12 year old riding out alone?

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Billie

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A friend of mine has a daugther who has just started part sharing a pony. The daugther would like to ride out by herself and my friend was asking me if I thought that was ok and how old was I when I first rode out alone etc. I don't know how good a rider she is but she sounds like she is fairly competent. I started riding out alone from around the age of 12 on my nutcase of an arab! Whether or not my mum would actually have allowed it if she had known was a different matter because I don't ever remember asking permission! In those days (I sound really old now!
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) we didn't have mobile phones and I doubt I told anyone where I was going either!
I don't it would be a problem so long as the mother thinks she is a competent enough rider to handle the pony, also there is miles of off road riding with direct access from the yard so no need to cross a road either. I've suggested maybe she should join a club and take a ride and road safety test anyway just to add to her experience.

Would you allow/Do you allow your young sons/daugthers to ride out alone?
 
I suppose it depends on what the pony is like and what the rider is like. If I was in her shoes as a mother, I would make sure I knew where her daugher was going, and ensure that she had her mobile with her incase something happened, that type of thing. If the daughter brings her phone, and lets people know where she was going, heck, why not? Especially since there is offroad hacking.
 
I was riding out alone at the age of 10. All roads with one small canter track.

As long as she is competent and knows what to do in an emergency I should think she would be ok
 
My daughter is 12 and she is a very very good rider (better than me for sure) Her pony is good on roads (could ride on major A road and still wouldnt bat n eye lid) She goes out on her own and hacks round out farm on her own alot in the summer but I have bought her a phone for emergencies for this reason. She alos hacks out with another girl round the farm who is younger.

I have no problem with this as she would not do anything she didnt want to or didnt feel capable of.

She fell off once and pony came back without her. We all ran looking for her frantic and found her very muddy and looking sheepish, she admitted she had been jumping down 3 very large XC steps at our farm and the pony launched over that last one. jumping is banned if un supervised.
 
I used to ride by myself mainly roadwork when I was 10/11. My mum knew I was safe and capable but I have seen some very silly children 'playing' in the road with ponies and showing no concern for traffic so I think it depends on the childs maturity level etc.
 
My friends Daughter is 12 and she hacks out alone on a 12.2hh, 13.2hh and a 14.1hh and she's fine, she always carries a mobile phone on her and tells her mum roughly where she's going.
 
Thanks for your replies. I felt it was ok too but I can understand if the mother is not very horsey herself that she would be anxious at her 12 yr old being out by herself. I think it would be a very good learn curve for the daugther and teach her to be responsible. I remember not even giving it a second thoguht when I was 12yrs and I used to ride on some very busy roads but had already learnt how to handle traffic situations.
 
Provided she is sensible and take a mobile with her she should be fine. If she has a friend to ride out with even better
 
i rode out alone from the age of about 11. my pony was rock-solid in the heaviest traffic though... i used to ride for miles along the A6 (wouldn't dream of it now i know better!), and get annoyed when the lorries' mirrors brushed my leg occasionally. i'm not joking.
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as long as the pony's sensible and so is she, i think she should be fine, fwiw.
 
As the hacking is off-road and the girl is a competent rider, then I can't see too much of a problem, as long as sensible precautions are taken. She should always take a mobile phone with her and tell someone the route she intends to take, just in case there is an accident. She needs to know exactly what to do in an emergency, and to ensure she has a full range of contact numbers on her phone.
 
i was riding out alone at 11 too- on a 4 year old. the roads are quiet around us though- and mum had followed me for the first few times, at a distance, on her bike.
 
I was allowed to hack out alone on the sensible pony at 12. I was expected to wear hi-vis (enough to resemble a walking traffic beacon), say where I going and the time I expected to get back and to carry a mobile with all the emergency numbers. Ponio also had tags on bridle/saddle with details on in case we became seperated. As I got older I was allowed to disappear for full days and weekends, but had to check in by phone say at midday so my parents knew I was still alive. I did grow up in a very rural area though.
 
I used to hack out a variety of hunters on my own from the age of 11. Aslong as someone knew where I was going and when to expect me back, I dont see the problem
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I was riding out from the age of 8 alone - but I had a super pony and it was in quiet countryside and 35 years ago. I also used to go out at 12 on a very lively arab by myself.

My tiny cousin at 12 would hack Cairo out - although he is a 16.3 clydie he is 99.9% bombproof and very steady - she often came back covered in mud and giggling where they had a gallop down the track - he really looked after her but would have fun if asked.

So, depends on pony, where riding and the child.
 
When I was little I always rode out on my own or with my little sister but now I am the Mum with a 12 year old and when she wants to go on her own, I worry constantly! I usually walk up the hill with dogs knowing I will bump into her!
 
Sorry to go slightly against the grain of replies here... but my concern wouldn't neccessarily be the ability of the rider or her horse... but other people on the road...

No doubt the girl is a proficient enough rider and her pony could be the most sensible thing on the planet... but....

I would say it depends on what the hacking is like - if it was on major roads - would a 12 year old understand the basics of the highway code which the older of us who have passed driving tests understand more without realising...

Would she be able to anticipate what a driver is doing...

Obviously on smaller quieter roads this wouldn't be so much of a risk....

I guess I'm a born worrier - i personally would take into consideration the route of the hack, the girl's and ponies ability, and the girl's personality - if she is mature enough to realise and be aware of the dangers then she would probably be fine

However I have seen girls of a similar age ride out (admittedly not on their own) and they have obviously been completely unaware of traffic and other road users
 
The concerns I would have had at my previous yard were due to the fact it.s not rual, there are alot of dog walkers, quad bikes, golfers on buggys and the odd strange person, I am a born worrier too.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Sorry to go slightly against the grain of replies here... but my concern wouldn't neccessarily be the ability of the rider or her horse... but other people on the road...

[/ QUOTE ] The OP has said that it is all off-road hacking - whole different scenario if roads are involved.
 
Must admit i have my reservations about a 12 year old out riding on their own. My own daughter who is 12 and a very competent rider keeps asking me when she can ride on her own, we have off road hacking off the livery yard and straight out onto the new forest but am still unsure, we get an awful lot of walkers, dogs, families with kids on bikes, you name it we get it in the forest. Pony is brilliant, very bombproof but can get a bit excitable but something in me just cant let her go yet. I may sound like a drama queen but i worry more about some weirdo/rapist getting hold of her not her falling off.
 
Was riding out alone on my spirited, difficult, ex GA exmoor x pony at the age of 8.

I live in a very quiet village where everyone knows everyone. But I never gave it a second thought.
 
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