If you were lucky enough to add a horse to your family over the holidays, be sure and keep your younger children safe around your horse - here are some basic tips.

First of all, your horse will treat every new person, place and object with mistrust until he figures out who and what will be kind to him. He will drop his guard as he gets more acclimated; never let a young child go towards a horse alone that they haven't been with before. There is no way to gauge your horse's reaction. Instead, if you want to show a child your horse, take the child with you and approach your horse first and watch his mannerisms. If he shows the slightest signs of uneasiness or aggression, now isn't the time for introducing new friends.

If your horse is more agreeable to having visitors and he's gentle about taking treats from your hand. Let the child give him a treat. Show the child how to hold the treat flat in their hand as horses may unfortunately mistake small fingers as a treat and worse case scenario, the child may lose a finger - or at the least suffer a really nasty nip from the horse. If you have the slightest apprehension that your horse may nip - have the child set the treat down where the horse can get it and let the child watch from a safe distance. Also, teach child to move slowly around horses as many horses will get skittish quickly if there is too much darting and moving around them.

And those are just a few tips for ensuring your younger child's safety around horses. Most horses will be just fine with your child from the first moment they meet onward - but always err on the side of caution.