Am I very risk adverse?

[mandyroberts]

I have just seen a picture on FB of someone selling their unbacked 3 year old, saying that their 4 year old daughter has sat on it.
There is a picture of the child on the horse bareback, no headcollar, no hat in the field looking over the fence with another horse loose next to him,
Is this madness or is it me?

 

[Cortez]

Doesn't bother me. Not something I would do, but presumably the daughter has survived.

 

[milliepops]

it's one of those things that is totally fine... until it isn't. and then it goes horribly wrong.
Not something I would do. I had a horse to ride away that had been totally ruined by a "backing" experience that was pretty similar took him ages to get over the mental trauma, and it was incredibly lucky that the child wasn't hurt.

 

[Cortez]

Many years ago, when I was starting out, I worked for some breeders that used to routinely pop their grandkids on the backs of the youngstock, just for a few minutes and always held (the kids). No harm came to anything, BUT the horses were very well handled and chilled, the owners & parents were very laid back and the kids were tough. I used to break for them and the horses were always easy to do. Could it all have gone horribly wrong? Of course it could, but it didn't and I think you could call that a calculated risk.

 

[JFTDWS]

A small child being held "on" a horse is very different to one left up there while the adult steps away, I think.

 

[Rosiejazzandpia]

If they're held on safely I don't see the problem. People sat me on many horses and ponies when I was very little, I'm still here

 

[Pearlsasinger]

A small child being held "on" a horse is very different to one left up there while the adult steps away, I think.

This!

OP, can I just point out that you meant risk averse - adverse is a synonym for unfavourable

ETA but now I see how that happened my autocorrect keeps putting the 'd' in - incorrectly!

 

[CurryCombTalesBlog]

I definitely wouldn't, even if it was a child held on (but that's just me).

 

[JulesRules]

Nope. I agree with you OP. It only takes a second for it all to go horribly wrong.

 

[Vodkagirly]

It makes me cringe but I see it regularly.

 

[alainax]

I throw my toddlers up on my Friesian’s back. He won’t move, but he’s a horse and a bomb could go off, then he’d move.. it’s why someone always has a firm grip on the child’s leg to whip them off should the horse take off.

Was the kid being held or alone?

 

[Silver Clouds]

Aside from the risk of the pony being un-backed and not being held while the child sat on it, I was under the impression that there was a law stating that children under 12yrs old have to wear a hat when riding- is this correct?

 

[SpringArising]

it's one of those things that is totally fine... until it isn't.

This ^ The pro of getting the pic wouldn't in a million years outweigh the con of something happening to the child for me.

 

[mandyroberts]

As many of you have said if the child was held its fine - child was not held - no other person in the photo, just the other horse.
I wouldn't really have passed comment if there was someone right next to her

 

[Mule]

I wouldn't do it on an unbacked horse, besides the safety aspect, I don't see the point.

 

[EventingMum]

I wouldn't do on a broken horse either, a split second is all it takes for things to go wrong and a child with no hat on a horse that isn't being held could be fatal. We all know riding is risky but there are simple ways to reduce the risks.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Aside from the risk of the pony being un-backed and not being held while the child sat on it, I was under the impression that there was a law stating that children under 12yrs old have to wear a hat when riding- is this correct?

I don't think so but there probably is some insurance company requirement for children having lessons/ at a RS.

 

[JFTDWS]

The law about 12 years and hats is only applicable on a public highway. It's in the highway code.


(Not that I don't think children should wear hats... It's just not legally enforceable as far as I'm aware)

 

[tallyho!]

Crikey in the days of Champion the wonder horse, us kids used to do allsorts fairly unscathed..... mind you we weren't the aristocrats.