Riding certain horses when you have children?

[blacksabbeth]

Would you ride horses who need backing or bringing on when you have a young child/children?I used to be brave enough to get on most soughts,within reason,lol.I have now noticed that since being a mum for the past two years i have certainly been a lot more aware of what kind of horse i get on,preferably a safe and sane horse.The only horse i have backed in this time is my own,and she was fantastic and till this day she still is,she does have her mad moments like a 4 year old does sometimes,but i just feel safe on her and know that when i ride her out and school her i know that i can ride her with confidence in knowing that she will bring me back to the yard for my lil boy,in other words have you ever noticed or become more aware of what kind of horse you ride now since having kids and if someone offers you to ride there horse you find yourself saying no more often?Only because thoughts are in the the back of your mind about your child and what if something did happen?Sorry if its a bit long,but just curious as to whether any other horsey parents get like this or am i just being a weirdo and over protective?cheers.

 

[treacle86]

I dont have children but i know what u mean , i would worry now going on some of the horses i have went on previously !!
friends and family have had some bad accidents over the years and as you get older you really appreciate that riding can be very dangerous , so its best to try and not take too many risks , like making sure u only go on horses you do know and trust .
i worry if anything major was to happen to me riding , about who would help me , look after me , and also worry about my family and who would help look after them if i was out of action !!lol

i have always been the one to go on the badly behaved horses before whereas nowadays i leave it for others to do !xxx

 

[blacksabbeth]

Exactly you hit the nail right on the head!!Thats what i was trying to say about who would care for them,etc.I know that i have got my partner but hes the earner out of me and him.I am very selective now and i do take a step back and think i used to do that,what a prat(no offense to anyone)!!!But i have also seen some parents who ride with young children not give two turds and ride either there horse or someone elses,it really has made me open my eyes.xx

 

[PucciNPoni]

I dont' have kids, but I am self employed - so that's my baby! And as it's a physical job I have to be fit enough to stand all day, lift, use my hands - and I am very cagey about what risks I'm willing to take while on a horse. When you're younger and have fewer responsibilities it's easy to be more reckless.

 

[Evelynmary]

Ahhh the slippery slope.....next it will jumping five bar gates or galloping flat out across the moor. Its called wisdom and comes with age!

 

[GLEEK]

I used to work in horse racing and gave it up once i had my daughter. Riding yearlings is nerve wracking at the best of times but knowing i had a little person depending on me at home made everything seem a lot worse.
Unfortunately i think as you get older you know you dont bounce as well as you used to!!

Also you are no longer carefree so you become much more aware of things that could habben or that are happening!!!

 

[dotty1]

I used to work with racehorses, breaking and riding out yearling, 2 and 3 year olds.(20 years ago) Didn't think anything of it. I am feeling a bit cross with myself at the moment as I have a homebred 3 year old to back this year and I will probably get someone else to do it.
I can't afford to get injured, being a single parent I need to go to work etc.
I think it would hurt too much to fall off now I am old!!!

 

[Hullabaloo]

I don't have an children, but I have become increasingly fussy about what I ride as I get older.
I was 40 when I bought my first horse and before that I would ride anything available and carried on doing it for a bit after I had Boo.
I remember my instructor saying to me that I'd spent all that money on a nice horse of my own so why was I still riding other people's sh*t. I decided she had a point as I would be so annoyed if I got injured riding someone else's horse and couldn't do anything with my own.

(ETA I don't mean everyone else's horses are sh*t

I do still ride other people's nice horses - I just won't ride the badly behaved ones anymore)

 

[alwaysbroke]

I have kids and yes I do think that I think twice about what I get on.
I am lucky as my OH is a riding instructor, I trust his opinion, if he things I can do it I will give it a go.
Have backed our homebred TB, with him doing all the work from the floor and I know he will keep hold of the horse if he should need to.
Have heard of people giving up jumping 'because of the kids', ok I never push myself out of my comfort zone, but wouldnt go as far as giving up jumping cos of kids.

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

I don't have kids, but I am not nearly as brave now as I used to be when I was a teenager and in my twenties.
I wouldn't take my TB hunting now, but 15 years ago, I hunted much sharper and madder horses twice a week. I think as you get older you become more aware of your mortality?

 

[nicelittle]

I have two kids, and I am cautious about what I ride.

However, I also feel that I am not getting any younger, and if I don't do it now I never will, so have recently started jumping again, and would to go cros country! But it must be noted that this is on a lovely horse that I trust.

 

[Vixxy]

For me with two kids, one with special needs it total depends what the horse is that needs rebacking or bringing on.

My head is well if it is on the ground a quiet fjording or cob I will have a go and have not yet failed. If it is a hot head on the ground, I just tip toe away quietly ;-) Since the kids and my illness getting worse I could easily be put up for chicken of the year lol!

My illness does effect my stickability though and I am ever mindful of that, I run my own business and my kids need me...Simply put I do not go out looking for trouble. She says with a horse who has a sugar and cereal intolerance and spring approaching baaahh!

 

[pixiebee]

i have a 5yr old and a 5month old baby-i have become much more aware recently as i couldnt look after my children or go on to do my choosen career-my degree would be a waste of time!! I have a tb and he can be tricky. but i def think about things before doing them now!