How to put your daughter off pony riding!

Nickles1973

Nickles1973

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Did something really stupid today and thought I ought to share. My 9 year old daughter has now got the pony bug big time. So today my YO offered to lend me her lovely 21 years young welshie to let my daughter have a go at riding. This wasn't her first time and she's pretty much mastered walk and trot independantly, but she does have a tendancy to balance on pony's mouth which I hate to see. So in my wisdom I thought it would be a good idea to give her a lesson on the lunge so that she could learn to balance herself without touching the reins. This started off really well with daughter getting into a really good rhythm and holding onto the balance strap with alternate hands. I was just building up to asking her to take both hand off and trot with hands on hat (as I remembered from my riding school lesson days!) when old pony decides he's had enough of trot and decides to give my little girl a go at his lovely bouncy canter! This is where it could have all gone very horribly wrong! Daughter panics, Screams MUMMY! I try to coax pony to slow down but he's got other ideas as screaming child is egging him on he thinks! Daughter panics some more and to my horror the saddle starts slipping to the side! I then run towards her and just manage to stop the pony and grab still crying child just before she hits the deck!! Neither of us had thought to check the girth before starting the lunging and little horror had obviously been blowing out some when I'd originally tightened his girth. Not a mistake I'll ever make again, but I'm still really annoyed with myself as it could have gone a lot worse! Bless her she got back on again after I'd straightened the saddle back up and rode round he school another couple of times before we called it a day. Lesson learned for both of us I think!
 
Well done her for getting back on. You'll both get over it - although she may not let you lunge her again!
 
Eeek! At least it didn't end in too many tears and I'm sure she'll be costing you a fortune in riding lessons, ponies and gear before too long!
 
There's a lot to be said for qualified BHS instructors and suitable Riding Schools and their Ponies !!
 
Bless her! It used to cost me £5 to bribe my daughter to get back on after a fall... until I wised up!!
 
Lol I won't be offering monetary bribes for getting back on!! Pony days and lessons cost enough as it is!! She's still keen on carrying on but I think I'll line up a lesson with my instructor for her next week.
 
nah, keep her keen - tell her that she cantered today! and very nearly stayed on! just that her saddle is very clean and thats why she slipped off ;)

Thats what I did with the kids at camp when they cantered, they were very pleased (cantered on leadrein progressed to mum running beside no leadrein!) and even when some of them fell off, they were pleased that they stayed on so much :p
 
abina said:
There's a lot to be said for qualified BHS instructors and suitable Riding Schools and their Ponies !!
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....... I agree to some extent, BUT saying that my husband suffered a fractured spine (4 vertebrae) when he came off - only going trot to walk, he landed without bending his knees :( That WAS at a BHS registered school with a registered instructor on a schoolmaster novice horse... He got back on and it was only the early hours of the following morning when he was literally screaming the house down in agony and I had to call an ambulance we realised he'd actually injured himself.

So it doesn't always work that way, And for what its worth the YO was not particularly interested when I informed her, as we'd left the site, she was VERY quick to point that out :/ (my husband was in a body brace for 10 weeks) I was NOT impressed and no longer ride there, preferring to own my own horse rather than be ripped off paying huge prices by a so called "professional"establishment. Hubby still has back pain to this day (never suffered before) and no, he didn't sue the school in question as he thinks people are too quick to pass blame and make a quick buck....

So I say this because things DO happen and this Mum has learnt a very valuable lesson and no harm done.
 
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abina said:
There's a lot to be said for qualified BHS instructors and suitable Riding Schools and their Ponies !!
Click to expand...

Swings and roundabouts. I taught my daughter myself, at home, on her own ponies. I didn't kill her and she came on quite nicely.

Taken literally, then yes, there is a lot to be said for the above but I get the impression that your comment is somewhat ambiguous and you aren't really saying just that at all.

Do you know what? It REALLY hacks me off when these snide comments get posted. If you have something to say, the jolly well say it straight out! It came across (to me, so this is my opinion only) as "serves you right for doing it yourself"

I'd like to bet that very many of us have been caught by a loosened girth at some point or other.
 
Ah, bless. No harm done and to be honest, who hasnt had an experience like this with ponies? I could write a book on what has happened to my daughter. Before long, you will be writing huge cheques for expensive horses, spending a fortune on gear, tack and lessons, and oh, eventing (or dressage or showjumping) entries. Enjoy it while you can, it gets expensive after that.
 
enfys said:
Do you know what? It REALLY hacks me off when these snide comments get posted. If you have something to say, the jolly well say it straight out! It came across (to me, so this is my opinion only) as "serves you right for doing it yourself"

I'd like to bet that very many of us have been caught by a loosened girth at some point or other.
Click to expand...

Totally agree, got some thing to say, say it out. I got caught out despite riding for years when I was in the early stages of my first pregnancy. My short term memory was shot to hell and I forgot to do up my girth when I was rushing for a lesson. I tried to throw myself in the saddle only to have it slip right around and I landed on the floor. Luckily my bombproof cob just looked at me as if to say, "Get up woman, you're making a show of me!".
 
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