Children show jumping - possibly controversial post?

[LEC]

A friend has a kid jumping big track ponies. The kid can see a stride a mile off and the ponies are not that easy as naturally need to be very buzzy to have the speed/impulsion to do the height and the bravery retained with being careful. If kid misses the ponies stop as over the height they jump they need to be correct.
Sometimes I don’t think it’s that beautiful to watch but the kid is correct in her riding and they are JA ponies. They don’t need to do a dr test so it doesn’t matter what they look like as long as they jump. Tabitha Kyle is a beautiful rider and always has been.

 

[HJJ]

Not sure if i remember right but years ago, there was a wonderful pony called something like Strawberry Mojo,
he did all the big tracks with many children passing from one to another.

Many championship is well, If i remember, it's was skewball mare.

Does anyone remember her ?

There's a FB group called 'BSJA - great memories page' and Strawberry Mojo came up on there a few weeks ago - lots of posts from her ex owners/riders about her.

 

[irishdraft]

I feel it’s sad that we, as in general society, seem to be intent on reducing the assumption of capability for children.

We seem overly concerned with infantilising age groups who used to be sufficiently capable to act with much more independence.

Late teenagers and young adults who used to be of age to marry, have families and even go to war, are now treated as children as late as their early 20s. Universities are being petitioned to treat adult pupils as children in their care.

When I was seven or eight, I would take myself down to see my pony, catch, tack up, hack out, untack, wash, turnout without any direct supervision at all. In fact, possibly with only a few of my friends and the older girls being around. They may have been twelve. My welsh c was mad as a hatter and I fell off weekly. My welsh d x arab was hotter, and I had him until 11. I then had a pure Arab.

The height of excitement was being asked to look after one of the adults horses, and I would regularly ride one of the big warmbloods that belonged to my instructor, with my little legs dangling just past the saddle.

It was a happy happy time. I genuinely perceive more risk in spending one’s life cosseted and unable to develop a sense of self-preservation, self confidence and capability.

I’m sure many people will say that children were different in the past, and the world was different. But children aren’t going to develop unless we let them, and the world isn’t going to have more capable independent people unless we build those people. And I’m in my 30s so I didn’t grow up a hundred years ago.

To me, a ‘very small child’ is about four. Not 6-12.

Absolutely agree with this, I've had 2 incidents recently with 6/7 year olds where the parent has ended up yelling at me the child is only little. First one was a young boy ran out of his driveway behind my horse as I was hacking past, yelling horse at the top of his voice, so my horse spooked and ran across the road, I said to him don't run behind horses you can get kicked at which point parent turned up and started yelling he was only little what did I expect ?? Second one I asked a boy to call his dogs of which there were 3 all jumping up & barking as I tried to get said horse thru bridleway gate, he was actually calling them away when furious mother turns up and starts yelling at me how could a young child be expected to call dogs away, wtf ?? I thought no wonder young people have these mental health problems with parents like these .

 

[Lauraback]

My friends little girl is an awesome rider. Completely pony mad and confident as hell, she has 2 ponies but they were not expensive ready made ones. I watched videos of her cross country and show jumping just the other day. She’s probably a better rider than many adults I know and she is a natural sympathetic rider with simple tack without strong bits etc. Wish I could share the videos but she’s not my child.

 

[malwhit]

The kids sound like my style of jumper - aim the horse at the fence and hope for the best

Not that Brandy would listen anyway - he loved jumping and I trusted his judgement more than my own

 

[Barklands]

They sound like amazing riders to me for their bravery and for their ability to jump in balance while not being tall enough to get their leg round the pony. I'll bet they grow up into terrific adult riders. The biggest questions for me are whether the ponies are happy and the riders are having fun.

I'd like to see some, anyone got pointers?
.

Anya Dewey Clarke is a cracking example! Tiny wee jockey jumping big tracks, making it look easier than most adults!

 

[Red-1]

Crikey, I'd never heard of Strawberry Mojo but just watched a vid on Youtube and thought the pony was amazing and the rider amazing too.

I wish I could ride half as well

I admire the little kids, and think they are very skilled. I don't suppose any of the ponies are actually machines and need keeping sweet to keep jumping.

BH is off at a yard now with my friend. Many years ago, her daughter was one of the little kids at HOYS, winning a class on a home produced pony and has since been back at HOYS winning the 7yo class on a home produced horse. She was always skilled but her skills simply matured. She is who I have chosen for several of my horses when I've needed help.

 

[Lady Jane]

Well lots of you made comments and I agree with most. Absolutely nothing wrong with kids riding before they have legs on the horse. I need legs on my horse to be secure not to ride him forwards, but I started jumping after a 20 year break so I've no doubt the kids have better balance than me. The children are brave and balanced (my original post was not about children riding badly, I know why that makes me feel unconfortable, seeing someone of any age thumping on a horses back and yanking it in the mouth is horrible). So am I just old grouchy and jealous? I have 50 years plus on these kids and have a point and fire little horse myself.
@JFTDWS hit the nail on the head- its parents 'promoting' their children that I don't like. The slightly older kids who post their own videos is fine and I enjoy watching.

I still question how many who ride the point & fire ponies will manage on horses who need to be ridden more, I guess some will do well and some won't. I certainly wouldn't now contemplate attemting to jump a horse without a clever pony brain to dig me out of trouble!

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Instagram decided to show me a video of a young child on their (appropriately sized pony) going over massive hedges, which isn't necessarily a problem but I must say the way they child's head was whiplashing right back then forward on some of the jumps did make me feel a bit ill! Though it would if it were an adult tbf. It was in multiple clips too so I'm thinking maybe not a great idea to keep letting it happen over and over, and wait until the child is a little bigger/stronger to avoid that happening.

 

[maya2008]

Instagram decided to show me a video of a young child on their (appropriately sized pony) going over massive hedges, which isn't necessarily a problem but I must say the way they child's head was whiplashing right back then forward on some of the jumps did make me feel a bit ill! Though it would if it were an adult tbf. It was in multiple clips too so I'm thinking maybe not a great idea to keep letting it happen over and over, and wait until the child is a little bigger/stronger to avoid that happening.

Likewise…tiny children on LR at shows who have not been taught jumping position and whose whole bodies are being thrown forwards and back over the jumps. Has always made me wince!

 

[humblepie]

I remember Strawberry Mojo too - when she was nearing the end of her career she would jump at a local centre so I would sometimes be there with my horse when the pony stuff was finishing.