Outfitting yourself or your child for riding lessons can be a daunting task; equipment can be expensive and you might not know what’s necessary and what’s not. Here’s my list of the essentials, and why they’re so important.

Helmet: Most instructors are fine if you bring a bike helmet for your first lessons, just make sure it fits correctly

Boots with a heel: The heel is important, it keeps your foot from sliding forward through the stirrup. If you ride in a western saddle your boots should pull off, not lace or zip up. Western stirrups don’t break away or pull off the saddle, so if you fall off you’ll need your boot to pull off your foot so you don’t get dragged. English stirrups can pull off the saddle, and some instructors even use “safety stirrups” (see photo at top of post) that can break apart, so it’s okay to wear lace up or zip up boots.

Gloves: Yes, even in the summer! Reins can quickly rub sore spots and blisters on hands, especially if the lesson horse or pony tries to pull for grass. Gloves make a big difference in the comfort of the rider, especially for children.

Long pants: Long pants prevent pinching or rubbing from the saddle. Cotton leggings are a great, affordable option. they don’t add bulk or rub. FYI, riding tights are basically leggings with grippy knee patches. And no grippy knee patches means the rider has to balance better on her own. Even if you’re 6 year-old is a girly-girl, please encourage her to wear pants or leggings, even if she insists on wearing a skirt over the top.

Extras: A water bottle and sunscreen are both a good idea. You might want to bring treats for your pony, but before you do ask your instructor if you can and what treats they allow. Don’t be surprised if the instructor says no—a lot of people don’t like rewarding their horses with food, it can make them mouthy and more likely to bite.

Finally, expect that you will get dirty. Even the nicest facility will have dust and manure. Don’t bring anything to the barn that you can’t get stained.

Finding the right riding instructor is extremely important, and deceptively difficult. Whether you’re looking for yourself or your child, keeping these thoughts in mind will help you find the best instructor to meet your needs.

Explain your goals

Every good riding instructor has a specialty or a specific approach. It could be a certain discipline (dressage), it could be a philosophy (natural horsemanship), and it could even be something like rider fitness. Your instructor’s skill set should align with your goals, and your instructor should have a specific plan of how to help you reach your goals. This sounds simple but it’s all to often overlooked.

You will also need to pick an instructor who has already accomplished what you hope to learn from them. Unfortunately, a lot of instructors are willing to train students to do things they have never done themselves. Don’t be afraid to ask about an instructor’s background, professional training or qualifications.

Explain your experience

Don’t just tell them you are a “beginner” or “very experienced”. To me, a beginner is someone who has never sat on a horse, or has only walked. To a Grand Prix dressage instructor, a beginner might be someone who has just started her lateral work. A good description of your experience could be, “I rode in a 4H program through high school but haven’t sat on a horse in 10 years” or “My daughter has loved pony rides at the fair but has never had a riding lesson” or “I have a 15 year old quarter horse in my backyard. We love going on trail rides, and I’m interested in furthering our skills and maybe going to a few open pleasure shows.”

Make sure to also tell your potential instructor what kind of things you aren’t confident about or capable of doing at (handling hot horses or buckers, can’t remember how to put on a bridle, etc.)

Explain any limitations you have

It can be very helpful if you explain to your instructor any physical or mental limitations you have, if you have any and you feel comfortable doing so.

For example, I’m dyslexic, and left/right is really hard for me. My trainer always uses inside/outside instead of left/right. She will also say things like “turn towards the parking lot” instead of “turn left”. I didn’t realize how necessary this was for me until I took some lessons from another instructor who always used left/right instead of inside/outside. As a teacher, it is also extremely valuable for me to know if a student has Attention Deficit Disorder. I take a slightly different approach to keep students with ADD focused and safe.

And a reminder–you will never be physically fit enough to be a good rider riding in one or two lessons a week, You will need to take your physical fitness seriously if you want to make progress and more importantly, stay safe. The Riding Doctor by Beth Glosten is a great book that explains how you can use Pilates to improve your stability and effectiveness in the saddle.