# Convincing parents to let kids ride!



## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

Those are some good points, but I doubt they would have had any significant impact where my mother was concerned. She was overprotective to the nth degree when I was a child. She flat-out told me she did NOT want me riding horses, for fear I would get hurt (which was very strange, considering that she used to ride at a public stable whenever she got the chance and never got hurt).

Fortunately my dad was more sympathetic and "sneaked" me often to a place where you could rent horses and ponies by the hour- not formal 'riding lessons', but fun regardless. I learned to ride on my own. But it felt dishonest, since I couldn't tell my mom about it.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

All good points to ponder, but some people simply don't have the finances available to allow their children the opportunity to ride. 

Plus, not all youngsters who have been given the opportunity see it as such. Some never wanted to be around horses and were pushed by parents, while others just want to RIDE and not bother with the other aspects of horse responsibility. You can't _make _someone care. You can give them the tools, but the desire has to come from within.

It's just as wrong to push a reluctant child into horses as it is to push them into any other sport. Parents trying to live vicariously through their children or trying to artificially force 'character building' onto their offspring need to take a step back and ask the child for what _they_ have a passion.


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