TicTac
Well-Known Member
Today I witnessed a petite 8 year old girl with less than a year's riding experience, fall off a pony at our yard that she had come to try with a view to buy and break her upper arm quite badly.
I was actually quite shocked by the whole incident and witnessed it from my field where I was poo picking. The mother, riding instructor, small girl and her sister came to view the pony this afternoon knowing full well that the pony had not been ridden for the last 3 weeks due to the weather etc. Our manege is a sand and fibre mix and is generally good natured except in very cold weather when it freezes rock solid. Not only that but it takes days to return to normal going through a lake stage which it was at yesterday. so today was the first time that it was useable.
The perspective buyers were made fully aware that the pony would be fresh so the older girl rode the pony first and I have to say that she didn;t ride very well. She then got off and put her small sister on ( who the pony is intended for) and did a couple of circuits of walk leading her. Next thing, the older sister starts running with the pony and makes her canter. Small child ontop starts bouncing and loosing her balance. Pony then starts bucking wildly and small child is flung off landing on her side. She let out one hell of a scream, as you would if you broke a bone and the mother just shouted at the child to stop crying and get back on the pony!
Anyway, entourage finally realised that small child was injured and left in a hurry to go to A & E.
The pony owner text me this evening to say that the child had broken her arm but that she still wanted the pony and she is being vetted next week!
I was actually quite shocked by the whole incident and witnessed it from my field where I was poo picking. The mother, riding instructor, small girl and her sister came to view the pony this afternoon knowing full well that the pony had not been ridden for the last 3 weeks due to the weather etc. Our manege is a sand and fibre mix and is generally good natured except in very cold weather when it freezes rock solid. Not only that but it takes days to return to normal going through a lake stage which it was at yesterday. so today was the first time that it was useable.
The perspective buyers were made fully aware that the pony would be fresh so the older girl rode the pony first and I have to say that she didn;t ride very well. She then got off and put her small sister on ( who the pony is intended for) and did a couple of circuits of walk leading her. Next thing, the older sister starts running with the pony and makes her canter. Small child ontop starts bouncing and loosing her balance. Pony then starts bucking wildly and small child is flung off landing on her side. She let out one hell of a scream, as you would if you broke a bone and the mother just shouted at the child to stop crying and get back on the pony!
Anyway, entourage finally realised that small child was injured and left in a hurry to go to A & E.
The pony owner text me this evening to say that the child had broken her arm but that she still wanted the pony and she is being vetted next week!
