It is extremely important for the trainer to make expectations of parents and riders very clear from the beginning. Every program is different and every trainer may have different requirements and expectations.

Calling All Horse Book Lovers! Allpony is offering a book review contest where kids read a horse book of their choice and write a basic overview of the book and what they like about it. Reviews can be as short as two paragraphs and up to 2 pages long. The horse books can be of fiction or nonfiction, as long as it is about horses. One entry per person please. Your book reviews will be posted on the Allpony website so other kids can get recommendations on all of the great horse books out there that they may like to read! One of the submitted book reviews will be chosen at random as the winner of a life-time Star Stable game membership and the Soul Riders book trilogy.

In our interview with Catherine Winter of Ride EquiSafe, we tried on a wide selection of child sized equestrian safety vests and learned more about the options available for kids.

A recent hot topic in the equine world has been the use of safety vests. While these have been seen for years in other disciplines like Eventing and Show Jumping, the safety vest has not been common attire in the Hunter, Dressage or Western Worlds, until now.

This is why I believe so much in horse showing and the values that it instills in kids. Camaraderie, time spent together, the moments early in the morning before the show starts, late in the evening, long after the show is done, and every bit in between. The responsibility and amazing experience of caring for and performing on a living, breathing animal.