What gear does a new rider need first?

A helmet, closed boots with a heel and clothes you can move in are enough for a first lesson. That matches US Pony Club's equipment guidance, which lists a properly fitted ASTM/SEI helmet and footwear that covers the ankle, is entirely closed, securely fastened and well fitted. One Pony Club region's gear sheet describes the usual lesson outfit as a polo shirt, breeches, half chaps or tall boots and a helmet, and says lesson attire is usually casual.

Notice what is missing: show clothes, tall boots and your own saddle. It is easy to overthink the first shopping trip. Call the barn before you buy anything and ask what they lend, what they require and what they recommend. Instructors set their own dress standards, and the Pony Club gear sheet says attire that does not meet the standards for the activity can be refused, so ask ahead. The table sorts the usual answers.

The helmet is the item to buy new, certified and fitted, because damage to a helmet may not be visible after a knock. US Pony Club requires an ASTM/SEI-approved helmet that fits properly, and its helmet policy lists ASTM F1163 with the SEI mark as the North American standard. One region's gear sheet says bike and other sport helmets are not acceptable, and describes a good fit as snug with the chinstrap fastened and the brim about a half inch to an inch above the eyebrows.

Troxel describes the right fit as snug but comfortable, so the helmet does not move excessively while riding, and says to try helmets on with your hair as you will wear it. When your measurements fall between sizes, it says the next size up is usually the better choice, because its adjustment systems can tighten the fit. That is one maker's advice, so follow the guidance for the helmet you buy.

For a closer look, see our Barn Talk pages on measuring your head, whether a bike helmet will do and when to replace a helmet. Our riding helmets category has the options, and our helmet ratings page explains how to read a certification label, which is the quickest way to check a helmet before you buy, along with the Virginia Tech STAR ratings that compare helmets that have already passed certification.

Wear closed, ankle-covering boots with a heel and a firm sole; paddock boots are the usual starting point. A US Pony Club region's gear sheet says boots for riding must have a three-quarter-inch heel to keep the foot from slipping through the stirrup, and firm soles that protect the foot if a horse steps on it. For ground work it asks for closed, thick-soled boots that cover the ankle, such as paddock boots, and rules out canvas, cloth and open-toed shoes.

Tall boots can wait. Paddock boots with half chaps give a tall-boot look later, and our Barn Talk pages on paddock and jodhpur boots and half chaps help you choose and size them. Browse our short boots, or our half chaps when you are ready.

Breeches are the standard lesson bottoms in Pony Club guidance, and gloves are a handy extra rather than a must. Riding tights are made for the same job. Ask your instructor what they accept for a first lesson, and wear something comfortable that stays put when you move.

Breeches come as full seat or knee patch, and our Barn Talk page on full seat or knee patch explains the difference. Both are in our full seat breeches and knee patch breeches categories. Gloves were not on the Pony Club lists we read, so treat them as optional. If you want a pair, see our gloves category.

Carrie's rule of thumb for any family: save on the schooling breeches. Never save on the helmet.

Most lesson barns provide the horse, saddle and bridle, and many lend a helmet for the first few lessons, so ask before you buy anything else. A lesson program puts it plainly in the quote below: there is no need to run out and buy a bunch of expensive gear when you are first getting started, though a program will have requirements and guidelines.

People often search for the cost of a blanket, a saddle pad, a bridle or 'horse tack'. Those are horse items. A new rider taking lessons rarely needs any of them, because the lesson horse comes with them. We do not list prices on Barn Talk pages, and the two items to plan for are the helmet and the boots.

• Tall boots and show clothes
• Your own saddle, bridle and saddle pads
• A crop or spurs, unless your instructor asks for them
• Half chaps, until you have paddock boots you like
• Anything you are buying only because it looks like what other riders have

The safety basics are the same at any age, but children outgrow boots and breeches, so buy the basics and check the helmet fit more often. A child's helmet needs the same ASTM/SEI certification as an adult's. Troxel's description of a good fit, snug but comfortable and not moving excessively, leaves little room to buy a helmet big and let a child grow into it. Our short boots category has a kids' filter, and our measuring your head page covers how to measure.

For boots and breeches, the usual advice is to ask the instructor what the program needs, then buy to fit now. Kids' feet grow fast, and guides disagree on whether to buy room to grow, so there is no single rule to give you. Adults coming to riding later have the same short list: helmet, boots with a heel, clothes you can move in. A quick rule that works for both: buy the helmet, boots and one pair of breeches first, then let the lessons tell you what is missing.

Boots, breeches and half chaps can be bought used if they fit and are in good shape, but never buy or borrow a used helmet. Troxel says never to purchase or borrow a used helmet, as you do not know if it has already been involved in an impact, and says its helmets are designed for one impact event. It also says shell damage from a drop may not be visible, and that you should avoid loaning your own helmet to others, so the rule runs both ways. US Pony Club's gear sheet asks members to replace a helmet after any fall.

Makers disagree on the age limit: the Pony Club gear sheet says every four years and Troxel says at least every five, so check the guidance for your helmet. Our Barn Talk page on replacing a helmet goes through it.

A used pair of boots is a different matter. Check the heel and the sole, and make sure the closure still works before you buy. A boot with a worn-down heel or a failing zipper is not a good start.

Put your attention on certification and fit rather than the price tag, and buy where someone can help you fit the helmet and boots. Troxel says that as long as a helmet is ASTM/SEI certified you are buying a certified protective helmet, and that a higher price buys extras such as different padding, fancier styling or materials. Our helmet ratings page notes that certification is pass or fail, and that even the best-rated helmet will not protect a rider who does not fit it.

We do not list prices on Barn Talk pages. Think in tiers instead: a budget schooling setup now, and a premium upgrade later where it matters to you. Ask your instructor which shops they trust for fitting. If you buy online, use the brand's size chart and ask questions before you order. Whichever way you shop, try the helmet on with your hair as you will wear it, as Troxel advises, and check how the boots feel with the socks you will ride in.

At the barn you will hear words you may not know. Our Barn Talk page on barn words decodes the common ones.