wondered peoples thoughts of sitting a child on a youngster

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Griggster1990

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Just wondering as I dont agree but some people seem to think its ok. I talking about a yearling really and a small child being sat on it and walked around.
I;ve not done it (I dont have a horse yet) jut wondering.
 
Not a yearling no - but when daughter was 5 she sat on a 4 year 11hh pony for the first time - pony had done all the usual de-spooking and long reining and was good as gold.
 
I can understand where you're coming from, but I have always started "backing" mine from the day I get them. I don't mean getting on them and riding them, but my 2 year old that I have had since weaning is used to me standing on blocks to lean over him and groom the other side (no weight on him, but I am up above him), standing over him while he is laying down ( again no weight on him ever) and has had my son who is the same age as him sit on him once or twice. He is there for less than a minute and doesn't walk around, he just sits there to give him a stroke or brush his mane. Horse isn't at all bothered as he is used to me standing above him and has had a lightweight synthetic saddle placed on his back (not girthed up) - I'll probably get jumped on for this, but see it as part of his desensitisation/bomb proofing. He is out in his field for over 23hrs of his day and I don't see how 10 or 15 mins of his time to work with him is doing any harm. He isn't asked to work (would never lunge until older) or have weight on him (my son weighs no more than the horses rug does!) and now he'll be easy to back at 4 as he is so used to things going on above him.
 
Not on a yearling no, the horse needs to be able to carry weight if it's 1 stone or 10. The ground work will prepare the horses to carry weight physically. I've just started my youngster off a month ago & he's 3.5 yrs old, I'm only walking him at the moment.
 
We did the same as zoon with the exception of my daughter sitting on him (shes only 18months now) from when we got Jasper at 6months old. We've always lent on him chatting lonked things on him etc he was lightly backed at 3 and didn't bat an eyelid. he's now 4 and lack of saddle means we havnt done much more in the way of riding but now my daughter does sit on him (held) and he doesn't care even if she squeels/gets excited. I think its especially important as he's going to be her pony one day so needs to be ok with kids around him.

I dont know that i'd of sat her on him as a yearling because if nothing else he was quite weedy and coltish and i wouldn't of trusted him not to mess around!
 
When I worked in Italy we had 3 yearlings that were about 14-15h. We used to spend a lot of time messing about with them, getting them used to usual horsey things - grooming, picking up feet, leading round etc. We frequently put saddles on their backs, and the bosses 7yr old daughter used to lean over them. By 1 1/2 she could sit up on their backs and be led around the yard on them. They never took any harm, she was a lightweight child, and were so easy to break later. They were quite chunky at that point though, and strong enough to drag people around!
 
I do very similar to Zoon including standing over my foals and patting the other side of them over there backs, again no weight just desensitising, think its silly not to and then expect them to think its normal and 3.5 -4.
 
The Racing Industry regularly ride two year olds. In the USA people ride their leisure horses as 2 year olds, they think we are very strange to leave them until they are 4 and big and strong. I am not advodating working a two year old hard, but as part of the whole breaking and desensitizing process, sitting a lightweight child on a 2 year old isn't going to do it any harm at all.
 
dont really think its something i would do not because id be worried about hurting the horse, although i personally dont think anything should be sat on before 3, maybe leant over and patted yeah but definately no sat on, but from the point of view of its a baby horse and a small child, youngsters are unpredictable at the best of times even at 4-5 and why would you put a small child in a potentially dangerous situation just seems a ridiculas idea to me... and yes you might be walking with them and holding the child but still imo is a recipe for disaster!!
 
I wouldn't do it with a yearling - not just for the horse's wellbeing but also because I'm not sure you can expect predictable behaviour from horses that young. My two year old daughter has just started sitting on a four year old gelding who is generally as good as gold, and even he can have the odd coltish moment.

Like Zoon, I'm all for desensitising and familiarisation as early as possible though, else you can end up with something like my 4yo Clyde x who is far too big to have been left for so long (not by me, I hasten to add!)
 
Wouldn't worry about the horse really but putting a child on something that is not even backed seems kind of crazy! I would want them on or around quite predictable ponies. I see what people are saying just putting them on while held, well I suppose it depends on the individuals.
 
Never felt the need to do it with a yearling myself, but have with youngsters. Had daughters pony from a yearling, she first sat on briefly when she was 5 & pony 3, started backing properly when she was 6 & pony 4. Now 7 & 5 & the only person who's ever ridden her. She's also been the first jockey for two small ponies belonging to friends until ok for lr children, both of which were well handled. Plus had first sit on a friends well handled 3yr old cob pony, mainly cos she wanted to than because tiny jockey needed. Tbh, if a youngster is properly prepared, first sitting on shouldn't be an issue. Wouldn't use my child on a highly strung sports horse, not because they are more likely to freak at backing, but because they are more likely to prance etc handled from the ground whether or not they are being backed. It is possible to find small lightweight teens for shetlands, stockier 11hh ponies etc. But minis, very fine 11hh & under ponies etc you'd struggle to find anything but a child small enough. To have a first sit on & be led a few steps it isn't necessary to be able to school a horse to advanced or jump a 1.20 course. What is needed is a balanced independent seat & a confident relaxed attitude. It's the riding part that requires skill not the first sit.
 
we sold our youngster to our liveries. Well, he was my youngster and the livery pretty much bullied me until I sold him to him. Money went to my mother anyway. He was constantly interfering and getting in the way and I never had the chance to bond with him. Anyway, he is 2 in August, sharp and scatty and they regularly put their 15 month old child on him.

They know little about youngsters (oh but they read alot of books..) yet their 12 year old child rides a push button 12.3 and the girl who they loan said 12.3 from who rides a push button easy going horse are going to back him. Because next year the kid will be experienced from riding the 12.3 push button and the girl is having some riding lessons on her horse so she will be a brilliant rider by next year too didn't ya know...
Oh well, am leaving them to it.
 
im sorry but i have to disagree with some of the comments....every horse is different and we shouldnt label all youngsters as 'unpredictable' my youngster at first was an absolute nightmare, i couldnt catch him and he would rear on me in the field but 16 months later i trust him with my life....he is so calm and laid back and thats down to the amount of time i have spent with him and not that i would but if i did then i would quite happily sit my niece on his back!! every horse is unpredictable whether it be a youngster, 6 year old, 15 year old....its all about trust, if u dont have trust then you and the horse arent suited!! i was so close to selling my youngster until one day we just clicked and its been upwards since that day
 
Have no experience of youngsters (of the horse or child veriety!) but if I was putting a baby/small toddler on a young horses back I think I would worry about if the horse reacted (e.g if it reared up you'd have to pull the kid off of them and get them both out of the way) highly unlikely I know but I'm a worry wart lol!
 
Bought my daughter's welsh a at 2.5 years (October) - did nothing with him until around March (2 May foal) when she sat on him for the first time (she was just 5) - didn't do much that year apart from LOADS of in hand showing, but come new year 2012 he was rising 4 and we started affiliated showing - LR M&M - we did all the late winter/spring shows and he was fantastic - qualified for NPS, PUK, Equifest, Royal Welsh and London - then the rain started! We have done very little with him for the past 2 months and this week we have gone out and he has behaved impeccably at his first PC mini camp (3 days).

Thrown him out in the field tonight and the poor little chap now deserves a well earned rest until mid Aug when we are going to Equifest. Didn't bother going to the other champs as he is just not ready.

Very proud of the pair of them!

If he was a horse though I would have left all of the above another 6 months to a year later.
 
If I had a yearling, I would never let anyone sit on it, no matter how light they were! Seems so wrong and potentially dangerous.

Do agree with the desensitisation and putting things across the back, standing above, leaning a little but not sat on. Let them be babies x
 
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