Parent's Guide to Horses 

1. Find a program that specializes in beginner lessons.

a. The Texas Horse Help App is a great place to start.

i. This app helps connect people to trainers and lesson programs.

b. Social media is another good place to look.

i. Many trainers and programs have a page that lists their contact information. In addition to this, this provides   an insight to what their program is accomplishing and their focuses.

ii. Check out Texas Horse Extension on Instagram and Facebook.

c. Talk to someone who rides horses.

i. Connections are an important resource to have in the horse world.

2. Enroll him/her in lessons.

a. Depending on the discipline, the gear needed may vary.

i. Boots with a heel to prevent the heel from sliding through the stirrups

ii. Plain-pocket blue jeans and a long sleeve shirt

iii. Helmet or cowboy hat

iv. Other discipline-specific gear

v. Most trainers will provide the horse’s tack for lessons

3. Learn how to ride.

a. Most trainers require payment upon completion of the lesson.

b. Some may require multiple lessons paid in advance.

c. For more experienced riders, there are working student positions available.

i. Barn work (grooming, cleaning stalls, feeding, etc.) in exchange for lessons

4-H is a great place to grow a passion for horses. There are even contests to compete in that do not require a horse. These events can take the participant from the county level to district to state and to national level competitions. More information can be found about the 4-H Horse Project at this website: https://texas4-h.tamu.edu/projects/horse/ There is also a new 4-H horse project: Homes for Horses that pairs a member with an adoptable horse. https://www.tx4-hhomesforhorses.com/ 4-H Projects. 

FFA: The student should ask a school counselor which teacher is the FFA advisor for the school. The student must be enrolled in at least one ag class to be in FFA. Some schools even have junior FFA in middle school.

4-H: Brazos county 4-H program assistant is Ashleigh Sugg. She can be reached via email: ashleigh.sugg@ag.tamu.edu or by calling (979) 823-0129. You can find other agents at https://agrilifepeople.tamu.edu/

                                                                          DISCIPLINES

There are two main categories of riding; western and english riding. These two disciplines differ in tack used, the purpose of both horse and rider, and the way they are judged. There are some other additional riding styles that do not fall into one of these categories.