall activities. “If there’s a trail, you can ride a horse on it,” said Emrick.
If you’re just as keen as your child, perhaps it’s time to start talking to your mortgage broker and shopping Southlands equestrian properties.
Whatever option you choose, remember to teach your kids basic horse etiquette: Be calm, no yelling or running around the animals, and never walk behind a horse. Giddy Up.
Stephanie Florian is always chasing her next adventure and plays with her family in the mountains and on the sea. Get in touch at Twitter.com/@PlayoutdoorsVan.
