I want my dad to get a horse for my niece and nephew because we grew up with horses, but they are only two and three so how old were you when you first started riding?
I was 6 when I started riding. My son was 1 1/2 when he started getting pony rides. I tried teaching him to really ride when he was 2 1/2 and on, but he didn't have the strength, coordination and attention span to really learn much until he was about 5. You might want to wait a couple years before getting the niece and nephew a pony. Between now and then, you can give them occasional pony rides on your horse.
I was 5 when I started riding lessons. They were walk only and on 11 hand ponies with a leader. I was about the size of a 3 year old, but we didn't do anything complicated. I really think that riding a horse should be very light at first and concentrate more on the position of the child. That way the child grows up learning the proper positions to ride. Once they are big enough to keep balanced on a moving horse you can graduate to a longe line. I would keep them walk trot until they are at least 8 or 9. The worst possible thing you can do is move them too fast through and have them fall off. Falling is a total confidence killer.
I started riding when I was 8,
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com I think people who have a horse from a young age are extremely lucky, However it can go both ways ... I believe the younger you have a horse the less appreciation you have to the fact that you have something not many people can own due to money, etc. But that isn't always the case and it can be a great experience for a child to grow up with responsibility and it allows them to grow a stronger bond with the animal in some ways ...
I just recently got my first horse at 15:)
Hey :-)
I was 'around' horses since I was about four years old, but they were all huge, so my parents didn't let me ride then until I was about eight years old. I helped out with the grooming and feeding and all that stuff before hand, though.
I think as long as there are other people riding them and taking care of them, not just the toddlers, they'll be fine. Obviously your niece and nephew cannot yet take on this responsibility, and you have to prepare yourself for the possibility that they might not like nor want horses.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
I hope this helped, good luck convincing them.
~ * ~ Megan ~ * ~
I started riding before I could walk. I was "born into" horses, because my mom had owned horses her entire life and so we had several when I was born. I don't remember learning to ride just because I always did. The problem with getting a kid that young a horse is that they aren't capable of caring for or training the horse. If they have a bad experience, they could lose the desire to ride for life. So if you do get a horse for them, first make sure that the horse will be cared for and occasionally ridden by someone other than toddlers. Make sure the horse/pony is also suitable for not only a complete beginner, but a toddler (who may throw a temper tantrum, have no balance, whatever).
The other issue with buying a horse for a child that young is that the child may not like horses forever. Since the kids' parents aren't horse people (I assume?), They're relying on your family to provide all of their riding experience. I know we had that issue with my cousins. Even though my mom and her brother (my uncle) grew up on a farm with horses, my mom was the only one who really loved to ride. All three of my cousins ( one close to my age, one close to my younger sister's age, and then a younger one) all "tried" to get into the horse thing, and it didn't work out for any of them. The two older ones were basically scared of horses and never really enjoyed it. The youngest one actually got into it for awhile and my mom even paid for her to take some lessons, loaned her one of our horses, brought her to her lessons and to our house to ride, was going to help her get into showing, etc. But her mom - my aunt - is terrified of horses and she had no family support, so it was difficult. Then she had a fall - not a terrible one, just your average freak fall - and that combined with the fact that her mother was in a panic and no one else in her family liked it basically made her get out of it. She hasn't ridden since. So if you buy a horse for these two kids, what's going to happen if they never really like it or if they decide in a few years that it's not their thing? Will you be stuck with it?
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
So in other words, kids that young can certainly ride (although you'd want to be careful about giving them actual lessons - they don't have the attention span or the ability to follow instructions that well), but there are no guarantees and you need to be careful and think through it carefully.
Why should your dad have to pay for the horse? It should be the decision of the parents, not the grandparents if the kids get their own horse.
I think the first time I rode was four but I really don't count pony rides as riding. The first time I really rode was 6 or 7 (it's been so long I don't remember) and got my first horse at 21.
