Kids & ponies - should I just accept they'd rather play football..?!

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diddy

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Hi everyone,

There's been quite a lot of posts recently about children and ponies - but hopefully if you've opened this you don't mind reading yet another one!

I have 3 primary-age children and have been trying to get them interested in the horses, but it's just not working! My oldest 2 had lessons when they were small and one of them is a good little rider - she did PC for a while but really didn't enjoy it (& to be fair people weren't overly friendly if I'm honest!) so we stopped going. My youngest one (who's 6) has had a potter around on one of the little ponies but can take it or leave it.

I just keep thinking if I went about it in the right way, I might at least get one of them a bit interested! Although I'm more than happy to spend time watching their football matches, ferry them to brownies etc., it would be so nice to have someone to share my hobby with as well :)

Just wondering if I should just let it go, accept they have their own interests and be grateful that I have an OH who doesn't mind me leaving them with him while I disappear for a couple of hours at the weekend. Or d'you think it would be worth giving it one more try - perhaps getting them some lessons so they can begin to do more of the cool stuff (i.e. going a bit faster and jumping!).

Did all those of you with horsey kids just take advantage of their natural interest or did you use a bit of encouragement (and bribery - am open to anything!)..?

All thoughts gratefully received. Should add I'm not a pushy mum, honest, just think we're all missing out a bit on stuff we could do together :)

Diddy. x
 
TBH, I'd let it go until they actually ask if they can ride themselves disappointing although that may be to you. You can't force someone to like something, it's a sure way to alienate them especially at that age, I know, I did it and it didn't work, son veered well away from ponies and only now is thinking about having lessons so he can ride with partner (he's 38 now!).
 
You can't make someone enjoy something. And the more your push the more it will seem like a chore. I'd try a bit of reverse pychology and tell them they can't ride. My brother was similar, mum tried desperatly hard to get him riding he's good at it but doesn't enjoy it. He rock climbs instead now.

When/if they do get back on, let them play mounted games, make it a bit competitive for them. Have them doing races etc. Maybe have some friends round so they can do it together, more fun that way.
 
I'd ask them but be prepared to let them do their own thing. My daughter has always ridden & been round them & its me that encourages her to do other stuff too, swimming, dancing, choir, brownies etc as I was determined she didn't get into horses just because it was habit, but its fair to say she's pony mad. I have two friends who both have a pony mad kid each & one not interested, despite being raised the same. The two uninterested ones still like going to the yard to play & a few times a year ask to ride but their siblings are as obsessed as my daughter. I think you could ask yours if they want lessons, or if there's anything they think would be fun but I think if they're interested its obvious. Mines 7 & will choose to just go & feed & check her pony, over playing with friends. Did have to bribe her to continue swimming lessons though as she would rather ride. I think they show an interest themselves really, mines always wanted to groom etc by herself, & will ask to learn how to eg plait, bandage, clip etc.
 
I would also agree to just let them do their other interests if they want to.

At one riding school I worked at their was the sweetest little girl whose mum forced her to ride as she used to ride when she was little. The little firl actually hated ponies and would cry before she got on but once onboard would gain her confidence.

We had to refuse teaching her in the end as one particular day she was in such a state. Crying hysterically and pleading with her mum that she didn't want to ride. Was really heartbreaking to watch as she was in such a state but her mum couldn't careless and shouted at her. It ended up with the poor little girl being dragged off the yard by mum saying 'that's it your never coming again' to which her daughter replied 'good, I don't want to ride'

But low and behold the next week there they were again! Child tears eyed and mother shouting! We had to turn them away as it would have upset the ponies too much.

Did make me wonder why her mum forced her so much, was it just so she could tell her friends that her daughter rides?

I'm not suggesting this is what you are doing by the way! I don't have children but if I did I would want them too ride so see why you perceiver so much but if they aren't interested there's not much you can do.
 
If it were me I'd get them some polocrosse kit (or borrow / take to PC rally)

This is a game combined with ponies, and is enough to appeal to your footballers. Children understand games, but often cannot see the point in just sitting on the ponies!

Plus with 3 you have a section to play!

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Hi everyone,

Thank you for your replies. I should be working but this is much more interesting! Maesfen - that's a bit longer than I was hoping to wait but good to know they come round eventually :)

Gina/Jen- what a brilliant idea! We've done the odd bending race etc. but I never thought of doing something with balls too. Am off to look up some more info :D

Littlelegs - it's so nice that your daughter is into her ponies. I also had to bribe mine into swimming lessons with a visit to the vending machine after - ruddy expensive evening that turned out to be every week!

T-on-D - that is really awful :( It makes you wonder what's going on in people's heads sometimes! I've also seen some nightmare pony parents in my time and hasten to add I'm not one of those. At least I don't think I am - ask my kids perhaps! It's not just horsey parents - some of the comments you hear people making at a Saturday morning football match for the under-10s make me :eek:

Right must get back to work :)

Diddy x
 
Let it go, don't waste your money on it. They will soon let you know if they aren't happy with it. Be thankful you can park them with your husband whilst you get a bit of time to yourself at the weekend, a lot of women don't have that option available to them.

I stopped my younger daughters lessons aged about 6, I felt she wasn't that bothered either way, unlike the older one who was mad keen and it was the best day of the week as far as she was concerned. Fast forward about 10 years to now, and it is the younger one who rides and helps the most. Because she genuinely wants to do stuff with the ponies. The changing point for us was getting a loan pony which they could really potter about with rather than the riding school type stuff they had been doing before. The difference between you and me though is that there was no pre-existing horse. Back then, I was actually saying no, we don't want to do this (because they take up all your spare time and money LOL).

The older one is now almost 18 and parties and "life" have kicked in and take up most of her free time, but she does still enjoy riding and managed to get out for a hack about once a fortnight of her own free will, whereas most of her horsey school friends (whose mothers pushed them through PC teams and other fairly heavy duty competitive stuff) have totally stopped riding now. I have never pushed it, they have only had to do what they wanted to, they did local shows rather than serious affiliated stuff, which as a long term pleasurable hobby for them seems to have paid off. This is how me and my girls spend our time together hanging out, so I do understand why you would so like them to join you x
 
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