How soon to start a toddler ?

J

JLD

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 May 2008
Messages
969
Visit site
Sorry I know this has been done before, but a few offers have come up that may be too good to pass by. I have a just one baby , walking, very physical gets on and 'rides' everything she can. She has watched me riding since birth. Obviously I wouldnt buy her a pony and wasnt planning on doing anything till she was about 4, BUT 2 neighbours have seriously underutilized shetlands - the nice sort not the s**tland type, and both have offered them to her to ride and dont want them to think not interested as could be great (and free) for the next 5 years or so. When do you think is ok to sit on and pootle about ? I dont want to put her off . Also how would you choose ? totally unused but fully broken PC'd one which we would have sole use of, or more regularly sat on 'rescue' one who behaves well but has other riders ?
 
Is she asking to be plonked on?

Would use both really, but probably the more used one for the first few times as you dont know what the other one will be like.

I see no problem in plonking her on a horse at any age really so long as you're not the pushy parent and its all really fun!
 
I would be interested to hear what people say. My Evie is 18 months and has sat on all the horses. More recently she has sat in front of her big sister and walked round the field. The only problem now is as soon as Soph goes outside she says - horsy horsy wide wide wide wide wide wide! She has got a bit fanatical anbout it. I think she means ride and is not pointing out that bis sis's horse is still a trifle overweight!

The reason we havent progressed any further is lack of tiny hats - I presumed we probably wouldnt be able to get her a hat until she was about two or three?
 
TBH I can't even remember the first time I got plonked on a pony I think I was about 2 and was on my mums old pony that was kept at my grandparents farm. I have pictures of my mum holding me and my dad leading the pony, I obviously don't remember but the photos suggest I was loving it :)

I do however rememebr asking my mum and dad for proper riding lessons as they had never pushed me into doint anything like that theirselves. Think I was about 5 or 6.
 
Magicmillbrook said:
I would be interested to hear what people say. My Evie is 18 months and has sat on all the horses. More recently she has sat in front of her big sister and walked round the field. The only problem now is as soon as Soph goes outside she says - horsy horsy wide wide wide wide wide wide! She has got a bit fanatical anbout it. I think she means ride and is not pointing out that bis sis's horse is still a trifle overweight!

The reason we havent progressed any further is lack of tiny hats - I presumed we probably wouldnt be able to get her a hat until she was about two or three?
Click to expand...

Hi, we have one of the childrens polly hats with the dial but is still too big. I was planning on getting her a tiny cycling helmet for now as she will be being held as well. She also reaches up and squeaks to get on every time she is at the yard. Doesnt matter if she doesnt want to do it but I think she does !!
 
If you just want to put her on with a safe helmet, hold her on for a little pootle etc then I see no problem with it. My riding instructor has put both her babies on the pony as soon as they were strong enough to sit up for themselves, not even a year old I think.

Think the smaller girl likes it, but the 3yr old boy just wants to ride on the tractors all the time. I would go with whichever pony you would trust more to go for a safe little walk around with no spooking etc, and as someone said...so long as you don't become a pushy PC mum and it's just for fun!!
 
I can't help on the age front, but maybe try riding both and see which one she prefers :p
Or if she likes both, she can learn to adapt from a young age :D

Sorry if no help :p xx
 
my kids have been 'plonked' on pretty much since birth. we got iggle the shetland mainly as a companion for raff, but my (now 3yr old) son has been riding him regularly on lead rein since he was about 18months old. he has a cub saddle with a handle that he holds. he's now trotting quite merrily, and is holding his reins.

x
 
my youngest started at 18 months. used to scream the place down when we took him off. By 3 he was riding every weekday and learning balance and steering. At 17 he has a wonderful seat and a really lovely way with all horses. Did get him to help with chores too so I didn't turn into a slave
 
our duaghter sat on the 17.2hh hunter we had at the time when she was about four months old, she had her first canter sat in front of me whilst holding a biscuit giggleing at about 11 months . we then got the most saintly pony on the planed who is utterly brilliant for her to groom and lead about , she can now ( 2 yrs old) canter with us holding her leg , kick to go , pull to stop, do rising trot in walk , and lean forward going up hill , lean back going down. she tries to tack him up, insists on having her hat and saddle on , and attended her first meet last week where she followed for two and a half hours and is now even keener to ride than she was before!!

We have kept everything fun and short , sometimes she would rather get off and lead her pony , and thats ok too, but mostly its just a great way to get a toddler full of energy out in the fresh air haveing good old fashioned wet muddy fun!

Picture060.jpg
[/IMG]

Picture037.jpg



Picture022.jpg



Picture012.jpg



Picture071.jpg
 
My little girl has just turned 2 and if she sees horses (or donkeys) we get 'horse! me ride that please'. I've been very conscious of not pushing my love of horses onto her, but she seems to be naturally drawn to them (and all animals). When she had a pony ride at a country fair at about 18 months she realised she could not only stroke horses but ride them too. We've not heard the end of it since! We're very lucky in that we know someone with a little 11.2 that she can ride. Last weekend we had a little 20 minute 'hack' round the field - pony was a wee bit fresh so the owner led the pony and i held my little girl. Had an unintentional joggy trot, pony had a shake and coughed once and none of it phased my little girl at all. In fact, she's sitting next to me looking at the photos above (cute pony btw!) and asking to 'ride that, please'.

If i had the right situation i would look to get her a little shetland, but with a newborn and a toddler, and seriously lacking in funds i can't see that happening yet. She'll have to be like me and beg and borrow where she can :o

Trina x
 
I say if they can muck out then they can ride!!!

Only joking of course, I have my first on the way and would love to get a pony (purely selfish reasons) but I think seeing as my maternity pay only just covers one horses livery, my husband would not be willing to go for another! I reckon around 5-6 years before buying the first one but would probably let them have a sit on something safe before that, especially if they're asking.
 
My daughter was a really keen little rider up until she was about 4, then she went off horses a bit, I'm inclined to think that being dragged up the yard every day probably made her a bit bored of them!

I have loaned my horse out, he's been gone since the summer and now she is asking to go and see him and start riding. She even said the other day she wants a horse when she's older! She's 7 now btw.
I didn't start riding until I was 12 so I'm hoping she will be a late starter like me. I'd be delighted if she did ride but I'm not going to push it.
I'm pregnant at the moment and hoping this one will be more horsey!!
 
My (almost) 3 year old loves riding - she's the first one out to see the pony and is always wanting to go for a ride. She'd also like it if the pony would go faster. :rolleyes: First time she sat on a horse she was around 4 months old, and has been wanting back on them since. My 14 month old, however, would rather pat the horse than ride it.
 
If they seem to want to and you have something to plonk them on I don't see a problem with starting anytime after birth :) My 3-year-old has never showed an interest even though he has been up to the yard every day since birth and has had an opportunity or two to sit on a pony but didn't like it. When asked now if he wants to ride he says "Mummy do it". OH well, maybe he will go out with Daddy on Saturdays leaving me well alone :) little one (now 16 months) is very keen on horses though maybe he is a bit more interested will see. Or maybe it all changes? Who knows. HAVE FUN
 
OMG that pony (and toddler) are so cute. I never did tiny ponies with my big Daughter , she didnt get her 1st until she was 10. She thinks its very unfair that we are talking about ponies for little D. I am so looking forwards to doing the whole lead rein gymkhana thing - do trainers go with a flouncy hat? That said big D has already announced that she will have to lead for gymkhana races becasue I run like a mum - how rude.
 
i'm glad you all think they are sweet together, she is a bit addicted to him already!

I have to admit we dont take her to the yard every day because i dont want her to get board with it and also she wants to 'help' us muck out , we keep a young satllion and he is very good but i never allow her near the big horses on the floor, though she did once rush up to the afore mentioned entire while he was eating his dinnner and shreek 'hug Zaanif!!' and then threw her arms round his head while he had it in the bucket. lucky for me he stood stock still, then gently extracted himself from her grasp! but it goes to show that how ever carefull you are toddlers and any thing other than sainlty ponies should not mix.

I'm a bit scared about doing the lead rein showing thing to be honest, i have a pony that would be a super lead rein prospect, stunning little thing, but i have read so much negative stuff about showing ponies i'm rather dubious about the whole thing.

pic of pony , ( she's in foal to broadgrove showtime )...

pinky2.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top