Children: when to start riding?

My 2 children have been 'sitting' on an old Shetland mare since about an year old (maybe younger), then as they turned 2 I took them for tiny hacks, this has gradually increased as eldest is now 4 and youngest is 3. Now they go for longer hacks (30 mins max) and 'trog' which is what they call trot! They really enjoy it and I've decided to get them their own pony to share. Can't wait, let the fun begin! ;)
 
I wanted to start Emma early, but the issue I found that is despite her long legs, she says she feels unsecure as its like sitting in a chair rather than ON a pony. But that's on a fat Shetland.

I think your son is old enough, as really for the first year he will be walking around being led. It will then all depends on how he takes to it.
If you go on you tube you will see videos of kinds as young as 3 riding and catering etc, but I would say they are the confident ones - or the ones with CRAZY ass parents.

For insurance reasons, no riding school should/would let him come till he is 4. But if you have a friend with a pony, no reason he cant go for a dander on it to see if he takes to it. Emma did, but has kind of gone off it as has realised the fear..............so we will try her again when she is older.
 
If I had my time again I would start off a small child on a sheepskin and not make them sit on a hard saddle. It is warm and soft and moulds to the shape of the pony and they sit in a very natural way and can feel the movement underneath them.

At a young age all they can do is sit and be led around. Even a 6/7 yar old cannot do much either physically or mentally

Until they are 11/12 you are mostly dependant on the good nature of the pony they are riding as they haven't the strength or knowhow to influence the pony.
 
My niece - who has just turned 5, has been riding various horses/ponies since she was able to grab hold and not let go! There's nothing she likes more than sitting on my 17hh horse and having a trot around the school - on a lead rein of course! When my brother took her to the riding school for assessment at the end of last year they asked if she had been riding bigger horses as she was finding it more difficult with the trot of a small pony. They also prefer her off the lead rein as she concentrates better and will actually ride rather than just be led about. So I think if they're really keen and showing the strength and coordination necessary then starting at at any age shouldn't be too much of a problem.
 
It's news to me a 6/7 yr old can't do much physically or mentally. Maybe one that's just started riding. And yes, at 7 my daughter is less capable than an experienced teen, let alone an adult. But her riding is more advanced than an early teen who's had weekly lessons for a few years. And mentally & physically has no problems understanding the concept of influencing a ponies way of going. (and I don't mean in terms of kick for speed & pull to stop or steer either). She's certainly able to get on the average kids pony & make improvements to its way of going, even if she may need my vocal input to do so with some. But so would many adults. And I don't think my daughter is unusual in this either. I think its a question of experience rather than age. I know a few under 10's that have more riding skill & knowledge after a lifetime with them, than some adults who've had a few years of weekly lessons.
 
I was bought a pony when I was 18 months and was doing LR gymkhana by 3 and a half. I sat on bareback and rode in old style and show saddles. I'm not bandy, have never had a bad back and don't think there's anything wrong with my posture!

My own children were slung on my horses as babies and we bought a pony when my daughter was 2 and a half and my son 7 months (though this was not intentional, we were forced into buying OH's god-daughter's outgrown pony!).
Daughter did her first LR gymkhnan at 2 and a half, started trotting not long afterwards (I was reluctant to let her trot but after a couple of accidental jogs, she was keen to trot).

They are aged 4 and six now, both canter on the LR, both go over tiny little jumps and both love it. They sit on bareback regularly, but I don't lead them round without a saddle 'cause I worry about them sliding off. Neither are bandy or have bad posture, but they don't ride that often and only for about half an hour at a time, the longest they spend in the saddle is at gymkanas, of which we do about three times a year.

I do think goign to an RS is probably a bit pointless for very young children (pre six) as they won't understand a lot and it will just be an expensive pony ride but having their own/borrowing a pony is great for giving them a feel for it, balance and confidence.
 
E. Bainbridge said:
Only just registered and already I have a question. :)

Our son's three and a half now, and I thought when he'll be four, it might be a good time for him to learn to ride. Now I faintly remember hearing something that this wasn't supposed to be good for a child's bones at that age, detrimental for the spine, and that actually a good time was only at the age of twelve.

Is that so?

Thanks in advance for any information!
Click to expand...

Well< I have never heard that one before, I had my first riding lesson when I was 4 and there were no detrimental affects on my spine.... at 4 years old the child will not be doing much vigorous riding anyway, they are pretty much a passenger at first on a lead rein...

so go for it, if he takes to it all well and good the fresh air is good for you....
 
My lad started riding at 3yrs with a saintly shetland - I wouldn't say he particularily 'learnt' to ride at that age but it gave him balance and confidence around horses. At around 6 he lost all interest so didn't push him at all and resigned myself to the fact he wasn't going down the riding route.

Then last Winter, at 8 yrs old, he came to watch me at our Boxing day meet and anounced he wanted to start riding again. We spent the rest of the winter with him riding my 14.2hh on the lead rein, and as he remained keen, then bought him his first pony this Easter, and so far so good.

At an older age he has a far greater understanding of what I am trying to teach him, and is a lot more capable of helping with stable management, although poo picking is still an issue! He has joined pc and is getting a lot of benefit from the instruction as has both the physical and mental skills to absorb the info now.

I suspect that if he had gone on to another pony at 6yrs old it would have resulted in a lot of arguing and frustration between us, with a pony just sitting in the field with me doing all the work. Therefore I am glad I left it until later, when he showed genuinely keen - indeed last night I noticed his light still on at 9pm and caught him pouring over the latest copy of the H & H!!

Physically I can't see how riding at a really young age can affect a child - I used to canter my Father's 16.2hh hunter around the field at 5yrs old and am in no way deformed!!!
 
My late father in law was a world renowned breeder of horses in Ireland. He was adamant NOT to start letting little BOYS ride until they were 7. Unless you could find a saint of a pony and there was zero chance of a child getting a fright he didn't think the risk of putting them off was worth it. Add to that lack of balance/strength plus the ability to understand instructions he really was dead against it. Girls on the other hand he seemed to find were much tougher nuts! and didn't seem to get put off if and when the inevitable tumbles took place. Only my own personal experience, many little boys appeared at Pony Club and then disappeared quickly if things weren't going too well. No doubt depends to a large extent on each individual child ad there will obviously be exceptions. Also very important that Mum is knowledgeable and gets the right trainer who doesn't try to get small children to "run before they can walk".
 
I had my own pony from 2 and can confirm no physical defects (well, other than those inflicted on myself by chocolate!). I have also just bought my little boy his first pony and he is 2 1/2. He was obsessed with my TB from a very early age and always told me he wanted a pony called 'Ghengis' from as soon as he could talk so as we had moved to a new house with land it seemed the right thing to do.

He rides when he asks to do so - I haven't pushed at all but he is becoming keener by the day, so much so that he went up to his room, fetched his jodhs and boots and told me he wanted to go jumping yesterday lol. We've so far just walked around on the lead and he has been brilliant - yesterday he asked to go faster so we had our first trotting experience which he loved. As soon as he'd stopped laughing he said 'Good! Now jump?' - OH was watching and went a bit pale at this comment!! :D

He rides his little welshy in a cub saddle and has a really balanced seat and seems completely relaxed. He even picked up the reins and did some 'steering' yesterday. I wont ever push him but I do praise and ancourage him when he does things right and so far, so good.

I would love to do some showing and gymkhanas with him next year, but if he doesn't want to that's fine too - she will have the life of luxury munching grass with my lad.
 
I don't think it matters when they start.

I have 4 children and they've all been different:

Daughter 1 had a fairly nutty small pony, but rode it on the lead rein from about the age of 2 and went hunting at 7 on the lead rein. She wasn't a brave rider, when she was younger, but has been right through pony club, pony club events and turned out not too bad, but has never learnt to muck out, groom, clean tack etc.

Son 1 started on the same pony from birth, just being popped on. But gave up after a fairly hideous fall, when he was 7 and rarely shows any interest in horses at all. It's a shame he was quite a promising rider and very good around horses.

Son 2 started the same as older brother from birth and rode at riding schools until he was 5. Nutty pony by now had gone. Not at all interested, so we stopped his lessons. He has started again at 13 and in about 6 months has gone from an absolute beginner to being able to jump a small course, admittedly on an honest pony. He can: tack up, clean tack, muck out, groom and even poo picks.

Daughter 2 is pony mad, started on a small shetland at 3, has done lead rein jumping, gymkhanas etc and at 7 is now off the lead rein, but very annoyed older brother has overtaken her in such a short time. She too shows very little ability at grooming etc.

I think there is a moral in here somewhere. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top