How did you get your child interested in horse riding??

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little_mistress13

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I have loved horses since I was a child but parents couldn't afford lessons. Now I am an adult I have a horse and would love my kids to be interested. They are very young at the moment 2 and 3 so I am not expecting much but they won't even go near her. Refuse to help with grooming. Won't even pet her.

Then there is my niece who is 8 and before I had a horse use to beg me to let her come when I get one. So I pictured her the same as me when I was her age. and she often asks to come with me but after 5 minutes moans she is bored. If she is grooming after 2 mins she wants to stroke the other horses. If she is riding after 5 minutes she wants to get down to groom????

I have even stopped taking her now as she begged me to take her. So I did. Took me 10 minutes to catch the horse, I then groomed and tacked up, sat her on the horse and with in 10 minutes "I think I will only ride in the summer" "I don't like it like this" "When are we going home"

How does others get their kids interested?
 
I haven't pushed the interest in mine, just let them show the interest if/when they do. They have sat on mine at times and gone for a small walk at the yard but their father is not keen at all for them to get into it as it would be another horse/pony to feed and the associated expense ! ;)

They do plenty of other sports at the moment and I'm letting them dictate which ones they want to do, but doing some sports such as swimming are non-negotiable and they must learn.

My daughter who is 5 has said about riding a small pony but as she is so petite she'd be put on the barrel like Shetland at the local RS and I don't think that would do the best for her hips really.
 
No idea! Have two cousins, one used to love coming up to the yard but now just whines/goes off to play on his ipod in the car. Other one is petrified, will brush her at arms length but freaks if my mare moves/breathes and is bored after 5mins. Its just frustrating, not going to bother taking them as a treat unless either decides to show an interest.
I would have given my right arm to have a cousin with a horse that would be happy to let me do anything remotely horsey at that age!

My little sister on the other hand is fearless and loves spending time around/on the horses and she's only 14 months old. Go figure!
She will make a fab little horsey girl :)
 
You can't influence them - they will either be keen or they won't. I had my daughters "riding" before they were one because I preferred leading a pony than pushing a pram!

They have both had periods of being mad keen and periods of not riding at all - now at eleven and thirteen, they happen to both be keen at the moment.

Horses are a lifestyle choice as well as a hobby, unless you are mad keen it just won't happen.
 
My son is 1 and loves to give my mare treats (I put my hand underneath his to make sure he keeps his fingers). I think you can't force it, just enjoy it for yourself and they might get curious and want to help.
Otherwise, taking care of my horse and riding is very much my only time outside of work and family so I really need it alone sometimes.
 
Just seeing you with them will make them interested. You can't just bring them down and say right you are into horses they will grow into it though. But as said, if they don't they don't lol maybe swap your sister one of yours for your niece!
 
You just can't force it!!! I regularly post about my Mini who has just turned 8. Got her a riding lesson when she was 3 1/2 and we havent looked back - She is OBSESSED!! I am far from a pushy parent but she just took to it like a duck to water - In fact when she was 5 it encouraged me to get back in saddle - Mini 2 who is 4 has never shown much interest in the riding side of things until lately but from the age of 3 he has loved attempting to groom, top up water ADORES using the hose lol , leading my Mare into stable etc... 2 weeks ago he suddenly decided he wanted a lesson & nailed rising trot in first lesson - so I would say just don't force it, you want them to enjoy horses for the right reasons not because it makes Mum happy:)
 
For me it was the other way round. I've always liked horses and ridden off and on over the years but my daughter was one of those children absolutely obsessed from about age 2, I thought if you can't beat them join them.
 
You're either into horses or not. My daughter begged from when she could talk to have a pony. On her seventh birthday gave in and booked a riding lesson for her, BIG MISTAKE. Here we are thirty years, several horses and ponies later.Alsoa house move to accommodate equines. And its all we do and talk about. Oooo sorry forgot to mention I have always been horse mad too!!!!!
 
Mine had a pony from before the first could walk, he was always trying to stroke mine & sit on with me & I decided it would be a lot safer if he sat on something a lot nearer the ground! When the 2nd arrived we gained an upgrade for no1 son & no2 got the hand me down,
They both go through phases, & I do threaten to sell them if the are very very naughty, but they love them as over grown dogs as much as they like the riding

No1 son is 7 now & currently mad keen on hunting & SJ, no2 son is just coming of the lead rein for the second time, we came off to soon & had to back pedal slightly

The key IMO is to keep it short & keep it fun, if they are tired or cold there's no point trying, & get them lessons with someone they admire, mine love my trainer & so lessons with him are a real treat,
They don't have to do much grooming/other stuff ATM, no1 son more than no2 because he's older, he's just started being allowed to hack up the road on his own & it's a hugely grown up thing for him so he's thrilled about it!

We joined the PC as soon as they were 4, & spent a lot of time bumbling about, but they saw all the older ones & made lots of pony friends (esp important for boys I think!)

I do have days when no1 son announces we need another pony/bigger lorry/new saddle when I wonder what on earth I started, ��
 
You cant force them .... my daughter had lessons from 3 and ponies from 5 but son not interested at all. The quickest way to put them off for life is to make them. i would chill out enjoy your hobby and see how things develop. often children that get it all early dont appreciate it like those who have to wait..
 
My grandson now 4 yrs old, has been around my horses since day one, quite happy to sit on the hay and watch, wasn't sure of the horses looking down on him though, in my arms he was fine, 'helped' poo pick and lay beds, loved mixing feeds, he groomed legs from the knees down, he was taught from the start that sometimes he had to sit on the hay or at least stay behind a gate, but he has sat on all four horses, from 14hh to 17hh, it's his choice whether he 'rides' or not, but I can't wait till I can ride out with him
 
It has to come from the child. I've always been horsemad, no ones else in my family is but from a very young age I was pestering my mum to let me ride/have a pony. She booked me a riding lesson for my 7th birthday and the rest is history..... My sister on the other hand has absolutely no interest at all, she's briefly patted myself ponies and that's it. You can't make them keen. Having said that, I'm sure I'd be a bit miffed if my child wasn't a horse lover, but there is nothing you can do about it.
 
If your child is interested in horses then they'll show you, if not then then simply aren't - you can;t push them one way or the other no matter how hard you try. :)
 
My two sons have been around ponies since birth but I have never pushed riding at them. William my eldest, started riding at 4yo, hekept wanting to ride my pony so I got one on loan for him and the rest so far is history. George on the other, has a medical condition which meant I wasn't at all fussed if he wanted to ride, I preferred it if he didn't! He got an all clear in April but is also allergic to the dust in their coats so although he likes ponies he likes just coming up and playing in the mud!!!!

It has to be child led really, no point forcing them. If William doesn't want to ride I don't make him.
 
Ban them from touching one seems to work as they always want what they cannot have. Tell them its your time and they have to stay with a sitter of some sort if they are happy with that they will probably never be horsey but if they howl about it they may just make the grade. (my kids learned to ride when young but the instructor put them off by slapping them if they lifted their hands too high now that soon put them off)
 
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