Parents' Guide to

The Saddle Club

By Andrea Graham, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Cute boys and horses: A tween dream.

TV Discovery Family Channel Drama 2001
The Saddle Club Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 9+

Based on 7 parent reviews

Wrigbe
Wrigbe Parent of 4 and 8-year-old
August 26, 2010
age 8+

Horse mad girls love it - but it can encourage catty behaviour

Well my horse-mad daughter and her friends adore it. Its OK. But I think parents should watch it and discuss it with their children. Sometimes the girls on the show can be quite mean and spiteful to each other (even the ones that are meant to be nice). I don't think they always provide the best role models although they are probably quite accurate it terms of how tween girls actually behave. From memory the books are better.
1 person found this helpful.
Amanda A.
Amanda A. Parent of 3, 7 and 11-year-old
June 1, 2018
age 7+

Great realistic show!

Our middle daughter started watching this at 6. It covers social topics like having a club (saddle club), inclusion, boys, embarrassment around boys, social classes, light bullying and how to handle it with grace and class. Absolutely no profanity. The adults are caring and provide oversight and guidance. Life lessons are great. Lessons about horses or other animals. The only words used that I didn’t like were “dumb” and “stupid.” Those aren’t allowed in our home but it’s good for teaching our children that those aren’t nice words. This is a show all of our family actually enjoys watching- even our 3 year old daughter! Highly recommend!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on the books by Bonnie Bryant, THE SADDLE CLUB is an Australian series that tells the stories of three best friends -- Stevie (Sophie Bennett), Carole (Keenan Macwilliam), and Lisa (Lara Jean Marshall) -- who are united by their passion for horses. At the Pine Hollow stables, the girls not only learn about riding and taking care of horses, but also a lot about themselves and growing up. Each episode is full of drama as they try to navigate their way through the numerous challenges of adolescence. Friendships are tested, hearts are crushed, and rivals always cause trouble.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7):
Kids say (16):

While some of the storylines and plot elements are a little unrealistic (the stable is relatively void of adult supervision), Stevie, Carole, and Lisa realistically portray tween girls and their concerns. In contrast to other shows in this genre, the characters don't try to act or dress older than they are, which is certainly a nice change. This succeeds in creating role models who are easy to relate to and whose problems seem familiar.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the dilemmas that each character encounters; each episode is full of moral conflicts. For example, should you keep a friend's secret even if you know she needs help?

  • While the series is centered around what it means to be a good friend,
    other issues may spark discussion, too. What can you do when you
    encounter peer pressure? How do privileges and responsibilities relate
    to each other?

TV Details

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