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.

Riding horses is fun and the companionship you feel when you ride a horse that is a full fledged family member just can't be beat.

It will become second nature to anyone that rides often and all horses are individuals but there are a few standards you can use for all horses and adjust them to the temperament and personality of your horse.

When you're riding a horse for the first time or you don't have a lot of experience, never ride alone. Always make sure that you have someone who is experienced in handling horses is riding with you, so if there's a problem they can teach you the best way to overcome it and also so you can learn from them.

Mount your horse from the left side. Many horses can be taught to accept being mounted from either side but if you don't know the horse well yet, assume he's only been trained on the left. Some horses get skittish if mounted on an unfamiliar side so to ensure your horse is comfortable from the beginning of the ride until the end, go with the left side mount. Once you know the personality of your horse, you can adjust mounting to your own preferences.

Watch your feelings when you ride your horse. Horses are very astute and also very sensitive. If you're nervous and apprehensive - the horse will pick up on that and if you have a clever and spirited horse, he might "try" you a little to see how much he can get away with. If you're stressed or feeling upset - just spend time grooming your horse and when you're feeling calmer, take him out for a ride you can both enjoy!