Horseback Riding For Kids - Keeping Them Safe

!±8± Horseback Riding For Kids - Keeping Them Safe

Safety gear is critical not only for the health and well being of your children, but also for your own personal sanity. Who needs the stress of worrying about your kids, while they're out having a great time? Additionally, safety knowledge evolves over time (sadly, often out of tragedy), and technology evolves and matures, that often gets applied to safety gear in new and innovative ways, so you should take advantage of it. Take skiing for example. Speaking for myself, I never wore a helmet when I was growing up. In fact, I never wore one until I had kids and had the opportunity to get them up on the slopes, and realized that I need to make them wear one, not only to protect them from themselves, but also to protect them from the other yahoos flying down the slopes at something close to Mach I. So that's evolution in thinking. Biking has evolved even more such that the law in many places requires wearing helmets. The focus on safety and the quality and variety of safety equipment available today in all sports and recreation is orders of magnitude better than when I was a child, and it continues to evolve.

Horseback riding is no different. Consider the following:

Horses are animals and inherently unpredictable. Horses out-weigh horse kids on the order of 20 times. Beginning horse kids by definition have little or no control of the animal. Horse kids do not have enough strength to regain control if something does happen. Horse kids are inevitably surrounded by other horse kids, and other horses, over whom they have zero control.

In fact I would argue that particularly for horse kids, safety equipment is the single most important acquisition you can make to ensure their enjoyment and comfort, and your own peace of mind. So what do you need to start? The answer is simple - a helmet, and boots. Just like buying a bike helmet, ski helmet, motorcycle helmet, etc - there are many different manufacturers, models, colours, with some variations in style, and considerable variations in price. I've seen them priced anywhere from to about 0. Average price is in the - range, and of course you tend to pay more for helmets designed to be worn in shows or competitions. Troxel and International Riding are the most popular brands around where we are, and the Troxel Sierra (tan) is by far the most popular with local horse kids at the moment. If it is the very first time riding, many people will simply use a bike helmet they already own, until they determine whether or not their child is going to become a real horse kid.

Now I was naive enough to believe that buying boots was going to be a simple task. Pick up the kids a pair of cowboy boots, and we're done. Silly me. Paddock boots, field boots, who boots, western boots, English boots, hunt boots. Sigh. I'll write an article on the different types of boots and when or why you need them when I have some time, but from a safety perspective, there are 4 important characteristics:

A distinct heel to prevent the foot from slipping through the stirrups on the saddle. A sturdy toe (steel if possible) to protect the riders feet while on the ground, particularly from random hoof movements. Non-slip sole. High cut enough to prevent the leathers of the saddle from pinching the leg of the rider.

Most cowboy boots will do, but note that a lot of kids boots don't have very sturdy toes, and some have no heel on them. You may decide you can live without a steel-toed boot, but I wouldn't risk a riding boot with no heel. Frye, Ariat, Roper, and Smokey Mountain seem to be the brands with the best reputation that we've discovered thus far.

And that's it. Your horse kid is ready to go for

Horseback Riding For Kids - Keeping Them Safe

Cheaper 21ux Cintiq Tablet Luminox Field Right Now

!±8± FRYE Women's Dorado Riding Boot,Black,8.5 M

Brand : FRYE | Rate : | Price : $429.99
Post Date : Aug 31, 2011 11:17:09 | Usually ships in 1-2 business days

FRYE Women's Dorado Riding Boot,Black,8.5 M

• Durable Goodyear welt construction
• Comfort Foam midsole

More Specification..!!

FRYE Women's Dorado Riding Boot,Black,8.5 M

Weber S320 Save Shopping Samsung Counter Depth Fridge Canon Rebel 15.1 Megapixel Buy Now

FRYE Women's Riding Chelsea Boot,Cognac,8 M US

!±8± FRYE Women's Riding Chelsea Boot,Cognac,8 M US

Brand : FRYE | Rate : | Price : $316.63
Post Date : Aug 27, 2011 07:21:07 | Usually ships in 24 hours

FRYE Women's Riding Chelsea Boot,Cognac,8 M US

The Frye Company is the oldest continuously operated shoe company in the United States. Founded in 1863 by John A. Frye, a well-to-do shoemaker from England, and family-run until 1945, Frye products have a long and illustrious history. Frye boots were worn by soldiers on both sides of America's Civil War, soldiers in the Spanish-American war, and by Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. When home-steading drew adventurous New England families to the West during the mid and late 1800's many of the pioneers wore Frye Boots for the long journey. Today Frye remains true to its roots with its line of heritage boots, but continues to innovate as it introduces chic new handbags, pumps, and sandals to its collection.

More Specification..!!

Used Polaris Pb4 Booster Pump Promo Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker