Horses and kids: How young is too young?

Today’s blog topic will be kind of a double hitter of sorts. It will be on my views of training horses ages 2-4, under saddle and when I think is the right time to start teaching kids to ride. They are more alike than you think!

To start, I think that people should start under saddle training when the horse is either four or older. This can apply for all disciplines of riding. I did some pretty extensive research on this topic and some of the results even surprised me. One of the reasons is that they may still be growing. The growth plates in their legs have not fully grown and matured enough to support a full grown person. Basically the weight of the person would kind of make the bones at the knee grind and wear against each other. One thing that I would advise about this is periodically get your horses legs/knees checked to see how developed they are. Always keep in mind that all horses develop at different speeds. For some they may not be completely physically ready by age four. Take Arabian horses for instance, they don’t fully mature until they are about six years of age. Also to add to the physical aspect, starting this early can lead a horse well on his or her way to a fairly uncomfortable disorder called sway-back, which is the equine form of lordosis. For those who don’t know, lordosis is where the middle part of the thoracic region of the spine begins to curve inward. This can be quite painful and there can be many complications for horses with this disorder. Things like saddle fit and more. Not only is there physical growing, but also mental. Colts and fillies undergo a lot of stress in those few short years and it may be too much for them to undergo that much mental pressure. It would be too much for their brain to handle. It would be like handing a three year old a drivers license and the keys to your car. Sounds wrong right?

Another important decision when it comes to horses is what age is ok for young kids to start learning to ride. Not too long ago my cousin that I have babysat since she was a baby and is now three years of age comes to me and says, “Lauren, when can I learn to ride just like you?” I tell her, “well you can come with me when I work with Daisy.” “No, I want to learn to ride like you and the big girls, all by myself!” she retorts in her spunky three year old attitude. This really got me thinking about when it would be ok to teach her. I have seen many a time when kids just aren’t ready to ride animals that are quadruple their size when I would help with the kids riding camps around the barn. I mean, who could blame them for being scared considering that most of them cannot even see over the kitchen counter, much less be expected to control a large animal. I think it is ok to let a three year old just tag along to see a horse that you ride, however I would suggest having an extra hand there as well as an extra set of eyes. Like with Daisy, I have let my cousin just sit on her because I know that my cousin is calm when on horses and Daisy would not react. I think it is a good chance for them to not only learn about horses, but also help them overcome any fear and to teach them that yelling, running, etc is not ok around horses. Again using my cousin as an example, she has been sitting on some of my horses since she was one. While she was on we would address any fear that she expressed, like if she would get nervous and start crying I would let her down, calm her, and then help her realize that she is ok when she is up there. She would want to get back on, but it had to be her choice. I did not make her do anything she did not want to. I believe that you should never force kids into any activity that they do not want to do.

Although I would have to say at least five years of age is ok to start teaching kids to really ride. I have found that five year olds have a better understanding of safety and size, even though you still have to keep a close eye on them. You also may need to be aware that if you get them riding too early, they may quickly change their mind. However, don’t just use age as a way of knowing that they are ready. Really question if this is something that they would really stick with because horses, even as a hobby are expensive. I have worked with five year olds that would say that they love horses and as soon as they got on, they would become very afraid. That is when you have to be very tactful in helping them overcome their fear. One thing that I could not stress any more is safety, so don’t cut any corners with children. A few years back around my home town a young girl was killed when she was trying to get her horse from the pasture and another horse kicked her in the head. Remember that children that age are the prime height to get badly hurt by horses that are unaware of the size of the person. Just imagine if you were that girl’s grandparents. Not only do they have to live with the loss of their grandchild, but also the fact that it was completely preventable. A lot of accidents that have ever happened with horses are very much preventable. Explain the importance of little things like always wearing a helmet or having an adult there when they ride.

So basically when it comes right down to it, growth and maturity are the main factors. Make sure that it is ok for you to start under saddle training for your horse and before you start teaching your kids that you know really well to ride, make sure that they are really ready for the adventure of horses.