The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

<span class="threadTitle">3 year old & horses Safety ?'s</span>

3K views 23 replies 16 participants last post by  beverleyy 
#1 ·
<span class="threadTitle">3 year old & horses Safety ?'s</span>

So I have a 3 year old niece who is completely horse obsessed! It is all she talks about and she loves going out to see my boys. I am very concerned about her safety while she is out there and am looking for some advice on this. I do not have kids and well am at a loss sometimes with kids lol. She listens very well when we are out there and does everything I ask her to do. Which could be because I threatened to never bring her back out if she didn't listen. I do not allow her around my 2 year old gelding Cowboy as he still tends to be green and kind of jumpy. She spends most of her time around my 5 year old gelding Rowdy who is chill and the most he does is stop and looks.

She has been on Rowdy before a couple of times, all we did was walk around and she absolutely loved it. When she is on I always have an extra person that is walking beside her just in case. She is very well balanced in the saddle and actually carry's herself very well. The main reason for the extra person is that the saddle I have is for adults and she tends slip around a little and because I am currently searching for a helmet for her.

So now for the questions! lol

I have been looking into possibly getting her a pony to ride that is fully trained and that she could possibly do some small shows if she wants to or just ride around on the trails. Is it to early to get her a pony of her own? If so what age is appropriate for her first pony?

On the helmet about how long will she be able to wear one until I have to get another one? I know that she will be growing and I will have to continue to purchase her new helmets that fit but generally how long can a child wear there helmet before they out grow it?

If I don't get her a pony right now can I get saddles in children's sizes that will fit a horse? All the ones that I have found are for pony's and is what led me into possibly getting her a pony to ride.

She is a good kid and I want to give her the chances that I never had when I was younger. Any advice on any of this is welcome! Thank You:D
 
See less See more
  • Like
Reactions: ojzab and mslady254
#2 ·
I have been looking into possibly getting her a pony to ride that is fully trained and that she could possibly do some small shows if she wants to or just ride around on the trails. Is it to early to get her a pony of her own? If so what age is appropriate for her first pony?
"A fully trained pony" is hard to find and even harder to keep "fully trained" with only a little kid doing the riding. It's up to the parent to help A LOT so the pony doesn't learn that he can ignore the kid with impunity.

On the helmet about how long will she be able to wear one until I have to get another one? I know that she will be growing and I will have to continue to purchase her new helmets that fit but generally how long can a child wear there helmet before they out grow it?
When my son was three and got a pony, we went through a total of three helmets for growth related reasons.

If I don't get her a pony right now can I get saddles in children's sizes that will fit a horse? All the ones that I have found are for pony's and is what led me into possibly getting her a pony to ride.
The child saddle's on a horse work fine. Lightweight kid won't bother the horse unless the saddle is really misshapen to the horse.

She is a good kid and I want to give her the chances that I never had when I was younger. Any advice on any of this is welcome!
Get a little wheelbarrow and little shovel so you can have company cleaning stalls.
 
#3 ·
---

So I have a 3 year old niece who is completely horse obsessed! It is all she talks about and she loves going out to see my boys. I am very concerned about her safety while she is out there and am looking for some advice on this. I do not have kids and well am at a loss sometimes with kids lol. She listens very well when we are out there and does everything I ask her to do. Which could be because I threatened to never bring her back out if she didn't listen. I do not allow her around my 2 year old gelding Cowboy as he still tends to be green and kind of jumpy. She spends most of her time around my 5 year old gelding Rowdy who is chill and the most he does is stop and looks.

She has been on Rowdy before a couple of times, all we did was walk around and she absolutely loved it. When she is on I always have an extra person that is walking beside her just in case. She is very well balanced in the saddle and actually carry's herself very well. The main reason for the extra person is that the saddle I have is for adults and she tends slip around a little and because I am currently searching for a helmet for her.

So now for the questions! lol

I have been looking into possibly getting her a pony to ride that is fully trained and that she could possibly do some small shows if she wants to or just ride around on the trails. Is it to early to get her a pony of her own?Having put my son and his cousins on my big Saddlebred at an early age, AFTER his well trained pony threw him, I nix the pony idea. At least what pony means in my mind, lol

I would hunt for what I call a small horse. 13.3H to 14.2H so she won't have to tearfully sell it, when she outgrows it.


If so what age is appropriate for her first pony?i would worry more about the level of horse sense the horse has and how well it honestly likes children. My Arab/saddlebred was around 15.1H and my son was ten when I handed the reins over. I had raised/trained the horse from birth, he was in his late teens when my son went on neighborhood trail rides on him. My Morab was also in his late teens the time; sweet and loving as he was on the ground, I would have never put a child on him.

On the helmet about how long will she be able to wear one until I have to get another one?kids heads grow at different rates, hopefully someone else can help with that.

I know that she will be growing and I will have to continue to purchase her new helmets that fit but generally how long can a child wear there helmet before they out grow it?

If I don't get her a pony right now can I get saddles in children's sizes that will fit a horse? My Arab/Saddlebred was a lanky/athletic built horse. I bought my son a new "American Pony" brand saddle and put one of Sonny's spare cinches on it. That was clear back in 1983 lol

In this instance the saddle does not have to be a perfect fit, as long as it isn't pinching the horse. Just make sure the cinch fits.


All the ones that I have found are for pony's and is what led me into possibly getting her a pony to ride.Little Ponies are pig-headed. The pony I had was perfectly behaved as long as it could see me, even if that was half mile away. The minute I was out of view, she started her misbehavior. A kind-eyed, gentle by nature small horse is much better, IMO, even if it's training needs some refreshing


She is a good kid and I want to give her the chances that I never had when I was younger. Any advice on any of this is welcome! Thank You:D
:thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
  • Like
Reactions: KigerQueen
#4 ·
The pony's I was looking at where all around 13 to 13.2. I actually have a cousin who is well really short who could keep up the pony's training for me. He is the one who has helped me with Rowdy since he is unable to be ridden by full size adults for soundness reasons. If I do get a pony it will be next year. I have been looking to get an idea of how much they sell for. For now I will go ahead and get her a children's saddle to ride Rowdy in along with a helmet.

Also when I do get ready to buy a pony for her what some of the things I should look for in a pony and should I let her go with me to see the pony?

Thank you:)
 
#6 ·
---

the pony's i was looking at where all around 13 to 13.2. I actually have a cousin who is well really short who could keep up the pony's training for me. He is the one who has helped me with rowdy since he is unable to be ridden by full size adults for soundness reasons. If i do get a pony it will be next year. I have been looking to get an idea of how much they sell for.
if somebody knows what they have, good luck being able to afford the horse. I had an arab for 22 years that i rescued for $200, including his papers. I had no clue he would turn out to be such a great children's horse. There was no amount of money that could have bought him. I laid him to rest, at age 29, behind the barn, with a lot of tears. Even the vet was upset. You just never know which ad is going to turn out to be "the one"

you might want to start looking now, without seriously looking. You might stumble onto something when you least expect it.


for now i will go ahead and get her a children's saddle to ride rowdy in along with a helmet.

Also when i do get ready to buy a pony for her what some of the things i should look for in a pony and should i let her go with me to see the pony?i wouldn't take her, u til it was time to pick the horse up and bring it home. Children fall in love with everything they see. Believe me, the dark side of her, that you have never seen, will come out once you have looked at just one horse and said no --- lollol lol

thank you:)
---
 
#8 ·
Go to the tack store and take her with you.

--

I think 3 years old is too young for a pony. She can't really help with the upkeep and responsibilities involved. This is really a question about whether or not YOU want the burden of another animal. Considering that she's 3, you have to fully accept that she may just lose interest at any time.
 
#7 ·
I think it is a wonderful gesture on your part to indulge your niece's interest in horses but she is three years old! I think she is old enough to be around horses and basically get a "pony ride" with careful supervision but some things need to wait until a child is older and a bit more capable. it is difficult for a small child to not slip in a bigger saddle but I have seen five year olds grab the saddle and pull themselves back into place. A three year old can be so engrossed in being on a horse that they might not even be aware that they are losing their balance. I would keep things on the level that you are doing for now and see how she progresses. When my nephew was three I would put him up on a good quiet horse for a short ride but he really enjoyed helping out with the chores, even things like "picking up". I'd hand him the manure fork and man the wheel barrow and off we'd go. Of course it took three times as long with my helper but he enjoyed it.
 
#9 ·
I think for now that I will wait on the pony. Thinking that maybe at 5 I will look into getting her one. If she does at some point loose interest than I will look at re-homing the pony or using for several other younger family members. If the pony ends up living with me for the rest of its life that is ok to. For now I am going to concentrate on getting her a saddle and helmet.

She does like to help out with the maintenance no matter what it is. She even knows how much feed they each get! Lol She just likes being around them
 
  • Like
Reactions: mslady254
#10 ·
May I suggest looking into a Caspian pony?

We have a Caspian x QH that my daughter has been training since he was 2 and he is turning out to be an amazing horse for even inexperienced children, he positively melts at their touch.

According to the history of the Caspian breed, they were imported from Iran specifically because they made such gentle children's riding horses, with young children even being able to ride stallions. There are only about 5,000 of them in the world as they were almost extinct prior to discovery by a British lady.

What I can observe from the one we own, he is brave, intelligent, healthy, curious, calm and has a stomach and feet of steel. We have yet to find anything that spooks him. Many of them end up in rescues.

On our trail ride a couple of weeks ago, my daughter forgot to check her cinch and the saddle began slipping. (lesson learned)

All I heard behind me was a shrill "EEEKK!" and a thump. I turned around to see the horse, saddle under his belly, daughter between his legs on the ground, and the four year old, standing stock still, calmly looking at her like "well what are you doing down there?".

To my knowledge he had not been specifically desensitized to either a rider falling off or the feeling of an upside-down saddle hanging from his belly and yet he didn't freak out or move a muscle, he simply stood stock still.

My trainer's comment (who was also along for the ride) was that if every horse was like that, cars never would have been invented.

Anyway, when you are ready, a lot of these Caspians can be had for little money as they are on the smallish side and finding experienced riders to train them can be difficult. However, after we found someone to back him and teach him the basics, my daughter who is technically very correct rider in what she does but is still fairly green herself as far as more advanced cues, has been able to work with him without issue.

The bonus is they make great cart ponies if you train them to drive as they are strong so even if she outgrows the horse for riding, she could use it to drive. They don't look like "ponies" but small well proportioned Arabians.
 
#12 ·
Find a good broke pony or even an older horse, a kids horse may be easier to find. You can find good kids saddles made for horses, I see several on saddles for sale groups on Facebook.
I started riding when I was 3, yes my mom had to do all the upkeep and chores, but that's any adult who chooses to get a young child a horse/pony early. Right now she's probably fine getting pony rides. With her own saddle you could give little lessons on how to sit in the saddle properly and such.
 
#13 ·
3 is a good age when they actually start listening.

Still, I don't think that any 3 yr old is actually capable of learning how to control a pony. At that age it's mostly about feeling the movement of the horse and balance. So if an adult is controlling the horse anyways, it doesn't matter all that much how tall the horse is. The only advantage of a small pony at that age would be handling / leading / on the ground work.
When I learned riding, the youngest they would even take students was 8-10 yo, depending mostly on maturity. Before that, they would allow kids for vaulting.
Maybe lead line / lunging / vaulting on a horse that you already have would offset the need for a really small pony, so you could get one about 14hh when she's a little older.

I remember very clearly that when I was a kid riding wasn't actually the important bit. I just loved being around horses, brushing them, letting them graze, even mucking out.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#14 ·
Would a youth saddle be OK for her to use right now or do I need to get her a child size saddle? I have a friend who has a youth saddle that she will sell me. The one she uses right now is a size 17 endurance saddle so at least the youth will have a saddle horn for her to hold on to and she can grow into it. If she needs a children saddle I will probably go ahead and get the youth to have for her later.
 
#16 ·
I agree with the “small horse” assessment, as well as waiting to get a pony of her own. Right now she

That said, if you don’t mind the extra mouth to feed, is it possible you can free-lease a gentle, older horse who maybe has some health problems that prevent a lot of riding by a bigger rider, but who would be safe for her to learn on and just generally spend time with? Basically, a horse that enjoys children, but is pretty much walk/trot only? She can do a lot of grooming and horse care around the stable with you, and an older horse who maybe doesn’t get so much attention gets somebody to love up on him. You might even be able to find a local rescue who would allow you to foster a horse like that- some rescues do have programs like that where they will provide a stipend for medical care/feed too, but not all rescues are financially able to do that.

I know a lot of folks with older horses would love to keep an eye on their horse and never intend to sell, but also love to know he has a job to do and someone paying attention to him. That way you are also not investing big money into a horse that she may either outgrow or that she will lose interest in – in my area at least, ponies with show experience are extremely expensive and they are outgrown quickly.

At this point, lead-line would be about all she could do as far as shows, and she can do that just as easily on a horse as a pony.
 
#17 ·
The youth saddle is a 12 and the other saddle I was looking at was a 10 that the website said was for children aged 3 to 6.
 
#18 ·
I do know that good ponies are hard to find. But I had one of the best given to me years ago. She never kicked or bite. She lived to be 38 and was running the day before she died. We did not let anyone ride her after the age of 34. Keep your eyes open. You may find a great small horse or a really good pony. She may only be able to ride the pony for 10 years. Or she may lose interest and you may sale or keep it. There is always a market for a good pony. If you don't get in a hurry, you will have a better change at finding what you want. Good luck. And I have seen many children at that age ride in a ring with ponies and horses. Depends on the child and horse. Be careful and ride safe.
 
#20 ·
I think is a great respossability for a child to have his own pony/horse. I think it will be better to go with your niece somewhere where she can ride a pony...and when she will get older she can have a horse and I think she will be able to appreciate better this animal.
 
#22 ·
I'm with those that say look at personality before size. I think you would do well with a larger pony or small horse. 13.2 to even15 hand. AT that age in my experience it is about being able to stay on and enjoy the ride. A good older trail/lesson horse or pony that is used to following the leader can be worth their weight in gold. Around here there are several QH ponies that are passed from family to family for the youngsters to learn and get their seats on.
 
#23 ·
When my oldest son was 3 (in 1981!) I had two horses. Loki was a very calm gelding I'd had since the day he was born. He was the one I would allow my DH to ride. The other was nicknamed, "Neurotic," because he'd never been used outside an arena before I got him and simply did not know how to be a horse without those rails.

I'd bring my son with me to the stables every day to do the mucking and feeding, and I'd toss my son up on the "crazy" horse. No saddle, no helmet, no halter and lead. Rod was a totally different horse with that child on his back. Every step was taken with consideration, every movement slow and deliberate. That horse was a horrid, miserable ride but an absolutely fantastic babysitter.
 
#24 ·
Haven't read other replies.

I think it's wonderful that you're getting her involved in horses and would consider such a gesture to buy her a pony, BUT why is it your responsibility to do this? IMHO her parents should be responsible for helmets and other items of the sort. If she's riding your horses, yea have a spare on hand for her, but to always be upgrading the helmet for a growing child ...obviously I don't know the situation here, but IMHO the parent's should be doing this. Not to mention if you bought said pony, who's going to buy everything else for it?

Also, what happens if/when she is not as interested in riding and horses as she may be right now? That's now your pony/your responsibility - actually sounds like it already would be. Again, I feel like the financial and care side of that pony should be responsibility of the girl's parents. If you're buying yourself another horse, that's fine ...but to buy someone else a pony and be responsible for everything on top of that ...ehh, sounds like not a good idea.

This is obviously just my personal opinion as I do not know the situation, but just from the first post I guess I am not quite understanding why you would be paying for all this, vs. her parents.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top