How old should children be before they get a horse?

I come from a non-horsey family and learnt to ride at 3 and got my first pony at 7.

My god-daughter is from a horsey home and got her first pony when she was born and was showing in a basket saddle before she was a year old. She's now 20 and still showing mad.
 
personally not going to get one until my daughter turns herself inside out for one. She can totally take or leave ponies and I'm not going to push my hobby onto her (any more than she has to have it pushed onto her having to frequent the stables every day) she has a riding lesson once a week at the local riding school and likes it because there are other kids there but I would want her to try everything first before settling on ponies as it is a life style choice!
 
Miss Bean said:
personally not going to get one until my daughter turns herself inside out for one. She can totally take or leave ponies and I'm not going to push my hobby onto her (any more than she has to have it pushed onto her having to frequent the stables every day) she has a riding lesson once a week at the local riding school and likes it because there are other kids there but I would want her to try everything first before settling on ponies as it is a life style choice!
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Very sensible!
 
Sister got her first pony at 11, I got mine at 17 (obviously a horse, not a pony)! Other sister loaned one then got her first when she was about 15 I think?
 
My little girl was 18 months old when we bought Strawberry for her (adorable little shetland who is a total saint with small children :)).

I don't know whether she'll stick at it but I wanted something she could potter around on the yard, groom and get her confidence with and when she wants to ride that's great but if she doesn't there's no pressure. Strawberry is a solid little thing so will last my very petite daughter for years to come :).
 
That's a very good point miss bean. Because my daughter has always had ponies, I've gone out of my way to encourage other hobbies from a very early age so I could be sure if she did prove pony mad it was for the right reasons, not just because she didn't know any different. As it is, she's stuck with ponies as a first love, but also enjoys dancing, music, singing, brownies etc. Although from an early age she would make announcements such as 'my no go there, my go ride' about various other hobbies.
 
Thanks for all replies. Sorry for typo error (pony not horse):)I used to ride a lot when I was younger, now I live on a farm so would like to give him the opportunity to ride from early age. I think we'll take him to a few riding lessons first, then buy if he's keen.
 
Miss Bean said:
personally not going to get one until my daughter turns herself inside out for one. She can totally take or leave ponies and I'm not going to push my hobby onto her (any more than she has to have it pushed onto her having to frequent the stables every day) she has a riding lesson once a week at the local riding school and likes it because there are other kids there but I would want her to try everything first before settling on ponies as it is a life style choice!
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Exactly this although MiniBoo is too young even for lessons. When she is old enough to ask for it she can go have lessons, if it works out for a few years and she really wants one then fair enough, but there are many other things she could be doing and I don't want her to feel she has to ride.
 
I was so fed up of (sadly) saying no to my 2yr old niece when she asked if she could ride Alfie (who doesn't have much patience for noisy/screaming/exciteable little people) that we went and bought a shetland. We were in need of a companion for the big un anyway so it made sense to buy a healthy shetland rather than loan an older "companion only". My niece is tall and talkative for her age (people tend to think she's three or four), and she's so obsessed with her "spirit" dvd and her My Little Ponies, it seemed the right thing to do - plus riding schools dont seem to insure under four yr olds.

She doesn't ride much mainly because pony has had mild lammy this summer, but she does spend hours and hours talking to her, grooming her, trotting round the coffee table at home. There's no question that she has the bug. Whether it lasts and whether she would have been so keen if we'd never bought the shetland I don't know, but as long as she's interested the pony will stay.
 
My eldest started asking for a pony as soon as she could talk.However I'd had ponies as a child and knew how much work they could be.So as soon as she was 4,off to riding school she went,and rode every week,summer and winter for 3 years.When her sister was 5 and was moved up to an hour's lesson a week,and they couldn't teach both girls in the same lesson,I convinced my husband that it would be cheaper and more cost effective to buy a pony.The fool believed me,so we got knobberpony when my eldest was 7 and the little one had just turned 6.

We have never looked back,they ride 6 days a week,even in the pouring rain and sub zero temps.My eldest took her hunting after we'd had her 5 months and had the time of her life.Now we are looking for another pony as sharing causes lots of arguments about who leads her,tacks her up,rides first,has the longest turn.But knobberpony is a hard act to follow.In some ways I wish I'd bought sooner,but if I had,we wouldn't have bought knobberpony,at 13h she'd have been too big for tiny tots.If only I could clone her I would.
 
My sister bought my nephew a pony when he was 2 and a half - muggins aunty here ended up with it! It doesn't bother me really he's easy enough to keep and she pays for farrier etc I just do all the work :rollseyes: but Corey is autistic and it seemed like a good idea :) he rides very occasionally at weekends (sister lives in town) and did his first show this summer aged 3. I think we will see wether he wants to do more but he certainly comes out of his shell when around the horses - and my niece will grow into pony too!
I think it depends on the child and if you are happy to do all the work if they are very young - I always had ponies as a kid and as I got older took more responsibility but it was easier for me I suppose as family ran a livery yard - now it's just me!
 
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