does this make you smile or does it make you mad?

Makes me smile!!

She's wearing a hat, and the pony is clearly well behaved. Lovely to see relationships and infatuations being built at such a young age!!
 
amandap said:
No but rofl, I assumed it was a clicker trained one. :D

Shows how we all see different things... I thought the pony was concentrating hard. I'm not sure I could say shut down without seeing more of the pony and knowing her.
'Tricks' are not my style at all tbh but I am trying to be more positive.
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I was tongue in cheek Amanda, but the pony is Parelli trained. I don't think she looks shut down at all, but then I don't subscribe to the view that Parelli horses always look shut down.
I agree that the vids show a great bond and a great pony that probably has a natural liking for being with people.
 
Beautifully trained pony, but for me some of the things the little girl does like walking between the back legs are unnecessarily risky (she doesn't gain much from doing them and they teach her to underestimate the potential of such a large, flight animal to cause an injury even by complete accident). The hat looks like a cycling helmet to me, but perhaps it's some new model of riding hat I am not familiar with? It certainly doesn't seem to fit very well.

As far as 3 year olds riding, OH and I have been discussing this (in light of the imminent arrival of the She-spawn) and I would prefer to wait until our daughter is a bit older.
 
Three year olds can't ride. They haven't the brain, the coordination or the strength to ride. They can sit and they can pehaps wiggle the reins a bit, but they can't ride. For me, the pony looks thoroughly p****d off and bored out of its brain. I don't find it funny, amusing or entertaining or clever. Just a well trained-on-automatic-pilot of a pony.
 
blazingsaddles said:
Three year olds can't ride. They haven't the brain, the coordination or the strength to ride. They can sit and they can pehaps wiggle the reins a bit, but they can't ride. For me, the pony looks thoroughly p****d off and bored out of its brain. I don't find it funny, amusing or entertaining or clever. Just a well trained-on-automatic-pilot of a pony.
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I start teaching children at 3 and a half. Actually they can do quite a bit. No their progress isn't fast, but they can concentrate and understand what they are being asked to do. They can stop, start, turn, and I get them standing up in their stirrups finding their balance and do little trots (although they rarely manage to stand up much). I play games with them. (all on lead rein obviously) They love it!
 
galaxy23 said:
I start teaching children at 3 and a half. Actually they can do quite a bit. No their progress isn't fast, but they can concentrate and understand what they are being asked to do. They can stop, start, turn, and I get them standing up in their stirrups finding their balance and do little trots (although they rarely manage to stand up much). I play games with them. (all on lead rein obviously) They love it!
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I'm sure they can - on brain dead ponies, but thats not really riding is it?
 
Tinypony said:
I was tongue in cheek Amanda, but the pony is Parelli trained. I don't think she looks shut down at all, but then I don't subscribe to the view that Parelli horses always look shut down.
I agree that the vids show a great bond and a great pony that probably has a natural liking for being with people.
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~~This thought came to me just now as I was finishing poo picking my yard. I am a bit slow sometimes. :o
I don't have experience of horses trained that way but I don't subscribe to the view that non brutal and fair methods of any persuasion automatically cause shut down horses. ;) I find it's down to how those methods are applied much of the time. :)

Must say I'm glad most see a well trained pony as well. ;) She looks an absolute delight. :)
 
blazingsaddles said:
I'm sure they can - on brain dead ponies, but thats not really riding is it?
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On well behaved ponies. I wouldn't teach a beginner of any age on anything else.

they are learning the same as any other person, just at a slower rate. But there is improvement week to week (that's while I say 3 and a hlf, as that seems to be the age they can begin to learn to "ride"). They can make their pony do "things". I think you are being rather harsh!
 
Yes, surely learning to balance and move with the horse is a fundamental part of riding, the learning to 'do' and control the horse comes later anyway surely.
I actually don't think it's fair to put a novice rider on a novice horse and try to 'ride' it immediately. :(
 
galaxy23 said:
On well behaved ponies. I wouldn't teach a beginner of any age on anything else.

they are learning the same as any other person, just at a slower rate. But there is improvement week to week (that's while I say 3 and a hlf, as that seems to be the age they can begin to learn to "ride"). They can make their pony do "things". I think you are being rather harsh!
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Look, I don't wish to denegrade your teaching abilities. I'm sure you are a responsible and sensible instructor. But, a three year old will learn balance & rein cues just as easily on a rocking horse.
 
Bit saccharine for my taste, but I can't imagine the child will be doing anything with horses unsupervised at that age. Would be nice if the child was, in addition to a hat, wearing some suitable footwear though.
 
blazingsaddles said:
Look, I don't wish to denegrade your teaching abilities. I'm sure you are a responsible and sensible instructor. But, a three year old will learn balance & rein cues just as easily on a rocking horse.
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Well I'm no great rider or riding teacher but the rocking horse I had as a child didn't feel like riding my pony and it didn't respond to rein cues. :confused:
Surely learning to develop a feel for the aids is the most important part of comminicating with a horse when riding? A rocking horse wont complain no matter how hard you tug and pull. A better way to first learn rein aids is surely with another human so a child can get a real idea of the 'feel' involved... :confused:
 
amandap said:
Well I'm no great rider or riding teacher but the rocking horse I had as a child didn't feel like riding my pony and it didn't respond to rein cues. :confused:
Surely learning to develop a feel for the aids is the most important part of comminicating with a horse when riding? A rocking horse wont complain no matter how hard you tug and pull. A better way to first learn rein aids is surely with another human so a child can get a real idea of the 'feel' involved... :confused:
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A three year old will have no concept of 'feel'. Give it a few years and who knows? But I am rather dubious of riding schools who permit the under fives to riding 'lessons' i.e a half hours lesson being led around in walk under the premise of learning.
 
I was still thinking about your own child sitting on your pony... three might be a bit young for riding schools I agree.
 
what an amzing pony and a lovely child who I hope goes on to keep loving having fun with her pony ok laying down with child on with some animals may not be good but i suspect the parent know this pony to allow it - i have seen many ponies who look out for thier little riders. and how nice to see a big smile on a childs face purely and simply because she is enjoying her pony :) and not a show ring in sight lol ( thats the cynical bit of me he he e he )
 
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