for those with children

5 with Tom (that's when I got back into horses) but he likes to fuss them more than ride. Rode till I was 3 mths pregnant with Anya and she comes to the farm everyday. As soon as she can walk she's getting on a pony of some description!!!!
 
S

scotsmare

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Mine was introduced to the saddle pre birth, rode "properly" from when she was 4 (though had a pony to sit on before that), went on to show at county level with LR & FR ponies, went on to a 13.2 jumping pony and then at the tender age of 10 decided to retire......
 
Mine is 5, she's had a few riding lessons and a couple of "sits" on the Moose, but isn't avid to ride like I was at her age, so I've not pushed her. I shan't be arranging any more lessons for her until she starts asking on a regualr basis.
 
My litle lad had been sat on a pony at 8 months and hes a year now and loves the hairy beasts, much to his fathers disgust!! Will intoduce him to it properly if he shows any interest later on (fingers crossed he does!!)
 
My youngest daughter started around 3 and is now 8, she will be helping to break in her pony in the next few months.

She has bags of confidence (too much sometimes) and goes round asking questions/advice constantly from other liveries etc.
 
I've no kiddies myself but sticking my oar in anyway
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but when I worked at a riding stables they wouldn't take them before 6. YO felt they didn't get much out of it till then.
My next door neighbour has a little shettie for her three nearly four year old. The little girl has special needs and the pony is a star, lets her brush him for hours, she can ride round on the lead rein and it is good physical therapy for her.
So I would say it depends on what you mean by riding, if you want to introduce them to ponies and just have fun, as soon as they have the strength to sit up and support the weight of a riding hat, without being uncomfortable (I hate that toddler rag doll thing when their heads are rolling around because they haven't the strength to hold the head still with a hat on - can't be good for their spines). If you want them to learn to be a proper little jockey I think they need to be 6/7 so they are in a bit more control physically and able to follow instruction better.
That is my twopennyworth!
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My local riding school wouldn't take them beofore 6 as well even though my daughter was dying to ride. She had been riding a friends Shetland for a while but the pony was a complete nightmare and really not suitable for kids to ride, mind of her own! although it did teach her how to groom and tack up etc which they wouldn't do at the RS due to health and safety regulations!

Sadly can't afford lessons any more and nothing suitable at my yard for her to ride so will have to wait for her to grow as she was in tears when I suggested selling my horse a while ago and maybe getting something smaller that we could both ride!!!
 
Bought my girls pony before she was born (sec a), she is 5 now and coming off the lead rein, riding a cute little shettie about and once she's got the hang of that going back to get the sec a going off the lead (smashing pony just green off, but only 7 so worth trying with)

She's started pc this year (went 2 years ago but it was too much/long for a 3yo kid) Right now she is riding most nights, I help her get ready before school, then get ready myself, and every morning when I get downstairs, she's fished out a pair of joddies to take so she can ride after school (I try not to push her, I'd rather she just enjoyed it) She's hacking out off the lead and started to think of cantering.
 
I started my son at 4 on my friend's native pony (he's 7 now). Although he prefers to play with them rather than ride unfortunately. I think girl's tend to prefer the riding and boy's tend to like mucking about with the ponios better. My son has his own saddle and bridle though for when he feels like riding (the pony is kept in the same field as my loan) so I'm always prepared in case he decides to ride!!
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It is funny that sidesaddlegirl and poppymoo should say that, the little boys I've taught just wanted to use their ponies like hairy motorbikes ie lots of charging round, jumping and falling off (although they did like anything to do with the quad bikes, tractor and fence building too) where as the girs were more into the care aspect. I suppose it is totally dependant on the individual child.
 
My little girl got sat on a pony at 4 days old! She loved riding at first and used to have a sit on a pony a couple of times a week.
She's nearly 5 now and not that interested at all, to her horses are boring. But then she has been dragged to the yard with me every day!

The other day she very firmly said ' I don't want riding lessons mummy' so I've given up.
If she really wants to ride when she's older she'll have to beg and plead like I did.
 
Lots of lads stop as the get into their early teens/secondary scholl I think they get teased a bit because riding is seen as a girly thing. I point out all the jockeys/polo players and their glamourous WAGS. If you can get them to about 14/15 and they suddenly look around and realise they are the only boys at PC camp with 100s of girls they soon rekindle an interest!
 
Both mine sat on them and walked around when they were safe to sit and not fall
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Started rideing properly at 2. It was on our pony, does not do more than a slow walk
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My youngest is now 12 and incredibly talented. Not wishing to blow my own trumpet but i have been told she is
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One instructer said she can see her makeing it to the olympics
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She has been held up due to the ponies she has had - rescues. Did extremely well with them but horses for courses. She has now got a cracking pony she takes for private lessons
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Instructer wanted to keep her
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I was terrified of what she would say about her - very honest. I was more worried than presenting her to you lot
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She works hard also with the horses, and loves every minute of it
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Yes, my OH can pointed that out to him, but its cutting no ice at the mo- my OH has mysteriously just got into the horsey stuff, learnt to ride and bought his own horse- went to Bramham this year - think its something to do with tight white joddies and black boots perhaps !!!
 
josh was on a horse before he was walking lol, he used to sit on the riding school ponies and hold on to the front of their rugs (with me holding him) when they were tied up in the yard! he had his first proper ride when he was around 1 and we got our pony when he was 2 - though pony turned out not to be first pony material but always behaves on the lead rein with small people!
 
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It is funny that sidesaddlegirl and poppymoo should say that, the little boys I've taught just wanted to use their ponies like hairy motorbikes ie lots of charging round, jumping and falling off (although they did like anything to do with the quad bikes, tractor and fence building too) where as the girs were more into the care aspect. I suppose it is totally dependant on the individual child.

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You have just described my son and daughters attitude to ponies completely!! If you presented my son with a tacked up pony he would leap on, zoom off (preferably hunting!) then hand it back to you and go play in the hay barn! My daughter though would spend all day washing and grooming a pony but was quite nervous to ride until the last couple of years. Unfortunately my son will have nothing to do with horses anymore
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hi!
my lot all sat on and walked around b4 they could walk,i couldnt afford 2 keep anything or ride much for a few years so when my middle 2 were having their birthdays aged 1 and 2 i bought them a present that would last...a yearling welsh B colt for £100!!i backed him when he was bout 4( an i was much thinner LOL)but theyd all sat on him b4 then,he was such a star.my eldest learnt to walk trot canter and show in hand,that was all she wanted to do n loved it.aged 20 now shes found boys!the middle 2,my boy had a natural gift and went belting round the place,enjoying jumping and in hand showing,the girl wanted to play ponies but just couldnt get it 2getha riding,she would bounce around till she bounced on2 his neck all the time grinning like a maniac,he wud just stop!they are now aged 14 n 15,my boy just one day stopped riding,the girl has now learnt to canter,she loves that and rides when the fancy takes her,my youngest boy now 7 was doing really well walk trot canter and hack on l/r until one day in the showring the pony got stung an put in an almighty buck...he wont get on at all now.
of course we still got the same pony,bless him what a star.15 this yr n never once been lame or ill.i think coz they grow up having a pony they become really blase,they love the horses but never had to really want one,you know?i would have killed for a pony of my own when i was a kid LOL!!
 
shared a brilliant and very aged pony with a friend when all our kids were around the two/three mark. It was great because they hadn't learned to be afraid yet. Then I moved and we were pony less for the years between being five and eight. A pony arrived at christmas and kid loves it, but, she thinks far too much, thus gets nervous quite quickly. She rides off the lead rein and has just learned rising trot and is desperate to canter but gets freaked out every time she tries. I wish I'd have been able to keep her going right from the off then I think she'd never have developed that 'worrying' stage.
 
i first rode properly at 3.
on a lead rein for a year and then off i went on my own

(i dont think my parents liked me that much-reckon they were hoping i wouldnt come back
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