What is a pious age to start bringing your kids around horses?
I have two sons. one will be 4 in December and the other will be 3 in February. I currently own a really sweet, bombproof quarter pony gelding, who I know will make a great horse teacher for my kids. But, what age do you think I should start bringing them beside me to the barn? I have known people who own been around horses since they were 2, but I have also hear from some trainers that kids should not be introduced to horses until the age of 7 or so.
I am not talking about "riding" them yet, only just getting the used to being around horses and teaching them how to be safe around them and conceivably teaching them some of the basics of horse care, resembling letting them help me brush the pony and things like that.
What is your opinion? What age would be not dangerous to start?
Toddlers can be introduced to horses as soon as you want. They should be strictly supervised while near the animals at adjectives times though. I would never allow a toddler or very young child to walk around even the tamest most bombproof horse - you never know when the horse might requirement stomp a fly or something. I know lots of people who say that they don't remember NOT being around horses because their parents loved horses and brought the kids near them. The younger a child is introduced to something the less likely they are to develop a fear of it.
You should really step by maturity, not age. I would say, take them as soon as you be aware of they understand safety, and will listen to rules, and not question why they own to wear helmets (I would suggest them on the ground, too!). I think 7 is an OK age, but if any of them become seriously hooked on horses at an early age, it means they'll have more experience down the road. I get in to horses when i was 8, and I really wish i be introduced to them earlier!
Answers: Now! They are the perfect age to get started! I was born & raise with horses. My sisters & I had our own horses at 4yr. I think 7yr is wayyyy delayed if you have a good horse. Just my 2 cents
i think whenever you presume they will be ready to be around them
the first time i was ever really around a horse was when i be 6
but i have a friend who has been riding since she be three and she started jumping when she was four
if you do pilfer them to the barn though, make sure you tell them what they enjoy to do to be safe and watch them the whole time
My farrier's 3 year old daughter is running barrels on a horse already. But she's fearless and doesn't give somebody a lift any crap from anybody or from her horse. It's all about the maturity stratum and about how safe your horse is for the kids to be around.
My boyfriend has a 7 year dated daughter and a 5 year old son and I was a little apprehensive the first time they get to meet my then yearling QH gelding. But my horse was a champ, put his come first down at their shoulder level and walked right beside both of them without a problem. His horse is never a verbs for us. The "old man" as we call him loves kids and would never hurt one of them.
I would say around the age of 2/3 is a worthy age but supervise them carefully. You say your horse is totally bomb proof but are you children. They are at the right age for learning something like being around horses as they learn quickly at this age.
My daughters be around them from the time they were born. I now have grandsons. The youngest is 4, and he have been riding since he was 2, and helps to nurture and groom among other things...and he loves every bit of it. He has his own saddle which is a 10" seat on a quarter horse tree. His mother was showing ponies when she be 5.
Since you board your horse, it might be best to bring only one of your children with you at a time, so your full attention can be on that one child.
asap. as soon as they're ready, and you know they can behave around horses.
Being around horses? Infancy, in your arms, of course. Sitting on the back with support from you at the side - 2 or so. As for riding alone, that depends, on the kid and the horses (ponies) available. Leadline as soon as the child can hold himself upright. Riding proper, about 6, I guess. That's when I started taking module. The kid needs to be strong enough physically to steer the horse.
My two year old help me with chores, and she loves it. We do not board, however, and our own farm is much safer than a larger public facility would be. My daughter was purely a baby when she started sitting in the hay to watch me nurture, etc. Now she helps put hay in for the horses. She rides once in awhile next to us holding her and walking alongside, the other leading the horse. She is getting a saddle for Christmas, and we are still shopping for a riding helmet.
I started riding seriously when I was age five, to help near cattle work on my dad's ranch. I was big enough to fit my foot in the stirrups, hang on, and yell whether I needed help. I remember day-long cattle drives when I couldn't feel my feet at the bring to a close of the day, but if they'd made me stay home I woulda thrown a fit. I LOVED horses from afternoon one, and for me, I was never too young to ride.
I think a parent should be well-experienced contained by riding and handling the horse before they take a child around them. Use your own judgement. If your children follow directions and behave well, there's no idea they can't come with you to help around the pony. As for riding, it isn't a bad model to let them "sit" on the pony now and then. My daughter won't ride by herself for awhile on the other hand. We do have a gentle older mare for her, but my husband insists she is too elevated, and we are looking for a pony so if there are any accidents they hopefully won't enjoy quite the impact a farther fall might have. I knowledgeable on a 16 hand horse, though, and lived to tell about it. Fell rotten hundreds of times, never broke a bone.
Anyway, just use your best judgement for their safety. Make it a privelege for them to work with horses...a reward. That's how I've other looked at it.when I was a little kid, if I goofed sour, I got sent home.
Aww. Its great that your indroducing your kids to ponies.
Heres what i suggest. Maybe bring your kids into ponies presently.
You could maybe Let them learn how to groom them, love them. maybe sit on them. But i'd voice don't let them back untill 5 years. But if here mature enough, go for it! goodluck and quater ponies are brilliant for 1st ponys. I be brought in to horses when i was 3. which is fine if your ask me, and i learn to ride when i was 5 but fell of badly when i was 9, but in a minute im back riding. (:
Goodluck and take care.
Well I've have them at the barn since before they could walk. My old horse used to babysit one of my horsekids's in a minute 13 year old daughter with her in her newborn carrier attached to the crossties and my old horse just standing here ground tied (I showed her those pictures her last visit up.). Her mom had be telling her that her first "babysitter" was a horse, now she believes it!
The one item I would make sure you do is PLEASE keep track of your kids! Most moms do, but I have one horsekid who would bring her toddlers down to the barn and she'd go and ride and just LEAVE them there for other relations to watch.
Case in point, I know a now 23 yr out-of-date young man who's life was save by the same gelding that baby sat the kid a decade later. I was grooming him in preparation of saddle him and working him, when I asked him to move over, he refused. I elbowed him and got tough, but he didn't give an inch. Angry, I stepped rear into the tackroom and grabbed my lounge whip intending upon tapping him and making him move over. He saw me, and I finally notice he was "shaking", then looked under him and on the other side of the big horse, I saw the 2 yr behind the times toddler... I dropped the whip and hugged my old horse. He trusted me enough to discard and figured I'd figure it out. To this day, the immediately 23 yr old young man refers to my old horse as the horse who save his life.
By the way, the same childlike man we used to put on top of another baby sitter where he and outdated Mikey, would go find a corner in the arena and go to sleep... Being around horses should begin at any age as long as you have someone around to watch the youngsters!
They are your kids.
Don't consent to anybody's saying influence you. They don't know your kids like you do. If you trust them enough to be around your pony after take them! But if you feel it would be terrifying don't.
I have an idea that your boys are a good age to start right now. If you worry around keeping good track of two of them, you might want to take them one at a time until you get the ground rules established.
My son have been around horses his whole life. When he be small, it was just pony rides. He'd come with me while I worked surrounded by the barn, and once the horses were in stalls, he'd ride a tricycle in the aisle, or play next to sticks or whatever little boys think of to do. It has gone rather a long way in making my horses bombproof!
I started really teaching him to ride at 4 on a longe procession, but he was not able to make extremely much progress until he was about 6. I still think that time within the saddle was worthwhile for getting him to be at ease on a horse. We did a lot of trail rides where on earth he would ride the pony and I was on foot leading the pony. A walk for me, a trail ride for him.
Now my son is 7 and this year he has made huge progress: Since this spring, he has learned to canter and get 18". He joined a Pony Club and competed in mounted games, tetrathlon and show jumping (a course of ground poles). We can very soon both ride at the same time and we went on a long trail ride on Sunday, and he doesn't need a captain or line from my horse to his. It's nice to have riding as something we can do together. I hope he sticks with it.
