PARSING—AND MINIMIZING—THE COST

Horse ownership involves certain expenses, but you needn’t own a horse to involve your child with one. Here are some options. • Lessons. This is the best way to introduce your child to riding anyway. He or she is safest learning the basics on well-schooled lesson mounts under the guidance of an experienced instructor. • Sharing. If your child is eager to develop a relationship with one horse, consider sharing one. Your lesson barn may allow sponsoring, which conveys some benefits, or you may find another parent who would welcome help in riding and caring for the horse his or her child owns. Such arrangements can be informal (your child rides in return for friendship and help with barn chores) or contractual. In the latter case, a “part-lease”—in which you pay a set portion of a horse’s monthly board, shoeing, and routine veterinary expenses in return for a set number of days’ riding privileges—works well. • Leasing. A full lease will provide your child with most of the benefits of horse ownership without the initial expense of buying. You’ll be responsible for the cost of the horse’s care and boarding, and sometimes an additional fee in the case of highly desirable animals. Leasing is an excellent way to fully test the waters—financially and in terms of time and commitment—before you buy. For best success, make sure all terms of the lease (responsibilities, privileges) are worked out carefully in advance. In the end, horse involvement comes with at least some cost but, as all parents know, expense is a relative term in child rearing. In the 21st century, when parenting is not a job for the faint of heart, horses provide a way to keep youngsters positively engaged during those pivotal years from pre-teen through young adulthood. In light of all that, as McEachin puts it, the cost of horseback riding “is worth every cent.”