how to convince child a change of riding schools is a good idea.

[tink123]

My dd started riding about 2 months ago and is now horse riding mad. I took her to the stables I used to go to 28 years ago. It is nice...horses are good to ride and instructors are nice and friendly. The only problem is that it is quite inaccessible in bad weather if it snows.

I have now found out the stables literally five mins from my house who now take able-bodied riders (It is a RDA stables). As it happens I have applied to become a volunteer there in the next few weeks. If it turns out to be as good as I have heard, I would love her to change schools.

Has anyone changed riding schools for their children, and was it hard to convince them. DD has sensory issues which affect her ability to handle change, which makes things more complicated.

I had a similar problem convincing DD to change, I was not impressed with her first school but after a couple of months she had got quite attached to some of the ponies so was unwilling to change.

I took her to watch a lesson at the new school so she could get familiar with it and booked her in for the following week (telling her that the other school was fully booked that weekend) and after that booked alternate weeks for a while. She really hates change too but as she got more used to the new school I found it very easy to drop the old one and she has never asked why!

Mmm, well if you could get her to try the new place she might decide she prefers it, especially if it is so near and you can point out that she can pop in to see the ponies much more often! Perhaps tell a bit of a fib and say that the ponies at the first stables are having a little holiday?

If you can I would definately change to the stables nearby. We changed stables with DD2, but we had a period of 2 years where she had one lesson a week at one stables and one at the other. Partly at the beginning because we didn't want to give up one to find the new one was no good (it was a completely new set-up) and partly because she didn't want to change. New stables is much much closer, so the deal when we started looking for a pony was that she gave up the old stables.

Now DD had been riding several years at one before we changed, so if I had the time again I would definately change after only 2 months, much easier now than 2 years down the line.

Thanks for ideas :) The other reason for moving is that they often loan out their ponies on a part loan basis and they seem to offer an excellent livery service. (Part of our long term plan to buy a pony for dd in two years or so).

I will check it out as I will hopefully be doing two mornings a week helping out with the special needs riding sessions :)