Hello!
I’m brand new to the forum and to horseback riding in general.
My ASD daughter fell in love with riding recently, so I signed her up for lessons. She’s just starting to get the hang of steering a walking horse.
She recently had her first fall, which we both knew would happen eventually, and she’s ok.
The horse was spooked by nearby traffic.
My question is it normal/ safer for the trainer to stand back and let a beginner try to calm the horse themselves?
Her trainer is a little tough and possibly not experienced with ASD children. She says things like “i’m gonna whip her” or ‘strap a board to her back’ and she smokes cigarettes under a tent sometimes, while my daughter tries to ride on her own and follow her instructions from a distance.
Not all the time, but maybe a little more than she’s comfortable with.
It’s the south so things like that are said jokingly, but my daughter doesn’t understand that they’re jokes sometimes. Maybe I’m just over protective. She’s also more hands on a lot of the time, But it can be hard to find instructors that are patient with ASD kids and give them extra attention. Or is it normal for them to start off more independent?
Her trainer is really nice and experienced, but it’s the only one we’ve tried, and i’m just looking for advice as to what we should expect so I make the best choices available. Thanks!