Should A Child Buy A Pony?

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 12:33

Many children dream of a pony and constantly ask and beg their parents to buy them one. If your child has turned to you with such a request, you may think about fulfilling his desire. After all, a pony can be a wonderful companion for a child. A pony can teach him many useful things.

Experts believe that children who ride a horse develop many useful qualities, such as discipline, responsibility, self-confidence, the ability to make friends and take care of another creature, etc. They learn to control their bodies and improve their health.

Sure, a pony can have a positive impact on your child, but a good relationship between a child and his pet does not add up overnight. Therefore, parents need to do a lot of educational work before they buy a pony for their child. Below are some tips you can use to help your child become truly friends with their pony.

Choose the right pony

Choose a pony that is the right size and fit for your child, based on age, weight and experience. Usually children around 5-7 years old get along well with such medium-sized ponies as Shetland and Welsh ponies, and children 11-12 years old can already cope with larger breeds, for example, the Connemara.

Small ponies do not scare small children as much as larger ponies and regular horses. They are easier to care for. The smaller rider's short legs can better wrap around the pony's sides, providing better balance and greater safety. Small ponies are easier to control under the saddle and the rider is closer to the ground for a relatively safe fall.

Look for ponies with good temper. The younger the child, the more mature and experienced the pony should be. For most children, a pony around the age of 5-10 will work. Experts advise using the “rule of twenty” when choosing a pony's age: the age of your child, added to the age of the pony, should add up to twenty.

Get started with riding lessons

Before buying a pony, enroll your child in a local club where he can learn the basics of horse riding and how to handle an animal. Classes will help him gain invaluable experience, evaluate his strength and decide whether he really wants his own pony.

Pay attention to the outfit of the little rider

Before your child gets close to the pony, you must buy him a special protective helmet, without which he should never approach the animal. Many children are very seriously injured, sometimes fatal, just sitting on a pony in the yard. One fall can lead to very serious injuries to the head, neck and spine.

In addition to the helmet, you should buy special lace-up leather boots that wrap around the ankle and have a small heel. They will help protect the little rider's feet in the event of a fall, and will prevent the feet from slipping into the stirrup, which is very dangerous.

Teach your child to care for a pony

Teaching a child to care for a pony is very important in order for a good relationship to develop between the child and the pony. Study relevant literature, which can be borrowed from the library or purchased at the store, tell your child about how often to feed the pony, bathe him, comb, etc. The more your child knows how to care for a pony, the better he will understand why the animal is behaving in one way or another.

Related article What you need to know before buying a horse?

Teach your child to properly give a pony a treat: carrots, apples, etc. The child should hold out the treat in an open palm with fingers squeezed together to prevent accidental biting on the finger or palm.

Involve the child in the care of the pony, and there are no requirements for the pony. In the future, the pony will happily meet your child, anticipating only pleasant things.

Allow the child to take the pony for a walk in his presence, leading him by the halter to the pasture and spending about an hour with him. It will also help the pony see your baby as a friend, someone who can be trusted and who only brings pleasure.

Establish rules for handling ponies

Most young children will need help figuring out what ponies love and don't.

It would be nice to think over a list of such rules for handling ponies and write it down on paper. For example, it may be written that it is not allowed to tease, tug, hit, poke, tug, etc. No rough games. You cannot run up to the pony from behind without warning him about it with your voice.

The child must understand that the pony has its own feelings, it is a living being. Horses and ponies are very attached to the people who care for them, so kids need to understand that if they do something bad for the pony, such as hitting him, they will break the trust between them. A good relationship between your child and the family pony requires vigilant control and direction, patience and understanding on your part.