Horse Safety for Kids: Getting On, Where Not to Stand, Loose Horses

Horse safety for kids comes down to a few simple rules: stay with a grown-up, wear a certified riding helmet every ride, never stand right behind or right in front of a horse, and never chase or grab a loose horse. Add getting on from a mounting block while an adult holds the horse, and you've covered the big ones.

This September, kids-and-horses videos have been all over X, from a runaway horse at a show to a horse lying down so someone could climb on. They're fun to watch, and they make great practice for spotting those rules.

Horse safety for kids: the quick answer

Horses are gentle giants, but they're far bigger and faster than any person. As prey animals, they run, spin or kick first when scared, and think later.

The golden rules:

• Grown-up nearby. Never ride or handle horses without a trained adult watching.
• Helmet on, every ride. Use a certified riding helmet (in the US, look for an ASTM/SEI label inside).
• Boots with a small heel, so your foot can't slide through the stirrup.
• Loose horse? Stop, step away and call for help. Never chase it or grab it.

What the viral clips get right (and what they skip)

The most-liked clip, posted Sept. 2 and captioned as a "tiny hero girl" stopping a runaway horse, passed 14,000 likes. It shows a saddled horse running loose around a muddy show arena until it's caught near the rail.

It looks heroic, but a runaway horse is one of the most dangerous things at a barn or show: it can knock over or drag anyone in its way. Whatever happened in that arena, a child on foot should never try to stop a loose horse. That job belongs to experienced adults.

An older video spread again on Sept. 19: after a rider keeps missing her jump onto a bareback horse, the horse lies down so she can climb on, then stands back up. It's a trick some horses learn, but standing up is a sudden move, and there's no saddle, helmet or boots in sight.

A Sept. 13 clip with more than 5,000 likes shows a very young child climbing the rails of a metal gate into a western saddle, grabbing the saddle horn. The horse stands like a statue, but safety experts would still add a helmet, a mounting block and a grown-up holding the horse.

The clips get one thing right: calm, patient horses make everything safer. What they skip is the "boring" stuff that keeps everyone safe: helmets, boots, mounting blocks and a grown-up holding the horse.

Where not to stand around a horse

Horses have eyes on the sides of their heads, so they see almost all the way around. But Penn State Extension explains that they have two blind spots: right behind the tail and right in front of the nose. If you pop up in one of those spots, a startled horse may kick or jump.

How to walk up to a horse

1. Say something, like the horse's name, so it knows you're coming.
2. Walk, don't run, toward its shoulder, not its face or tail.
3. Stroke the neck or shoulder gently. Penn State Extension notes that a sudden pat can scare a horse.
4. Never turn your back on the horse.

More "never" rules

• Never walk right behind a horse or duck under its belly or neck. Go around the front, giving its head plenty of room.
• Never wrap a lead rope around your hand. If the horse runs, you could be dragged.
• If you're allowed to give a treat, hold it on a flat hand with your fingers straight.

What to do if a horse gets loose

Horses get loose when a gate is left open or a rope comes untied. The number one rule from a large-animal rescue expert quoted in Equus magazine: don't chase. People can't outrun or out-muscle a horse, and chasing only makes a scared horse run faster.

If you see a loose horse:

1. Stop. Don't run toward it, and don't run away screaming either.
2. Get out of its path. Step behind a fence, gate or wall, away from aisles and gateways a horse might run through.
3. Call a grown-up. Shout "Loose horse!" once so adults know, then stay quiet and still.
4. Don't grab. Never reach for a dangling rope or reins. A running horse can drag you or knock you over.
5. Let the adults handle it. They'll close gates, stay calm, catch the horse and call 911 if it's heading for a road.

The good news, according to Equus: many loose horses stop after a short run, once the first scare wears off, and try to get back to their herd.

How to mount a horse safely, step by step

The safest way for a kid to get on is from a mounting block, with a grown-up holding the horse. A block is kinder to the horse, too: in a small Michigan State University study, when 10 riders got on from a 35-centimeter (about 14-inch) platform, the saddle pressed on the horse's back with less force and pressure than when they got on from the ground.

Riders usually get on from the horse's left side. Here's how, based on United States Pony Clubs steps:

1. Gear check. Helmet buckled, boots on.
2. Tack check. A grown-up makes sure the girth (the cinch on a western saddle) is snug and pulls both stirrups down.
3. Line up. The horse stands still next to the block, left side toward you.
4. Reins in your left hand, near the withers, the bump at the base of the neck.
5. Left foot in the stirrup, toe pointing forward so it doesn't poke the horse's side.
6. Right hand on the front of the saddle, or on the horn of a western saddle. Never grab the back of the saddle (the cantle), because that can pull the saddle sideways.
7. Spring up and swing your right leg high over the horse's back without kicking it.
8. Sit down gently, like a feather, not a sack of potatoes. Then find your right stirrup and let the grown-up check the girth again.

And don't climb fences to get on, like in the viral clip: if the horse steps away, you're left hanging.

What is a saddle horn?

A saddle horn is the knob that sticks up at the front of a western saddle. English saddles, the kind you see in jumping and dressage, don't have one.

The horn started as a ranch tool: cowboys who rope cattle wrap the rope around it, called a dally, so the horse can hold the cow. It also helps with balance, and horse trainer Al Dunning explains that riders can push the heel of the hand against the horn to keep their balance when a horse turns fast.

For kids, the horn is a handy thing to hold when getting on or feeling wobbly. Just remember:

• Hold it lightly; don't hang your whole weight on it.
• Never tie reins, ropes or anything else to the horn, and never tie yourself to the saddle.

Find every part of the saddle in our tack and equipment guide.

Is horseback riding safe for kids?

Horseback riding is a great sport for kids, but it comes with real risks, mainly falls. A US study of emergency-room data estimated 101,677 horse-related fractures in children under 16 from 2000 to 2023, and about 3 in 4 came from falling off. Most breaks were in the arms, while kicks and being stepped on caused only a small share.

Simple habits lower the risk a lot:

• Certified helmet. Penn State Extension reports that ASTM/SEI-approved riding helmets have cut riding-related head injuries by 30% and severe head injuries by 50%, and recommends replacing a helmet after five years, or sooner after a hard fall.
• The right boots. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says riding boots should be sturdy, have a small heel and cover the ankle.
• Safety stirrups. For young and new riders, the AAP suggests safety stirrups that break away if a rider falls.
• The right horse and a grown-up. Never ride alone or on a horse with an unknown temperament. A calm school pony and a trained instructor are the best combo.

A note for parents

Stay close, let the instructor lead and walk beside the pony only when asked. On Sept. 20, a photo of Olympic eventer Zara Tindall walking beside her daughter's pony, watching the pony's mood, drew more than 1,800 likes on X. More tips: parents and teachers.

Quick quiz: are you horse-safe?

Test yourself, then check the answers below.

1. Where are a horse's blind spots? A) At its shoulder. B) Right behind its tail and right in front of its nose. C) It has none.
2. A horse gets loose at the barn. What do you do? A) Grab its rope. B) Chase it. C) Stop, get out of the way and call a grown-up.
3. What's the best way for a kid to get on? A) Climb the fence. B) Jump from the ground. C) A mounting block, with a grown-up holding the horse.
4. What is a saddle horn for? A) Holding your water bottle. B) Roping on ranches and holding on for balance. C) Tying your reins.
5. When should you wear a riding helmet? A) Only when jumping. B) Every time you ride. C) Only on big horses.

Answers: 1-B, 2-C, 3-C, 4-B, 5-B. All five right? You're barn-ready, so keep practicing with the games in our Game Arcade.

What to do next

Before your next barn visit or lesson, check this list with a grown-up:

• Helmet: certified, snug, under five years old and replaced after any hard fall.
• Barn rules: ask about gates, treats and where kids can go.
• Ground skills first: learn to lead and brush a horse with our groundwork and grooming guides, then try our riding skills page.

What to watch next: there will always be new viral clips of kids and horses. Play safety detective and look for a helmet, a grown-up close by and a mounting block.

Visit our Kids corner, read the safety guide or start with Get started.