What age to start?

lizzib

lizzib

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Joined
6 January 2010
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The Mendips
www.trailend.co.uk
What age is the best age to start children riding? I have a four year old...........and I was wondering if that is too young? What age to riding schools usually take them? I watched a kiddy beginners lesson the other day and I was quite suprised at the young age the kids appeared to be. I hadn`t really planned on doing any other with her until she was a bit older....... but now it's got me wondering.
 
i started at 2 and was keen from day 1! I think there is a 4 or 5yo age limit for most riding schools - ring to ask, some may have a website you could check too
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I started at 3 but not sure what age riding schools will accept now - the one I used to help at over 10 years ago used to children as young as 3 but just for a 1/2 hr walk not a lesson.

Guess you could ring and ask and see what they say.
 
oh goodness, I was thrown in a basket saddle before i could walk! My nieces are 4 and 7 and both of them have ridden since 3 but 'sat' for ages before that. Get 'em up there young - they love it as much as we do!
 
theres a little lad from scotland called sandy who jumps bsja around 90cms and hes only 5!! and i have to say he does ride not just sit there, he does have fab ponies though.
so get them young i say!!
 
We started daughter on ponies when she was bout 2 .As has been said riding schools have a restriction so we got a 9hh shetland for her.Made sense to do it that way as we were at yard anyway as at that time I had a horse.
Don't know if its helped as sitting on a horse for her is as natural as walking
 
I had just planned on her sitting for a bit and leading her around........... but sometimes it gives kids confidence to see others doing it too which is why I wondered about taking her to the riding school.

Hmmmm food for thought. I suppose I really need to stop thinking of her as "My baby" and get used to the fact that she is a little girl now! Thank goodness jodphurs come in pink these days!
 
My girls started riding at 2 and 3. Riding schools would not take them because of insurance issues. We bought a little 11hh dartmoor hill pony and then a sec A and just got them used to walking and trotting. My two year old used to drop off to sleep down the bridleways and we had to hold her on - she was hilarious. They are now 7 and 8. They still love it - go to pony club, gallop over the fields together and the little one will jump anything you point her at! It gets them out in the fresh air - they spend hours playing with sticks and mud and they are a dab hand at mucking out and haynets. They have a good grounding in handling the ponies even when they are a bit naughty. I think all in all it has been great for them so I would say it's never too early to start them! Hope this helps!!
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Most riding schools won't take them until 5 and to be honest earlier than that they won't get much benefit from a lesson as they won't have the strength to do much or the understanding to know what they are being asked to do.

However I started at 2, on a neighbour's shetland just walking and trotting round the lanes and fields. When I started they had a special shetland saddle with a little handle to make it easier and then when I had sorted my balance and grown a bit they got a proper saddle. I rode him until I was six and had sorted rising trot then I started having proper lessons.

Horse riding is terrific for kids and I do think that starting them early is good. My nephew started at 5 but I would have taken him younger if I'd had access to a suitable pony.
 
Well, I was roughly three months when I first starting hacking out! Cushion on the front of the saddle, baby carrying harness thingy to strap me to mum, and a bobble hat! Apparently I loved it - especially the cantering. Trotting wasn't so good - I hadn't quite mastered the rising bit at that age
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Perhaps not the safest but I'm 30 now and I think I'm normal (ish!)

My neice is now 6, she started on our little fallabella chappie when she was 3 or 4, would have been earlier if I'd still got my old Shetland as he was a complete saint. Basically the earlier they start the more natural it becomes but don't force it! Let them do as much or as little as they want and they'll love it. That's what mum did for me and I can't imagine life without my ponies now!
 
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