Would you let your child??

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Keltic

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Ride without a hat??

Today as i was mucking out i looked down the drive to the lane that leads to the bridle path and saw a woman leading her horse and her daughter (11 years old) riding her pony in a headcollar and leadropes a saddle on but no hat!! I stood and watched, the mum was letting her horse graze on the verge area her daughter said she was carrying on and went through the gate and across the next 2 fields so way out of sight, her mum stood the whole time with her back towards her and then walked off the other way!! (they keep the horses futher up the rd)
I was astounded! I did keep an eye on her and made sure she was ok....
 
Never!

Husband has lifted our then 1 year old onto Welsh A's back but he held him the whole time.

Equally I never ever ride without a hat!
 
I hold my 3 year on my pony without a hat
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but probably shouldn't, whilst somebody else leads the pony.

If she was riding 'properly', then no way would I let her ride without.

I don't let my 7 yr old because I wouldn't be able to drag her off, she always has a hat on.
 
TBH I think we have all done the holding the child on! Im really meaning riding on the rd or hacking out etc.. ok I know its not a busy lane she was on but what if pony slipped or spooked etc??
 
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TBH I think we have all done the holding the child on! Im really meaning riding on the rd or hacking out etc.. ok I know its not a busy lane she was on but what if pony slipped or spooked etc??

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In that case then, absolutely not
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I never ride without a hat myself, well, apart from the time I had my woolly hat on. I rode in the school, got off and touched my hat, only then did I realise I didn't have my hard hat on
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I did feel stupid
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it's actually illegal for a child under the age of 14 to ride on the roads without a hat,not to mention downright irresponsible to even consider it.Some people really shouldn't have kids!
 
Isn't it illegal to ride on the roads without a hat if you are under 16?

And I NEVER ride without a hat, I'm 15

I remember at a yard we used to be at, a girl, probably about 19, was riding her horse down to the field bareback, she didn't have a hat on, she used to do this very often and nothing happened, until one day the horse spooked and she fell off on concrete, she hit her head and was quite hurt
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Crazy ! Always make my children wear a hat . However see lots of examples of stupid parents with one child even jumping without a hat !!
 
Most of the mums at the RS whose kids have their own ponies won't even let them ride without their body protectors, let alone hats! It's a yard rule anyway, no-one is allowed on hatless and under-16s have to wear a hat the whole time they're around the ponies, on board or not. I would never ride without a hat, so I'd certainly never let a child do so!
 
Yes it is against the law for a child under 16 to ride on public roads without a hat.
My very good friend was killed on the roads when we were both 12yrs old - we did have hats on but 30yrs ago they were not what they are today by any shot - so all in tense and purposes it was like riding without protective headgear, if people could see the horrific injuries caused by falling on the road (and those images will never leave me ) to the head and face they were never even consider being near a horse without pritective gear on - riding without a hat - just plain stupid - you only have one head and one brain it's just not worth it.
 
It's definitely in the Highway Code that children 14 years and under MUST wear a suitable hard hat when riding on the road.

Seems like common sense to me, though. Silly woman. No matter how quiet the pony... none are 100% bomb proof. Not really. Too complacent with the child's safety IMO
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I would say no but when I was a kid I used to catch my pony in the field, jump on him (with no hat on me!) and canter him back to the stables!!!
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I guess your views change as you get older and realise the dangers so, in this case the mother should have known better but if it had just been a child on their own on their own pony then it's tricky. Although if on the road then it is rather dangerous.

Still, then again I have also hacked out without a hat on before - forgot it - to be honest i didn't think much of it but, as I say things change as you get older don't they.
 
I wouldn't and I was never allowed to ride without a hat, however I didn't do as I was told and frequently got my ponies in by riding them bareback, hatless - much to my mums despair.

Then I did land on my head once with a hat on and concussed myself and learnt my lesson!
 
Seeing as my children have always ridden in a hat, its just becomes automatic - you don't think twice about putting it on before you get on, like putting your seatbelt on - its an automatic response when you get in the car. So, I can't understand how the situation arises where a child gets on to go for a hack without a hat!

And in this weather I bet her head was cold too!
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NEVER!! Iv never ridden without a hat in 20 years of riding , although did forget once aged 13 & was sat in the indoor school on my 22yo schoolmaster gelding. Boy did i get a row when i was spotted! honest mistake but never again!
 
As a child I never wore a hat but times have changed. I agree with blackhorseandothers, hats then were rubbish and not worth wearing (although didn't know that then), roads were nowhere near as fast or as busy, horses were, for some reason, generally better behaved and far less spooky. I think the attitudes then were much more relaxed around horses but looking back I am surprised there were not far more serious/fatal accidents. I couldn't imagine allowing my 18 yo daughter to have ever ridden without her hat and simplywould not allow it - no hat, no ride! I only hope that for her sake the mother never finds out why hats are just so crucial!
 
I think we all agree that we did it, but as adults we know the dangers so we don't allow it.... but then we have adults that hack out here without bothering to wear one. They are obviously so good they could never fall off. Or complete twats.
 
No I wouldnt let a child ride without a hat. I sometimes school with my baseball hat on, but I am an adult and it is my choice. However, I never rode my previous mare without my hat firmly planted on!
 
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