pony mad children

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Seahorse

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Who on here has children that don't like horses?
My 6 year old daughter has been around horses since she was born, the first place I took her to when she was 4 days old was the yard and sat her on her pony for the first time that day too!!
She was ok when she was small but as she's got older she thinks horses are boring and has no interest in riding at all.
She loves Axey and when I have to drag her to the yard with me she will help me muck out and she grooms him occasionally but other than that has no interest whatsoever.
Not that I mind actually!!

Is she the only one or are there others like her?
 
No yours isn't the only one.

I was a horse mad kid and now my eldest daughter (15) is horsemad, but my younger one (12) isn't at all.

They started to learn to ride when they were about 6 and 8 and the younger one was never as keen. THen when they were about 9 and 11 we got our first pony and again she was happy to ride sometimes but not fussed. Anyway, nowadays she rides my horse occasionally and likes to sweep the yard, but she no longer has her own pony and is really into gym and dance.
 
My son is not horsey at all. He will lead FB to turnout or bring in and he will help me with feeds and hay but he regards horses as 'big, smelly things'! He is seventeen now, but has never shown any interest at all.
 
My eldest daughter was horsemad until 16 when she discovered drink, parties and boys etc. my youngest learnt to ride and was quite competent but never that interested. She will ride if its sunny, nothing on TV and the winds in the right direction
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My 3 year old son already says 'oh no, not horses', but I think his dad has been coaching him. He went up to the yard most days from the age of 6 weeks until his sisters were born. The twins do get excited about horses but they are only 2........I've decided that I'll not buy a pony for them unless they beg.......a lot.
 
my 12 year old son tried riding but just wasnt interested.hes now into rugby and skateboarding and im now quite relieved .couldnt cope with another horse
 
I have two super ponies who never get ridden. If I get one out and tacked up he's not interested and would rather make s¤»t castles on the muck heap, but when I can't catch the fat little buggers he's wants them in. Just hoping my youngest will eventually show interest.
I'm even considering selling the one we bought for him to show its such a shame.
 
I've got three children, two girls 12 & 9 & a boy aged 7. The middle one Hannah has a pony & is as obsessed as me!

My eldest only rides my horse when it's really hot & I've already ridden him so he's knackered as she is quite nervous.

My little lad said he was going to ride Hannah's pony a few weeks ago, I was really excited & found him some johds/boots etc but when I tried to give him a leg up he suddenly changed his mind!

Never mind... it costs me so much for just one doing pony club & any other show she fancies!
 
I've seen so many children born into horsey families, who show no real interest in ponies - much to their parents' frustration.

I reckon the best thing to do is let them come to it in their own time, don't try and force it. If you try to pressure them they tend to rebel, but if you leave them to it often they come round in their own good time.

I had to send my daughter to someone else for lessons (despite being a reg'd instructor), because I felt was pushing her too hard and expecting too much, and I could see it was putting her off a bit. She was much better under someone else's instruction, she listened more and took it at her own pace - now is mad keen and can't keep her away!
 
Entirely agree with that AnnieD, thats really good advice, i also believe that to be true, im from a non horsey family and was lucky enough to marry into a farming family, i met my husband through my horses, and found many of the horsey families we know have non horsey kids, i dont agree with pushing my kids into it although i believe in creating the opportunity to be interested.

I had a disagreement with someone on here quite a while back about owning ponies for children who wernt horsey mad kids, I appreciate its not possible for many families, but IMO whilst i have the room, time and finances to keep such pony its better to do that and it get ridden half a dozen times a year than book lessons at a riding school, have a massive row trying to get him there, and then him to not want to ride at that time, or on the other hand try to sit him on something of mine by far unsuitable and scare him half to death.
My son loves trying to help but as most 3 yr old boys has the concentration span of a nat, or wants to help at the least convinient times like when im trying to take the mare and foal out, which is why instead of just down and out refusing to let him help, i get him his pony to drag about (not literally). He has learnt so much respect for animals just by being able to interact with this old, fat, funny looking little pony that he loves and can call his own that any child will ever do having a lesson at a riding school from time to time, he may not want to ride him right now but he has a real sense of reponsibility when he is told that his pony needs a brush its lovely to see, and the fantastic thing about kids is that they have no fear, with the right pony to instill a true sense of security its great experience for the future. Every child should have the opportunity to share a cuddle with a pony from time to time, its heartwarming for a horsy mad parent.
 
What you need to do is borrow a horse mad one!

Horse mad kids never have horsey parents, horsey parents often don't have horsey kids.

Our nextdoor neighbour loved horses, her daughter had one, but her son wasn't interested at all so she borrowed me to ride the pony while her daughter was riding the horse. Suited me, my parents didn't like horses. Sadly when I outgrew him I had to go to a riding school where I would be constantly envious of the kids whose parents pushed them to ride and bought them fab jumping ponies that they didn't really want........
 
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