Thinking about giving lessons!

Champs an excellent kids horse and I would love to give lessons on him I am currently giving a 8 year old girl lessons and she loves it! I would love to offer lessons for a reasonable cost. I am assuming that I would have to get waivers and what not but I am under 18 does that make me uneligble? I have a paddock that I can use. I have a very expierenced horse back ground and I have worked under trainers successfully. Anyother things I should look out for?

Being under 18 years old you probably won't be able to get insurance and nothing against you personally I wouldn't be comfortable taking lessons from someone under 18 because their experience would be a worry for me and I would be concerned about how far I could progress with that person teaching me. Plus I'd want to see qualifications such as in Britain there are the BHS exams and for someone to teach me I'd want them to hold at least their PTT and I would want the place to be approved by the BHS because I know then it's a good place to go.

You are a minor which leads to all kinds of issues.

Have you parents check with their insurance providers to see if they can even get coverage if you were to start giving lessons.


Right now, if something happens, your parents will possibly lose everything they have worked for.

Insurance would be my biggest concern. Being under 18 you wouldn't be able to acquire the liability policies instructors need to carry. It is rather expensive, it would take tons of lessons to cover the costs of the insurance alone. Mine is packaged with my homeowners & farm insurance & I can tell you personally that the additional liability adds a substantial amount to the cost of that policy. Hold Harmless agreements are great and most states have equine laws on the books stating that horse owners are not responsible for accidents or death as equine activities are inherently dangerous. That being said, there is an exclusion for gross negligence and that is a touchy thing as it is one person's view over another's as to whether negligence played a factor...that is why all equine professionals should carry insurance. I've not had a claim in the almost 20 years I've been doing this for a living, but better safe than sorry!

Your age doesn't bother me personally. I started giving beginner lessons at 16 and was also training horses at that age. Because of insurance reasons, I did all of this under my mom's supervision. (She is a retired trainer who went to college for horse training and learned under 2 NRHA/AQHA hall of famers) She didn't give my lessons or ride my training horses but was always in the barn/arena watching quietly.

As you said you have ridden under a few trainers. I would consider contacting one of those trainers and discuss an apprenticeship and give lessons under them until you turn 18 and able to get the adequate insurance on your own.

I just want to make it clear that this great law does not exist in all states though (for example NY does not have any equine limited liability law). Check your state before you assume it does. It also requires specific signage.

Exactly, Alwaysbehind. That's why I said "most". IMO they all should! It does require signage as well, glad you added that. (Need my coffee this morning!) I have them in several prominent areas of the barn. Here you can get them from the state horse council at a very minimal cost.

I agree, they all should.

Some states like their lawyers more than the rest of their residents so they refuse to put laws like this into affect.

I would suggest contacting 4H leaders of horse groups. They may love a mentor closer in age to the kids.

Thanks! I will definitely. Check out 4H!
I don't want to put my parents wealth at risk over a riding lesson.