You couldn't make it up

[trickishrose]

A girl from a local yard I know takes her 4yo out on hacks and canters everywhere, including jumping logs, hedges etc on a 16.2hh youngster, i feel sick everytime i see it!!

 

[RamblingRosa]

BuddysMum I saw this pair, they were out for four hours! Hopefully kids got back safely.

 

[Barnacle]

I saw this a few days ago and don't get me wrong it looks very stupid and risky - but I'm not sure the comments about the mother wearing the hat are warranted. You can easily imagine how she may already have been riding and been handed the child and it gradually escalated from standing still to cantering around with her never thinking that she needed to remove her hat to make a point!

 

[minkymoo]

I saw this a few days ago and don't get me wrong it looks very stupid and risky - but I'm not sure the comments about the mother wearing the hat are warranted. You can easily imagine how she may already have been riding and been handed the child and it gradually escalated from standing still to cantering around with her never thinking that she needed to remove her hat to make a point!

I'll bet that's what happened, but the point everyone is making is that no one thought to put a hat on the child! My daughter has sat on both my horse and a friends pony without a hat on, but being held both sides and I felt a bit stupid after doing that! And they were stationary!

 

[Equi]

I wasn't that shocked. I think it's more shocking seeing a child perched on a horse with no one holding it for a photo - and that's much more common.

 

[Cragrat]

Natural selection at work .

contender for the Darwin Award

 

[TigerTail]

contender for the Darwin Award

You and Goldenstar beat me to it!

 

[MagicMelon]

Oh dear, I have got a photo somewhere of me at a hunt meet with my son, who was about 18 months, sat on the saddle in front of me. No children were harmed. He has made it to 14 with no apparent side effects either. I wouldn't have jumped with him on there, we didn't even move, but really did none of you ever do anything slightly risky? Really not?

I think risks should be kept to a minimum when it comes to very young children. Personally I would never put my son (now 3) on a horse with me, I know how quickly things can go wrong. He has however been sat on a pony ever since he started sitting upright, but that was with us holding either side and even now at 3, I still have someone right beside him with their hand on his leg the whole time. So I guess, that's a risk to a degree but then anyone ever even going near a horse is taking a risk. I do find this video horrific.

 

[gmw]

I hope this stupid woman sees these comments. Its insane.

 

[Crugeran Celt]

The problem is the more she does this the more chance that something may go wrong, too late when the child has a nasty fall. Obviously the mother is very sure of her own ability and the temperament of her horse but still a risk to far for my liking.

 

[twiggy2]

I saw this a few days ago and don't get me wrong it looks very stupid and risky - but I'm not sure the comments about the mother wearing the hat are warranted. You can easily imagine how she may already have been riding and been handed the child and it gradually escalated from standing still to cantering around with her never thinking that she needed to remove her hat to make a point!

Nope I don't see how it can escalate to jumping with a young child perched in front of you even if the child had a hat.
the horse only has to trip and the child will e under its feet