# Teaching toddlers to ride



## magnoliamagnolia (5 March 2007)

Hi-

I have a three year-old daugther who's very excited about her new pony (I bought her a nice, aged shetland, good with kids).

Can anyone give me any advice on the best way to have these little ones ride? Her legs are so short and weak, I wonder if there are any tricks to keeping them secure in the saddle. One hears of kids not much old hunting on the leadline, so I thought maybe someone with experience could give some advice. How old do children need to be to ride on a leadline next to mum's horse?


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## giggles mum (5 March 2007)

At the riding school where I work, the instructor walks next to the pony on foot until the child is at least 6, ready to play "catcher" LOL! But being a BHS yard etc we're quite safety conscious so as long as child is secure they should be fine to ride and lead a little earlier.

Play round the world, ride without holding on, turn and stop etc. I tend to wait until they can stay pretty still in sitting trot before teaching rising as at 3 their legs aren't very strong anyway. Hope that helps.


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## Weezy (5 March 2007)

Hi and welcome 
	
	
		
		
	


	





It really does depend on the child - some have fantastic inbuilt coordination and balance and others just do NOT get it 
	
	
		
		
	


	




  I ahve one of each (they are 5 and 6 now) and they started riding a couple of years ago - just pottering around, and I will start them again this summer with PROPER lessons, not just staying on board.  The eldest is desperate to go hunting with me, but I do not think I will let him for a good while yet.  Once he can walk, trot, canter, change direction, STOP 100% unaided then I will take him on a leadrein.

At 3 I would just let her have fun pottering around, teach her that reins are NOT for balance (you MUST have a neck strap or a strap in front of the saddle for her to hold onto), how to stop and start and give her a good giggle doing some bumpy trot (with a helper alongside of course!)

Above all, have fun!


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## parsley (5 March 2007)

My daughter started riding at about this age (she is 5 now).  To begin with we just had fun with me leading her around, with one hand on her leg to start with.  She loved trotting, holding on to a piece of string tied across the front D rings of the saddle, doing around the world, stretching, touching her toes etc (she loved singing "head, shoulders knees and toes"!).  We have gradually done more as she has got stronger and now I give her more formal lessons sometimes where we think about legs and hand position, but keeping it fun.  Be aware though that even when they have found their balance they are still not very secure - the pony did a bit of a leap sideways recently and she fell off (luckily I was leading her and caught her as she fell!).  However, the pony she rides is a bit 13.2 so he is wide for her.

Have fun!


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## Imonone (5 March 2007)

Just let them have fun at this age.

As we found out with one of ours, if they have a mishap it can stay with them forever.


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## MissIndependance (5 March 2007)

This is really useful - my eldest daughter was 2 in dec and is always on at me about riding and it's good toget some ideas of what to do withher when she does get on board!


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## JessPickle (5 March 2007)

Someone at my yard just let them have fun really which is the best way to start.  It was always funny they would just go on a little walk up on a mini hack thing.  Then the kid decided he was bored of riding so he would say I am getting off now run all the way down the field with his mum on his 11hh trotting behind!!!


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## Agent XXX999 (5 March 2007)

I would sit them on and let them go as fast or as slow as they like, lots of encouragement and dont get technical at all. Just let them have fun. Make sure that they have a neck strap to hold on too or a strap on the front of the saddle. 

Have a small child at the moment who I am teaching to ride on an ancient welshie - we hack out, he loves trotting and has cantered a few strides (i collapsed on the floor...)


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## Christmas_Kate (5 March 2007)

Hi, my daughter is 2, and rides her shettie. I started her at 18 months, just sitting on a pony, and then went from there. 
I bought a thorowgood safari saddle and I can't rate them enough. The only problem we have is the sadle slipping on a flat backed shettie, so we use a chamois leather as a numnah. 
I lead and hold onto one leg and OH holds onto her other leg. After 10 minutes she gets off and stretches her legs then gets on again. 

My eldest (6) started riding at 5. He just had a couple of goes on someone elses pony and decided he loved it. I taught him myself, up to the stage of him now being able to ride off the LR in walk and trot. He has learnt exceptionally fast, because we havent done a thing in the school, we hack out all the time. I find that I am too over protective of him and he doesnt really listen to me, so we're going to get an instuctor over in the summer to teach him more. 
He is fully capable of riding off the lR hacking out, but I worry too much and just put a long Lead rein on him so he's in control but I still have a hold!! So it's ME holding him back 
	
	
		
		
	


	




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## juliebrewer (5 March 2007)

My little girl is  19 mths and loves her riding.  only about 15 mins or so at the moment.  Here is a pic of her on first hunt meet.  She seemed to enjoy the whole thing...


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## lotty73 (5 March 2007)

Hi, my youngest is 2 and3/4 and we have had our pony 6 months. In that time it is amazing how much stronger his back has got and he now has the ability to sit fairly well without needing to be held. I think the key is to make it really fun and to only ride for very short periods of time at first (much shorter than you would think) as it is extremely hard work for their little bodies!!


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## MissIndependance (6 March 2007)

Jubbily how cute is that pic!! Unfortunately despite having 40 odd horses here, my other half won't let our daughter ride yet as he thinks it's dangerous....I do sneakily let her ride round on my boy though. 

Not sure what other half thinks I'm going to do...Sit her on, slap the horse's ass and watch them go off into the sunset??!! Bless him!


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## sanda (6 March 2007)

Cute picture. 
I taught both my very little 2 and 3 yr olds by leading them and holding on to their leg at trot and canter. Its great if you have one who can canter in hand. My daughters 6 now and has fallen off at canter twice on her own but I get her back on and get the pony to canter in hand to get her confidence back
Its good exercise


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