Too young to ride?
Gabriella Torell Palmquist
A study of riding school activities for pre-school children from safety and horse welfare perspectives.
Period: January 2018 – July 2023.
Project leader: Prof Susanna Hedenborg (Malmö University) & Prof Oskar Solenes (Molde University)
Project members: PhD Gabriella Torell Palmquist (Ridskolan Strömsholm & Karlstad University), PhD Annika Rosén (Malmö University) and PhD student Guro Werner Fiskergård (Molde University)
Funding: The Swedish-Norwegian Foundation for Equine Research
Partners: Malmö University (Sweden), Ridskolan Strömsholm (Sweden) and Molde University (Norway)
Project Description
Today, many riding schools in Sweden and Norway offer horseback riding for preschool children, despite riding instructors perceiving the children as "too young to ride." The purpose of the project "Are they too young to ride?" was therefore to increase knowledge about horse and riding education for younger children with the aim of developing safer horse environments that consider the welfare of the horses. Through websites, surveys, interviews, and participatory observations, we show that activities for younger children may involve horseback riding but also various types of lessons in the stable about horse care. Furthermore, it is clear that these activities are challenging – not least because they rely on parents' assistance and the riding instructor's creativity and flexibility in teaching this age group. The activities involve safety issues related to parents' lack of knowledge, and the safety equipment available is not always properly fitted for the youngest children. It is also evident that many riding instructors lack preparatory training to teach the youngest children in a pedagogically adapted way, and parents would need education in horse knowledge. The activities require horses with specific skills and experience, and the role and welfare of the horses need further consideration. Lastly, more research is needed on children's experiences of these activities.
The project has included a doctoral project that focused on horse-assisted activities for younger children with various types of disabilities. Knowledge about these horse-assisted activities for younger children is lacking, and comparable studies are missing due to the use of different concepts and activities. An interesting conclusion is that these activities are based on physical function rather than age, which is likely explained by a medical discourse framing the activities. This sets them apart from other activities for younger children, which are framed by a discourse about 'sports for all'. Furthermore, it is evident that studies focusing on the social context of horse-assisted activities are missing – despite the social context being crucial for the feasibility of these activities.
The project's results form the basis for recommendations to the sector:
Riding instructors' education needs to be expanded with specialized knowledge regarding the motor, psychological, and physiological development of the youngest children. This recommendation applies not only to the younger children. Riding has increasingly become an activity for various age groups and physical abilities, with different levels of prior knowledge. In order to meet the needs of 'everyone throughout life,' we believe that riding instructors need to be provided with specialized knowledge for different ages and physical abilities.
Riding schools need to systematically work on educating parents; parental education that helps parents become the valuable asset they could be in activities with younger children and in horse-assisted interventions. Some riding schools already offer parental education. These should be examined, and good examples could be scaled up.
The Equestrian Federation could offer checklists and guidance primarily to parents, but also to some extent to riding instructors, about the required safety equipment and how parents and children should use and adapt safety equipment.
Systematic guidance for horse-assisted interventions aimed at children with disabilities is needed to make these interventions accessible and enjoyable experiences for both parents and children.
The compensation system for horse-assisted activities should be changed to create opportunities for more people to participate by expanding compensation to individuals needed to support the child (in addition to the riding physiotherapist).
Hedenborg, S., Thorell Palmquist, G., Rosén A & Solenes, O. (2023) ’Dilemmatic spaces’ och föräldrars deltagande i ridskolornas verksamhet för de yngre barnen. Idrottsforum.org. https://idrottsforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/hedenborgetal230510.pdf
Hedenborg, S., Torell Palmquist, G. & Rosén, A. (2021). The Emergence of the Swedish Horse-Riding School from the Mid-Twentieth Century. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 38(6), 607-630. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2021.1959321
Hedenborg, S., Torell Palmquist, G., & Rosén, A. (2021). Vad gjorde de svenska ridskolorna med ridsporten? Idrott, historia & samhälle. Svenska Idrottshistoriska föreningens årsskrift 2021.
Hedenborg, S., Torell Palmquist, G., & Rosén, A. (2021, 16 nov). The Emergence of the Swedish Horse-Riding School from the Mid-Twentieth Century - A Summary. Idrottsforum.org. https://idrottsforum.org/feature-hedenborgetal211116/
Rosén, A., Thorell, G., & Hedenborg, S. (2021). The competent child and (in)competent others. Horse-riding school activities for preschool children. Sport in Society, published online: 27 Dec 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2021.2015333