Where are the kids?

[KBC]

Because it’s Sunday and I’m feeling lazy, here’s a C&P of a FB post I put up

I have been thinking about the show yesterday, it was such fun, but I have a worry…

These two beautiful little girls were there competing in the lead line class, they and a young boy were the only entries. Some of the junior classes had no entries, other very few, it was very disappointing.

The Jack Benny classes, 21 entries, 21! So loads of older people, very few youngsters. Where are the kids? They are the future of the sport, we need to be encouraging them, and getting them out and about, and where better than local events, where entry fees are very reasonable, the atmosphere relaxed, and the people supportive?

Please let’s get kids out there enjoying riding, having fun at local shows, it’s how memories are made.

Those of you who have to other local shows is this a pattern, or a one off?

Is this pattern being repeated everywhere? I’m getting a lot of responses that tell me that the big shows are unaffordable, and even small shows feel uncomfortable to the new competitors, with kids being unfriendly to those trying to join the group.

If this is universal, can we reverse the trend?

[OverandOnward]

I don’t know all of the answers, but I have watched this one factor unfold for decades …

The horses are being pushed further and further out from the more-dense population centers. Less and less accessible based on distance alone, in addition to many other factors. And not that many riders live on the farm, any more.

Parents are notoriously run ragged getting kids from one activity to another, all over town. The horses aren’t even in town. It isn’t even about what people want to do, or can afford to do, it’s what they can do, logistically.

There was a thread about the distance to the barn for adult COTH’er’s, maybe it was last year? An hour’s one-way drive to the barn seems not unusual. Of course time of day and traffic matters. And even for adults riding their own horses, working that in with the life of a growing family affects them, as well.

[2DogsFarm]

Our local shows & County Fairs are kid-heavy, Leadline thru Juniors.
Leadline at Fair last year had 21 Entries
But I’m in WPland, so YMMV.
Even so, there’s a lot of poor riding in the arenas.
In my Driving discipline it’s as you describe for the most part.
But Driving is a pricier sport when you factor in cart/carriage & harness.
Driving trainers are hens teeth here.
Add finding a horse/pony/mini suited to a kid Driver & the numbers go waaaay down.

[Paint_Party]

I’m mostly familiar with the larger Paint (and some AQHA) shows. My barn has 6 to 8 little girls that ride and show.

Leadline and the younger age group walk/jog is small. It’s often the same several kids competing against each other, swapping the top ribbons and championships.

Once you get to the youth (junior) classes that lope/canter, there are definitely more entries, but it’s also very competitive. And expensive. Parents either have to be wealthy or make incredible sacrifices to afford showing.

I know that in our region (much of the southwest and including Idaho and Utah), the clubs struggle to keep youth riders interested in competing. They really make an effort to include family friendly activities that are somewhat separate from the actual show. But I don’t care how many stick horse races, gingerbread house decorating contests or costume classes you have, if parents can’t afford to send one of their kids to a show, the family isn’t coming. Period.

As a result, the biggest classes are always those for adult amateurs, whether it’s the walk/jog, novice amateur or the 45 and over “masters” stuff. Many of us in those divisions have ridden much of our lives and, if we were either fortunate or planned wisely, we have the financial ability to still enjoy riding and competing. I’m not the only woman out there who’s old enough to be on social security and Medicare. I’ll put it that way.

When we’re unable to continue competing, or otherwise leave through attrition, I’m not sure what will happen to showing in large swaths of our country. There doesn’t seem to be enough of the younger generations to take up our spots, unless they take a hiatus and return as adult amateurs.

[LCDR]

Playing soccer with their friends.

I tried my best to get my two girl neighbors interested in riding, starting from the first grade, but ended up kicking the soccer ball around the yard with them and going to their games. “Baby Horse” was their role model.

[Kinda_Kooky]

I can say the only local horse club near me is run by a bunch of harpies.

They would be more inclined to eat new children than welcome them into the fold.

These local little shows used to attract a lot of people for the area, now there are 2 or 3 in a class tops.

Perhaps that was always the plan, as it is much easier to accumulate wins with no competition.

Once the harpies retire, I really hope the club gets a people make over. It could be such a hot commodity here, but the harpies have just ruined it completely.

[Texarkana]

Like most issues, I think this is multifaceted.

Horses are obviously less accessible, both monetarily and by physical location as urban sprawl takes farmland.

Kids today continue to be farther removed generationally from a time where it was common to ride. It’s not even on a lot of people’s radar as a possible hobby.

@LCDR pointed out soccer, and I want to piggyback off that idea: society has gotten really weird and unbalanced about kids’ sports and activities. There is more emphasis on them than ever, which you think would help the case for riding lessons. But, these activities demand so much commitment anymore. It’s not “just” kids’ soccer (or baseball or tennis or dance or gymnastics or music lessons): parents pay hundreds of dollars for kids to be on a team, then it turns into travel leagues and tournaments and all year commitment. There literally aren’t enough hours in the day to squeeze in another activity, like riding lessons and horse shows.

[NoSuchPerson]

The local circuit I show on is currently thriving. For kids they have lead line, walk-halt, walk-trot, w-t-canter one at a time, poles, crossrails, and so on. And the classes are always full, sometimes they will split a class into 2 or even 3 sections.

The circuit sits in a sweet spot right now - a large urban area that used to have lots of horse activity around the outskirts, so lots of families that can afford it and reasonable-ish access to lesson programs.

But, what @OverandOnward said is absolutely happening there. Urban sprawl has been, and continues, eating up those farms and I foresee a decline in kid participation.

[Foxglove]

Although I am no longer involved in the local 4-H Saddle Club (32 years was long enough for me!), I do chat with the leaders now and then. The last time I did so, in late May, the leader said that compared to when my kiddos and grandkid were in 4-H, the numbers are down. Two soon-to-be casualties of the low numbers are Dressage and Driving classes —when only one kid enters a class, it is considered to be removed from the subsequent show line up.

What is growing and popular are gaming classes --barrels, flags, etc. Ranch Horse is making some gains, too.

Why? Parent interest is partly the reason and over extended kids as mentioned above. While in our area there is more than one horse in every backyard (heavily Amish community) the desire to practice and show dressage is not as attractive to a kiddo as running barrels. And parents understand how someone wins and loses in barrels. Explaining a poor traverse is a little more complicated.

The other factor around us is the prevalence of ATVs – kiddos would rather ride an ATV on the forest trails than a horse. Fortunately, our trails are separated --no motorized vehicles on horse trails --so you definitely see fewer kids on horses there than kids on ATVs where they can ride.

[Jarpur]

I have always thought that some of the reason that horses and equestrian activities became a popular dream, and lifestyle goal to be fulfilled, in those of us who are now middle-aged and older is that horses were seen so much on television.

Either as supporting actors in “horse operas” such as Gunsmoke and Bonanza, or as co-stars in shows such as The Lone Ranger, or even the lead as in Mr Ed and My Friend Flicka.

Even if some were too young to have seen these series when first shown, they were all endlessly repeated.

There are a few streaming shows with horses featured, but not of the type aimed to appeal to youngsters (as far as I’m aware). Kids are attracted to the sports they see around them, on-line, on social media, etc.

I grew up in a large city, fairly close to downtown, and my daddy always had to drive my sister and me miles out into the country for our lessons (this was in the 60s). There was no place close even then, so I don’t think distance alone is the problem, or even solely cost. Kids involved in sports to the point where parents are paying for travel teams (not part of school programs) are spending tens of thousands per year, the kind of money that could cover being involved in equestrian activities at a modest to moderate level.

ETA for a typo and to add a time

The grassroots aspirational interest, from being exposed to horses constantly via such things as TV, movies, etc., is not there.

[KBC]

@Jarpur

The grassroots aspirational interest, from being exposed to horses constantly via such things as TV, movies, etc., is not there.

It’s an interesting thought…what came first? I have been obsessed with horses since I took my first breath I think. I would argue that all the horses on TV I sought out because of my addiction, they did not cause it.

Champion the Wonder Horse
Mr Ed
Belle Sebastian and the horses.

Every western film and series.

Then of course we had l daily coverage of the big shows in the UK, Hickstead, Horse of the Year, and Royal International Horse Show all ran prime time for the week they were on.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

1. Lack of lesson horses and affordable entry points except for kids whose parents can foot the bill for a lease or half lease right away.

2. A number of posters have said that kids are spread thin doing other expensive activities. I’ll add that yeah, there are VERY expensive activities for kids BUT it’s possible if you pay a nice chunk of change and your kid is talented, they can at least get a taste of the upper echelons of baseball/ hockey/ dance/ track whatever. If you put that same sizable amount into horses–you’re not going to play in the big leagues.

3. Finally, showing might not be the best gague of interest in the sport. Hopefully?

[sherian]

lack of exposure and lack of marketing - more and more of our population is urban so no family farm with a pony, parents don’t ride to know what’s available in the local equine community, our governing bodies do a piss poor job of promoting grass roots riding, and kids get introduced to lots of other sports thru school and want to do what their friends do. If a kid watches Heartland or Yellowstone and gets the horse bug it’s often hard for parents to know where to start with kids - no little league to sign up with thru the local school or municipality and you have to know what to google to find a stable nearby that suits and after some hit and miss parents say screw it lets play soccer cause it’s easy, they know where the soccer field is and Jane from work’s kids are doing it too

[OverandOnward]

@Texarkana

parents pay hundreds of dollars for kids to be on a team, then it turns into travel leagues and tournaments and all year commitment.

This is truth.

Parents that could afford riding lessons, even some showing, do tend to end up with these commitments instead, for their children.

Not for nothing, the team sports create a mini-culture and society for the parents, as well, hanging out on the sidelines. And the coaches & backers sometimes call on parents to help by bringing this or that to the game, maybe also to the practice. The parents start coordinating among themselves and get to know each other a bit. Once that starts, the parents start to feel attached to the group.

Of course this is just as true with the horses, with barn culture, and show culture if they show.

But the other sports tend to have more kids and parents that they also know through school. Lots more to gossip about!

In my experience the barn is a smattering of people from different schools, so very likely the other sports see each other more often, and may grow more attached, than does the horse crowd.

So I think that’s a bit of a magnet to the other sports over the horses.

[SLW]

I don’t have children at home anymore but follow the various local youth horse stuff.

The hunt seat programs are expensive by the time you add up weekly lessons and the various fees associated with a show- use of horse for the day, trainers fee, entry fee and hauling. Horse show attire runs the gamut from polo shirts to Medals final depending on the season and class. I don’t know what the local show barns are charging so my best guess is $150/$200 for a local one day show.

The contrast to that is youth rodeo. No trainers fee at the rodeo, yes lesson fees if you go for lessons, maybe a gas fee if a family hauls your horse and if your horse is lame, people will step up and loan your child a mount for free. Attire cost is nil. The cost is the entry fee $15/$30 per class with payback to the Top 5 in any class plus fuel charge if someone hauls your horse.

[2DogsFarm]

@sherian

parents don’t ride to know what’s available in the local equine community

I’m observing this secondhand & from afar at a friend’s barn.
New boarders have 2 young daughters - 12 & 7 IIRC - moved in with a QH that proved “unsuitable” for either kid. Older wanted to run barrels
So someone sold them upriver on their 1st horse.
Friend/BO says older kid is at best a passenger, 7yo is the more natural rider.
Which makes for sibling rivalry.
Neither parent knows Jack about horses, lessons, showing. Nada.
Barn Fixture & Potstirring boarder who can no longer ride, has an alleged teenaged “mustang” (my 2¢ says whoever sold her the horse told her what she wanted to hear - no BLM brand ) she “graciously” lets kids use.
He’s harmless.
Dad just dropped high 4s on a 9yo ex-Reiner for Princess.
Who now wants to do Ranch.
Horse - per friend’s video - is a Saint.
Kid is a useless ornament while horse does the World’s Slowest Spins to keep her in the saddle.
She might have a chance at placing in a localyokel show, but horse should get full credit.
No other kids at this barn & trainer they use is a shyster with his own barn & 4H group known for bad behavior - both by this Pro & his kids.

[AllSport]

I think I made a post related to this last year. We have a LOT of horse crazy kids in our area and plenty of parents who can afford the horribly high prices. However, almost all of the lesson programs in our area have shut down in the past few years. We had quite a few too. Now parents are scrounging to find a single horse and instructor somewhere, willing ot give them lessons. Mostly now we have a lot of adult amatures buying horses, with out much horse knowledge at all, relying on the local trainers for everything. The trainers are making a lot more money with this crowd.

[furlong47]

Many of these were already mentioned, but some not

-Too expensive
-Some kids not as interested in outdoor activities
-Lots more activity choices for kids/overscheduling
-Desire to be on teams/in clubs with friends
-Emphasis on sports/activities that can get you into college/get a scholarship
-Fewer lesson programs or barns with lesson horses
-Not as many avenues for exposure to riding (for example, fewer scout/church/other youth camps offer riding programs)
-Not as much opportunity for kids who don’t have money (liability/safety, not as many barn rat/working student type options for under 18s)

I would most likely not get into riding if I was growing up now. I wanted to ride but my parents couldn’t afford lessons plus provide equivalent experiences for my siblings. They would, however, pay for 2 weeks of Girl Scout riding camp each summer. (That camp no longer exists and the council no longer has a riding program at any remaining camp.) After a few years of that I found a local barn where I could work in exchange for free riding time (not lessons, just on my own). In today’s world I doubt many parents are dropping off their 14 year old to basically run a boarding barn for the whole day, the barn probably doesn’t want the liability, and the boarders probably don’t want a kid doing the care.

[OverandOnward]

Hate to bring back old bad memories …

Another mention of prior COTH threads …

Re a reduction in the number of lesson barn over the last few years …

In 2021, the skyrocketing cost of hay and horse feed as a result of the outbreak of war in Ukraine, one of the worlds bread baskets, hasn’t helped the situation at all.

And now the news is full of more disruption to that supply.

On top of all of the other reasons, somehow we don’t seem to live in a world that is as predictable as it once was. The cost of horse keeping, even the cost and availability of material to build and repair stables, is at a high degree of uncertainty.

It’s a headache that is hard to continue. Or to step into as a new entrant. No wonder there are fewer kids on horses.

[trubandloki]

The adorable photos of the lead line class at Devon did not look like there was a lack of participation.