Too Young To Ride?

[myasmummy]

hi everyone i was just wondering what a sensible age to start a child riding? my daughter will be 3 in April and i've been looking into buying her a pony to start her off getting her used to horses. im aware that riding schools dont allow children under 4 to ride, but obviously there are no rules when having your own horse as to what age to start a child riding. i was 9 when i started riding and i would love for my daughter to follow in my footsteps as a horse lover, she is already horse mad and loves visiting ponies in a field near us.
would just like to hear peoples opinions on children riding and what age is best to start?

 

[Tinypony]

I was 3 when I started riding. It was a really bad idea because it gave me an obsession that stayed with me for life. If you can live with that, then go for it, you will have fun!

 

[joeanne]

Never too young IMO. Mine have been on ponies since they could sit up and hold the handle on a cub saddle

 

[dibbin]

My little sister started when she was 3, she's 14 now with a pony on part loan. As Tinypony said, if you're ok with it becoming a lifelong obsession, then go for it

 

[Nat_in_Kent]

lol agree its a slippery downward spiral!!

I started my daughter when she was 2, just tottering round on shetlands etc, she started having actual instructional lessons at 5 and because she'd spent the last 3 years on board, her balance and confidence was sky high! never too young I say

shes now 7 and off the lead rein hacking/jumping etc on an angel pony that she has on loan ( in my sig...Tom), Ive vowed not to buy her anything until she has stopped growing though!

 

[Slightly Foxed]

My nephew's 11 months and has a basket saddle - he loves it!

 

[babymare]

my daughter had first pony when week old - not my idea - sat on him from when she could sit up - he was best pony dropped shoulder when had enough lol - now she is captain of uni team is beautiful quiet rider who just tunes in with horse - she knocks her self so much but i s a beautiful rider x never to young to learn to understand and love the horse x

 

[freckles22uk]

my daughter was first on one before she was born as I rode until the day before I had her..

but I think she first sat on one when was was about a year old, and started to 'ride' when she was 7ish, as there was a welsh pony at the yard that needed a jocky...

well 10 years later, and we still have the pony (who is now here in Spain with us) and Moonshine the horse we bred and that she has kept, has just joined her in the UK last week..(as she lives there now)

ps.... I started to ride regually at 8... but went for my first ride at 5..

 

[Tinypony]

I started riding in the bad old days. My instructor used to take me out on a little shetland for hacks on a lead rein, when I was 3 years old. We rode on roads, across fields, round residential streets, all over the place. In little cream jods with the baggy sides and a back velvet hat. We didn't have body protectors in those days, we were well 'ard!

 

[JenniferS]

I started late, when I was 10. I know people who started at 2 or 3 years old, but they've all got really bad knees and joints etc

 

[myasmummy]

thanks everyone, i would completly love it if she got addicted because i miss horses myself i havent ridden properly since before she was born so about 4 years ago and i miss being around horses so if she started the hobby id love it.
i have found a 12hh pony thats available for full loan, i was generally looking for a shetland, do you think 12hh is probably too big as a first pony?

 

[missyme10]

My daughter started at 4 and could walk, trot and canter and pop a wee jump with confidence by her 5th birthday.
She's now 9 and a good little jockey even though from 6-8 she hardly rode as we had the wrong pony for her.
Its soon turns into a life long obsession but I am so pleased as it is one love my daughter and I will always share, and its nice to have a hobby together x

 

[sueeltringham]

I started both of mine as soon as they could sit up -just sitting on my horse and riding around the yard.
Both started riding properly from 3, although my son was just not interested after a few months loaning a Shetland. On the other hand, my daughter was so keen we got her a mini-Shetland at 3 which she rode about once or twice a week, just for 10 minutes or so, longer some days for a picnic to the river. Mostly she loved bathing and grooming and dressing pony in ribbons and plaits! Fortunately pony loved this!

This summer she went to pony club rallies, and at 4 was one of the youngest there. She loved it and has developed so much confidence and balance she was whizzing around the field on her mini insisting on being off lead rein! My son (now 9) has now developed an interest in the current pony and taken up riding again. I try not to 'force' them, although I try to make them aware that ponies have to be looked after and encourage them to help with the jobs.
If they're young, most days they're not interested and I find they get cold really easily so we just try to 'go with the flow'!

 

[kiritiger]

I started late (aged 9) but bugged my (very non-horsey) parents for lessons for at least 2 or 3 years before they actually gave in (and my Dad got a promotion so they could afford it ). Personally I think riding is one of those sports which you can start at pretty much any age, that's the beauty of it

 

[zoelouisem]

I would get something smaller really my daughter outgrew the abilities of her first lead rein pony last year so she went on loan and i got an 12.2 and she really struggled not because the pony was really naughty but she just didnt have the strengh with her and she got scared shes now back on an 11.2 and having great fun!! Jumping competing doing XC riding on the beach. SHes 6 1/2 now. I know for the immediate future youll lead your daughter but soon shell want to go off the lead and you might start running into problems, and its heartbreaking parting with ponies.

 

[Honey08]

The child we're discussing is 3 in April, so is just over two and a half now. She's not going to be able to do anything like ride - even on a leadrein - for a couple of years. All you'd be doing with her is popping her on, holding her up, and leading her around for short periods of time. So I'd say get a larger pony/cob that YOU can ride, and pop her on that from time to time - believe me she will quickly get bored at that age, and be happy with just that. Then when she is 5/6, and a bit stronger, get a small pony that she will be able to learn to control herself...

 

[callysplace]

Start them young, both my girls have graduated from "saint" Tiny onto larger animals....mainly my lads

Be aware that badgering mother for a turn on her 16 hh beast becomes common everyday occurrence, also be prepared for the hoss that likes nothing more to ditch you in stinging nettles (cause he can) turn into some type of super nanny animal that should appear on poster ads for RDA. Watch your whipper snappers gain superior smirk on their face as they trot past mentioning in simpering tones that all Hoss needed was them to fetch out his best.........come to think of it buy him/her a barbie doll/action man and tell them all hoss's are evil, you can then hold on to your dignity.........mine flitted ten miles east of Doncaster last spring

 

[xxMozlarxx]

Hats?? Remember when they just had elastic round the chin?? I used to ride as a young mum with my baby son clutched monkeylike in front of me, very naughty and unsafe looking back.

 

[callysplace]

Hats?? Remember when they just had elastic round the chin?? I used to ride as a young mum with my baby son clutched monkeylike in front of me, very naughty and unsafe looking back.

Elastic round the chin!! what upmarket shop did you get your hats from Mine came from bloke down the road, it was his daughters who gave up riding twenty year ago, only had four falls in it. I felt the dent and loss of ribbons on back made me look like a hard core, experienced rider, not some eight year old novice prat that bounced around in saddle like a monkey on acid

Looking back now I have shivers down my spine at how un bothered we all were about safety.

 

[xxMozlarxx]

Ah... but I didnt say I had one.... I just remember when they had elastic round the chin!! I did have those big baggy jods though!!

 

[Nat_in_Kent]

I wouldnt loan something for her now, esp a 12hhander.

At just under 3, i took my daughter up to a friends yard and plonked her on a shetland for a 5minute toddle round twice a week, and that was more than enough for her at that age. to take on a full loan of a pony you cant ride just for her to sit on is gonna be a lot of expense and money for you, when theres loads of redundant outgrown shetlands around that most people would love to have youre daughter on a couple of times a week in return for a flick over with a brush! ask around or put a wanted ad up in local tack shops, no doubt someone will have something suitable doing nothing in a field somewhere