When it comes to equestrianism, the first keyword that comes to mind for many people is "burning money". In fact, learning horsemanship can also be done without the ability to "banknote". The focus is on how parents and children treat horsemanship, whether it is a professional route, a further education, or just a hobby. Depending on the needs, there will be different choices for the coach, the venue, and the horses.
This article is reprinted from the public number: Jingkids Beijing (ID: Jing_kids)
Wen 丨 Yan Kid Editor 丨 May
One day, my son came home from kindergarten and said to me very excitedly, "Mom, you know what? Mia rides very well, can I learn to ride a horse too? ”
I looked at my son, and the plot of Gu Jia selling her Hermes to send her children to learn horsemanship in the TV series "Thirty Only" immediately came to mind, and my heart was suddenly miserable.
This equestrian sport at the top of the chain of interest class despise can be climbed by ordinary middle-class mothers such as me?
I pretended to be calm and asked my son, "Why do you want to learn to ride a horse?" ”
"It's so handsome to ride a horse!" The son said excitedly. Looking at his wistful eyes, I had to say no. So, I searched on the public reviews, from dozens to three or four hundred equestrian experience classes are rich and frugal, everything. The threshold is low to try, maybe he doesn't want to ride if he tries it?
In this way, I took my son to experience two horse farms, and his interest increased but increased, and he went home and kept talking to me. In order to try to keep the Hermes in my cloakroom, and in order not to step on the pit as much as possible, I pulled the manager of the horse farm to chat with several of his parents who learned horsemanship, and found that I still had a lot of misunderstandings about equestrian.
As a hobby
How much does it really cost to learn equestrian in a year?
Fu Bao is 7 years old this year, is in the first grade of a public primary school in Chaoyang, and has been learning horsemanship for two years. Fubao's mother, Ms. Yin, and I roughly calculated the cost of our daughter's horsemanship:
"The membership fee of the horse farm is about 16,000 yuan, and the fee for each horse riding instructor is 300, and the basic frequency of going horseback riding is once a week. Except for the coldest time, we don't go, riding for ten months a year, calculating the coaching fee of 12,000 a year.
In addition, the cost of equipment, about 3,000 a year. If it is the beginner stage, the coach can invite the beginner, about 200 lessons, then the coaching fee will be about 30% lower than the current year-on-year. ”
After a trial lesson at two racecourses, I found that the pricing of the membership fee and the instructor fee were similar.
Wang Min, who has worked in an English horse farm in Beijing for more than a decade, also told me: "Except for one or two top equestrian clubs in Beijing with six-figure membership fees, most equestrian clubs charge similar fees. For equestrianism, only as a hobby, not as a professional rider, middle-class families can fully afford it. ”
Although equestrian is not expensive, as with any sport, the deeper the practice and the more professional the ride, the more money it will inevitably cost.
Examinations, competitions, horse rental, non-RMB players (money is not a problem) can still play?
The other two parents I chatted with were also typical middle-class, not RMB players.
Their children are a little older than horses. Junxi is nine years old and is studying at an American international school in Chaoyang. He started riding horses when he was less than three years old, passed grades, competed in races, and still insists on going to the horse farm once a weekend.
Junxi's mother told me: "If you go once a week, it will cost you 30,000 or 40,000 yuan a year." We took the exam when we were six years old, and we played a club tour when we were over seven. Before the examination and competition, there is usually a training camp, and the extra is the coaching fee for the training camp. The frequency of training is high, and the cost will naturally rise. ”
Regarding the cost of the race, Wang Min, the manager of the racecourse, also added: "In general, members can participate in the tour races held by clubs for free, and most parents want their children to show their style. But if it comes to a big points race, the participants are all high-level children, and if they want to get results, they will also rent better horses to participate in the competition. Renting a farm ranges from 6,000 to 10,000, depending on the breed of horses. ”
Another child I know at the horse farm, Yinuo, is six years old and started riding at the age of three, starting with the little pony (pony) in the mall and now renting a horse to ride at the club.
Mr. Xu, Yinuo's father, introduced: "What I rent for Yinuo is the cheapest half-blooded horse in our horse farm, 6,000 a month. Because the cost of renting a horse also includes the coaching fee for one saddle per day, we don't need to spend any more coaching fees, not counting equipment for a year, and the cost in the horse farm is 72,000. ”
But Mr. Xu also mentioned another cost besides money – the time cost for parents and children.
"For example, in our family, the most cost-effective way to rent a horse is, of course, to ride a lesson every day, and then go back and forth every day plus lessons, at least two hours. Time cost is also an important piece for families who want to learn horsemanship, because horse farms are basically in the suburbs. ”
As for Yinuo who is about to go to primary school in September this year, whether he can still maintain training at the horse farm every day, Mr. Xu himself said that he can only take one step to see one step.
Talking about why he chose to rent a horse for Yinuo, Mr. Xu said that when Yinuo rode for about two years, the coach recommended them to buy a horse, but after repeated consideration, they still chose to rent a horse.
"The rent is at least half a year, we have been renting for two and a half years, and now it is the third half year. After renting a horse, Yinuo's equestrian skills are indeed gradually improving. But he can only be regarded as a relatively basic stage now, if he participates in the race, then the horse we rent is not suitable, and we may need to rent tens of thousands of horses. If you want to buy it, I think the cheapest one will be 200,000. ”
According to what these parents said, the Taurus old mother quickly calculated in my heart:
Although the initial stage costs only 30,000 or 40,000 yuan a year, if your child's ambition is to take the exam and play the competition, you need to have a reasonable plan, at least a hundred thousand expenses a year is ironclad to spend.
And if you want to take the hobby of equestrianism to the extreme, you can only go to the road of RMB players - buy horses.
The end of equestrianism is buying a horse?
Let me calculate the cost of buying a horse. The price of the warm-blooded horse itself in professional competition ranges from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of euros, but the cost of veterinary examination, riding adjustment, quarantine and other expenses abroad is also a large amount of money. The first step in buying a horse, you have to smash hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
This is not the end of it, from the moment you buy a horse, you have to pay the horse all the time.
It is mainly spent on foster care, conditioning, forage, nutrition and medical treatment. The breeding standards are different between horses, and it costs tens of thousands of dollars a year to raise an ordinary horse, while it is more expensive to raise a horse for competition. There were too many places to burn money, and I couldn't count it, so I asked Wang Min: "So in the end, if you can't afford a horse, you can't play?" ”
Wang Min smiled and said: "In fact, for competition, buying a horse may be a shortcut, and the rider and his own horse cooperate tacitly, then the progress will be faster." But not all riders have to buy horses, Hua Tian said when he participated in a big competition for the first time that he had his level and skills, but he didn't have horses. ”
Wang Min said that in fact, depending on the level or difficulty of the competition they are participating in, it is very suitable for riders to rent and train mature horses to participate, avoiding the time and money investment brought by buying horses and raising horses.
"After all, there are very few children who can have their own horses. For most children who learn horsemanship, they should learn to get along with different horses, take care of them, lay a good foundation, and wait until they are on the career path before considering buying their own horses. ”
"Many people have a misconception about equestrianism, thinking that equestrian should be a handsome obstacle, elegant dance steps, passionate speed, and then it is inseparable from measuring its value in money. Only those who truly love the sport know that raising a horse, getting up early and greedy to take care of and care for it, cleaning the stable, training and growing with the horse is much more than money. ”
The words of the horse owner Hehe in the Little Red Book attracted many onlookers, and after reading it, I really felt that raising horses is a huge resource consumption - financial, time and personal, unless I really love horsemanship, otherwise I really discourage myself from buying a horse.
Where is the way out for children who learn equestrianism?
There are many benefits to learning any sport, and equestrianism is certainly no exception. If you think that equestrian is a niche sport that can add points and help you go to school, then you really have to calculate the economic account.
"The strength of equestrian is the Olympic event, if the child can get the national ranking, there are many university special recruits, which is a shortcut to study. In addition, if children want to go to Europe and the United States, especially the United Kingdom, many universities favor students with equestrian resumes, and it is easier to get offers. However, the shortcoming of equestrianism is that once the child has the ability to compete and can rush to some places, the investment is not ordinarily large. Wang Min introduced.
Indeed, if you calculate the economic account, the money thrown on equestrian to the child to invite the universe invincible one-on-one, the probability of being admitted to 985 and the British famous school, may be higher than the probability of the child's equestrian competition to win the ranking.
However, from a dialectical point of view, there is a disadvantage and there is a benefit. The high threshold means that the competition is small, and it is easy to form a dimensionality reduction blow. For example, we see that the daughter of Bill Gates and Jobs, with the blessing of her father's banknote ability, equestrian won awards and won softly.
But are these the things that a middle-class mother should consider for me? Let's continue to talk with a few middle-class parents about the days of being grounded.
Fu Bao's mother believes that as a way to strengthen the body, cultivate the body and mind, cultivate love and responsibility, equestrian is not only a simple sport, but also the first choice for healing.
"Although Fu Bao is a girl, after learning equestrian in the past two years, not only has her courage and body shape and temperament improved, but her control ability and sense of direction and rhythm are better than most children."
Fu Bao is now the sports committee member of the class, and once a week she rides in the suburbs, she can feel the connection between humans and animals to the maximum, "I think it is a very healing thing to feed the horses and watch them eat." Fubao said.
In Yinuo's father's opinion, equestrianism is the best frustration education. "People are riding on horseback, and they are fighting and cooperating with horses every minute, which is quite difficult to grasp. If you are not calm and focused enough, you are likely to fall in some unexpected situations, isn't this the best frustration education? And this is still within a certain safety range. ”
Wang Min told me that a very important part of equestrian learning is the practice of the stable, and all children who love equestrianism have always enjoyed the practice of the stable.
"In fact, learning equestrian can exercise many abilities for children, especially for some children who are more pampered in daily life, equestrian can allow them to get out of the self-centered world and better shape their character."
How to choose equestrian into the pit
Clubs and coaches
After understanding the pros and cons of equestrian learning, I also humbly learned from several parents of "comers" on the issue of choosing equestrian clubs and coaches.
Fubao's mother believes that parents should have a "golden eye", eliminate some clubs that are eager to make quick gains, and do not believe exaggerated propaganda and false promises such as "I can learn to ride a horse in twenty lessons".
In terms of choosing a coach, she even suggested that the new children change the coach every five classes, and the coach is not fixed until the later stage.
"The coach and the horse are bound in the club, so it's not easy to find a fit in all aspects. Because in one or two classes you don't know the coach's temperament, and his horse is not suitable for children. The child first adapts to the coach and the horse in the first two lessons, and only after four or five classes will he know how patient the coach is with the child, and whether the horse is suitable for the child to ride. Change more to find a horse and coach that is more suitable for your child's developmental stage. ”
Yinuo's father believes that as an outsider, it is difficult to judge equestrian clubs from a professional level, so he prefers to choose clubs that are close to home, have good horse benefits, and are relatively more formal.
"This is a basic social experience, just like why we all go to a tertiary hospital instead of a community hospital." How to judge the good welfare of horses? For example, the stable is in good condition, kept clean, well-lit and well ventilated; For example, every area of the club has a security fence; For example, horses cannot be kept in stables all day, etc. ”
For Junxi, who began learning horsemanship at the age of three, his mother valued her experience at a younger age when choosing an equestrian club.
"If the club has more junior students, we prioritize it because they may have more experience learning to ride horses for younger children. Because equestrian is a dangerous sport after all, it must be learned under the premise of safety. In addition, coaches who have won many awards are not necessarily suitable for children, knowing how to ride does not mean that they can teach, and being able to teach does not mean effective communication. When starting equestrian in the early stage, the coach must know enough about children, be able to communicate with children, be patient, and the growth of children needs to be good and seducing. ”
How to stay safe
Safety when riding is a concern for both coaches and parents, and the three parents I chatted with said that their children had fallen horses during the process of learning equestrian capital, but fortunately the children were only scared and did not suffer injuries.
Indeed, equestrian wrestling and cycling falls, swimming and choking on water are actually a concept, and it is a bit unrealistic to learn to ride a horse without falling a horse.
Wang Min mentioned that the core of the safety of the horse farm lies in the infrastructure of the site, and if the construction of the horse farm meets the specifications and requirements of equestrianism, more than 95% of the danger can be avoided.
"The remaining 5% is the safety awareness of the coaches and the safety awareness of the trainees. Most of the dangers are due to the fact that the children themselves may not be aware of safety, so the first lesson we teach our children is to approach the horses safely. ”
Fubao's mother recalled:
"I remember the first time Fu Bao fell a horse was when she was riding more skillfully, just running, excited, and when she turned the corner, she overtook the two children, she tasted the sweetness, and then the second time she turned and then accelerated the whip.
The strength of the horse is up the child can not hold it at all, she was directly thrown out by the horse, I feel that she did not fall, but floated down, when she floated to the ground, she still held the two reins with both hands, and the horse is also very spiritual, it knows that when people fall, they immediately stop, and the soil is raised.
At that time, the coach hurried over and encouraged her to get on the horse again, saying that no matter what, she must go up, and she can't form this habit and shadow. Fu Bao was still quite brave, and later regained his confidence when he ran. ”
Yinuo's father introduced: "Wearing a professional helmet and protective vest is a must. I just changed a vest for my son yesterday, it is the kind with airbags, the official website may be seven or eight thousand, I bought a second-hand one in Xianyu, more than 1000. ”
After talking with these people, I deeply felt that in the final analysis, equestrianism is just a sport, and any attribute is endowed by people themselves. The most important thing is to let children really enjoy sports and truly love horses.
So did I sign up my kids? You guess~
Image | Yan child
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