# Kid-broke horse



## ThePaintGirl (Aug 14, 2012)

Hi all,
I was just wondering, how do you train a horse so that you would trust to put a kid on? How do you know when they will behave with a kid on? 

Thanks!
ThePaintGirl


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## EvilHorseOfDoom (Jun 17, 2012)

Put a kid on. If you don't know how the horse will be, make sure it's a kid you don't like. :twisted:


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

IMHO, a horse cannot be _trained_ to be a kid horse, it must be in their nature. _After_ they are well trained, I look at their temperament and decide if they seem suitable for a younger rider. I run them through the gauntlet and if they are unphased, then they _might_ be ready...though I would never even consider a horse under the age of 6 for a child rider simply due to the probable lack of exposure the horse has had. Even at that young of an age, it would have to have been trained by a certain type of person and have an _exceptional_ temperament.

The bad part is, you never really know that they will behave with just a kid on them. The way I do it is, when I feel like the horse is about as bombproof as a horse can get, I'll put a kid in the saddle and I'll ride behind as a passenger. That way, the kid is doing all the _actual_ riding, but I'm still there and can take the reins in an instant if something happens. After that, I'll put them in a controlled environment like a pen or arena and let the kid ride by themselves with me close by on another well-trained, calm horse. Once they've got good control at all 3 gaits in the controlled environment, then we start going outside, again, with me on a well-trained, calm horse right beside them.

The reason I ride a good horse while they're riding instead of going afoot is because I can either get up beside them and get ahold of their horse or grab the kid and pull them onto my horse if something happens. I won't get outrun like I would if I was on my own 2 feet.

But that's all beside the point. The horse _must_ be very well trained, period, but whether it's suitable for a kid depends entirely on his temperament.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Kid safe, bomb proof, gentleman, dead broke, lazy, laid back..... All just words. No horse ever will be 100% predictable. Stuff happens. That said, has anyone else noticed that horses seem to know when there's a kid on them? The seem gentler, maybe cause kids have no fear and are genually happy? Idk. Back to the post lol, I wouldnt call a horse or pony kids safe till it was over 12, been ridden a lot! By adults, and has been extensively been ridden wrong by kids without affecting the horse. But then again we put our daughter on some rank stuff lol.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

I think it all boils down to the temperment of the horse also. My mare who will be 11 this spring was 3 when I got her, I won't let my grandkids ride on her. I started off with tying coats, back packs, etc. on the back of my saddle when she was around 5 and rode her with that bouncing around on her.....I got a buddy seat that goes behind my saddle and my grandkids rode there for a couple years out on the trails with me. It was about 3 yrs. ago where I let my grandkids who were 10, 9 and 5 at the time, ride in the round pen and I could see how she was with them and how they were. It was shortly after that where I could let them ride in the outdoor arena by theirselves (with me there of course), quite often they rode her double or even all three on LOL she tolerated alot with them and behaved like a perfect lady!
I would try them in a round pen with a kid first, you there to help out if needed and see how it goes and how the horse is with the kid first.....


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

Phly said:


> Kid safe, bomb proof, gentleman, dead broke, lazy, laid back..... All just words. No horse ever will be 100% predictable. Stuff happens. That said, has anyone else noticed that horses seem to know when there's a kid on them? The seem gentler, maybe cause kids have no fear and are genually happy? Idk. Back to the post lol, I wouldnt call a horse or pony kids safe till it was over 12, been ridden a lot! By adults, and has been extensively been ridden wrong by kids without affecting the horse. But then again we put our daughter on some rank stuff lol.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I also noticed my mare was more relaxed with the kids on them and listened to them really well! It was like she knew they were on her and she was much more easy going.....even when I rode her with the buddy seat, the one grandson learnt how to post so well riding back there on her bouncy butt LOL


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## ThePaintGirl (Aug 14, 2012)

I knew people always prefered them to be a certain age, but I always thought the riding/training, and the temperment were more important. 
My dad's older TB, he was 20 when we got him, I would have been perfectly fine letting a kid ride him at a walk in a roundpen, and with training he would have made an amazing kids horse. He was the sweetest thing, never spooked, never bucked kicked bit, nothing. I loved him to death.

My mare, was being advertised as a kid-broke horse. Wanna know how old she was? 1yr 8months. Kidbroke? She shouldnt have even been broke! My parents bought her for me as a surprise. I cant even remember how many times that little brat has bucked me off for no reason at all! (she was of course given time to mature though) 

My gelding? I bought unbroke, was told he was loco, untrainable, I should ship him off to slaughter ect. He is amazing. He doesnt act up, he'll test me by refusing to move. Thats it. He is a puppydog, and when Im injured or sick, he takes such good care of me. With more time (he's only 5, with about a year of training undersaddle) I would totally trust him to take care of a kid.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Walking in a round pen is NOT kidsafe. Yes, young horses can and have been taught to ride by kids. Still not kidsafe. 6 yrs old, a year under saddle, not kid safe. In my opinion. Kid safe to me is, "going in the trails with xxxxxx see ya in a bit dad" and I dont worry. That's kid safe. One time our daughter (6 at the time) was helping feed and brush. A horse charged the horse she was brushing. He pushed her under the hitching rail and took a full on hit. But wouldn't move till the other horse got caught and she was safe. She basically hid underneath him That's kid safe.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

My mare just turned seven and I would trust her to take care of kids.

Ruger is four, I would trust him in an arena situation to plod around because he is just an exceptional horse, but I would not send a kid out and about on him because of his inexperience. My six and ten year old cousins have both ridden him walk/trot in the arena and the ten year old has loped him. He becomes a babysitter with them...Not with me though. lol


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## ThePaintGirl (Aug 14, 2012)

Phly said:


> Walking in a round pen is NOT kidsafe. Yes, young horses can and have been taught to ride by kids. Still not kidsafe. 6 yrs old, a year under saddle, not kid safe. In my opinion. Kid safe to me is, "going in the trails with xxxxxx see ya in a bit dad" and I dont worry. That's kid safe. One time our daughter (6 at the time) was helping feed and brush. A horse charged the horse she was brushing. He pushed her under the hitching rail and took a full on hit. But wouldn't move till the other horse got caught and she was safe. She basically hid underneath him That's kid safe.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I didnt say walking in a roundpen was kidsafe, I said with training he would have made a great kids horse but I would trust him walking in a roundpen with a kid. 

Also I said my 5yr only has a year under saddle so with _more_ training I would trust him with kids, didnt say he would make a kids horse with just a year under saddle. Going by his temperment I could see him being a kids horse when he's like 15.

Sorry if it looked like I said both these geldings _were_ Kid-broke. I meant that with more training I could see them being kid-broke because of their temperment. There is no way on this green earth I would put a kid on that 5yr and let them go off riding. Would I let a kid sit on him and be lead around in a clean safe arena? yes. Am I saying thats kid-broke? no.


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## spurstop (Mar 22, 2012)

Something to keep in mind is the level of kid you are dealing with. 

There are kids who do fine riding and showing young horses, and there are kids who need an older horse that can pack them around and teach them.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

I really didn't mean to sound harsh. Sorry if I did. But I've only seen a few "kid safe" horses in my life. The one that blocked her being one, her pony she has now, and a draft cross that would take being yanked in the mouth and kicked at the same time. Are the top three. And a giant horse of unknown background that a lil girl handed me at a show cause she needed to use the portta potty lol.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ThePaintGirl (Aug 14, 2012)

Phly said:


> I really didn't mean to sound harsh. Sorry if I did. But I've only seen a few "kid safe" horses in my life. The one that blocked her being one, her pony she has now, and a draft cross that would take being yanked in the mouth and kicked at the same time. Are the top three. And a giant horse of unknown background that a lil girl handed me at a show cause she needed to use the portta potty lol.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I can understand where your coming from. I just didnt want you thinking I actually thought either gelding was kid-broke. I didnt think you sounded harsh, and Im sorry if I sounded harsh/rude/offended. 

I do think some people call horses kid safe when really they are a far cry from being it.


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## thenrie (Sep 10, 2012)

A lot depends on what is meant by "kid broke". If it means you are about to buy a horse that's advertised as "kid broke", it likely means it was broke and trained by a "kid". That probably means it is not trained at all and poorly disciplined and that they are selling it because it is getting too ornery for the kid who broke it to handle.:-o

Now if you mean "kid safe", that's another thing. Now it has a couple factors: How old of kids are you talking about? How well do these kids know horses? How old (young) is the horse? If you're looking to buy one, look for one that is at least 12 years of age (horse, not kids). Younger horses, like people, tend to have more energy and will eventually learn to take advantage of a kid and become difficult for him/her to control. The kid will eventually end up rubbed off on a fence post or dumped on the trail somewhere. An older horse with plenty of time under saddle, and a little less energy, will make a better horse for a youngster. They tend to be less prone to becoming belligerent and disobedient, simply because they don't care that much anymore. Look for an old ranch horse that's about to be retired, in the 18 year old range. If you are talking about older kids, say 12 years and up, you can consider a younger well-broke horse (one that won't die before the kid goes to college!), but get the kid riding lessons at least. The "they'll learn together" concept sounds nice, but simply doesn't work.

I too find that many horses seem to become more careful and gentle with a young child rider, but younger horses tend to eventually learn they don't have to obey if they don't want to and can become dangerous to a child. A child or untrained "kid" rider will eventually ruin a horse that's not already fully set in it's ways. 

Just my opinion.


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

IMO....it's mindset. A quiet, willing and sane mindset is what makes a great kid horse.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

My older gelding once had my six year old cousin petting on him and when my very dominant mare came over and tried to strike at him (near the kid) he turned right around and just nailed her. That is something that NEVER would of been expected since normally this gelding is so submissive.


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## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

Some horses have it, some horses don't. With some horses, you can tell at a young age that they'll be a good kids horse when they're older and have more experience.
The assessment process of a new potential lesson horse- We'd take them and just see how they'd react to a plethora of situations. We'd ride them like a kid would ride, without perfect balance or cues, mimicking stuff you see beginner kids doing. If they passed those tests, an instructor would ride them in the arena with the group lessons and see how they were with other horses in an instruction setting. Then they would start being ridden in class by the most experienced students. Then, some horses would prove themselves enough to work their way down in experience level of riders, and sometimes you would get great beginner horses, and those you keep for life. They're worth their weight in gold and they're hard to come by.


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## WickedNag (Sep 7, 2010)

Our old gelding was a great kids horse. He would follow along all day long, listen to those little feet and hands. Put an adult on him and you better know what you were doing


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I have a perfect example in support of the argument that it's the temperament more than the training...that kid horses are born, not made.

This horse was labeled an outlaw and killer in his younger years after hurting several cowboys pretty badly. When my Dad got him, it was because he had been loaded onto a truck with a load of cattle headed to the slaughter house. His owner just wanted him dead before he killed someone, but my Dad talked them out of it and took the horse for free. It took months, lots of pain inflicted, and sometimes cruel treatment to get this horse rideable for any adult. Even after he figured out that it was in his best interest to listen to the riders, he was still almost uncontrollable. Hot and chargey and arrogant. If he decided he wanted to go back to the barn/trailer, then nothing could stop him. He would climb over fences (no matter how tall), bowl over people, crash gates and pickups and trailers...it didn't matter to him. He felt zero fear of anything. He was 16 hands and 1500 pounds of sheer muscle and F***-you attitude.









Then, one day, this horse was tied to the fence at a roping. My brother was about 4 years old at the time and somehow climbed the fence and ended up on the horse. It was apparent right then that old Buck had found his lot in life. Where, with an adult, he was almost impossible to have a pleasant ride on, for a child, he would do anything and go anywhere. He seemed to know what level of rider was up there and would respond accordingly. Even after I got a bit older and started to ride him, for my brother (who is 4 years older than me) he would blast out of the roping box at full speed with a simple touch...and I couldn't _beat_ him any faster than a slow trot. If something went wrong with an adult riding him, he would do what he wanted and the health of the rider be damned. In the same situation with a child, he would stop dead still and wait until help came; whether the kid was hanging off his side, under his feet, or he was tangled in wire...didn't matter. An adult, he'd step right on you and sneer as he walked away, but a child could be right under his feet and he would fall over sideways before putting any weight on a foot that happened to be on top of something squishy (learned that at a horse show when my brother, who was about 8 at the time, ended up tangled in Buck's front feet)


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

I do believe a horse knows where there are children on them and take good care of them.........what a wonderful story smrobs!


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## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

Wow, what an awesome story smrobs! What a gorgeous horse too. Wow.


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## thenrie (Sep 10, 2012)

I had a mustang for several years who would walk around the pasture placidly with my younger kids on him (ages 7-14), but when my oldest son (age 16) got on him he became a real knothead. Horses know. Some are careful, some take advantage. Hard to tell which is which until you try. Still, I think your chances are better with older horses. Especially if you don't have the opportunity to check one out thoroughly before you buy. They have been showing their true colors for years. You just have to make sure you buy from someone who will be open and honest about them.

I gave that mustang to a friend when I moved overseas for several years, because his daughter loved him. I visited him in 2005, after more than two years away. They hadn't so much as touched him in all that time. When I whistled for him, his head came up immediately and he came out of the 40ac pasture to our car. My daughters wanted to ride him, but I didn't have even a halter. They asked to just sit on his back. I told them he hadn't been messed with, much less ridden, in more than 2 years and I didn't know how he would act. They insisted, so I relented. I put my 16 year-old on first and he stood still, I put my 9 year old on behind her. No reaction. Then I walked all around the pasture with him following me around as if with a lead rope, with the two girls on his back smiling away. There is no doubt in my mind that he recognized us. He seemed to have missed us and enjoyed the short ride. He was about 10 then. Almost brought tears to my eyes to leave him there. I tend to get attached to my animals.

Funny part is that the mustang was pulled off the range at 5 years of age, gelded, cowboy broke, then sold to the first fool who came along...me. I never did get that ornery cuss fully broke. He was fine with me, but nobody else except my younger kids could ride him comfortably.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I agree it is mostly their nature to be kid broke.

I too have had horses that were, to put it kindly, difficult, yet with children they were absolutely smitten and real child carers. 

I had a big heavyweight hunter, Tom, who was so nappy to ride on his own that it could take me four times as long to do a ride. He would buck at the canter and thought nothing of standing vertical if he didn't want to go where I did. 
He was a brilliant (fox) hunter and would jump anything you put him at. 
When jumping he had such ability and would either stand back a stride, buck going into a fence or on landing but you could not get him near a coloured pole.
We did come to an understanding and I loved that horse dearly. 
One child who was spina bifida, loved him too. She asked if she could ride him and I told her if she could tack him up then she could. 
I was taking her sister for a lesson and much to my surprise Rachel came across to the arena on Tom, she looked like a pimple on an elephants bum.
That darn horse never bucked when he cantered, he went around a show jumping course without looking at the poles, he went over the cross country fences without bucking or over jumping, and generally cared for his rider as if she were made of glass.

I have had ponies that were not the nicest for their child riders yet they could be used for therapeutic riders with every care for their riders.


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## Keeley57 (Apr 5, 2012)

I had a welsh section a that bucked, reared did games on him try quick but I let me 5 year old cousin handle him from when he was a baby she was absolutely fearless she used to walk him round the ménage and he used to get excited an try run off but she held on and smacked him when he missed behaved! He knew she was the boss! Every time she rode him I had to give her a crop because he bearly moved! And when I rode him he was a completely different pony all fizzy and wanted to go! Just shows how different they can be with kids
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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I loved giving lessons to kids as young a 3. I give the child very basic instruction as in how to hold the reins, how to steer, squeeze to go and whoa to stop then turn them loose in the paddock. They figure this out so fast and the horse is compliant for the kids. Kids spend more time in the moment and we lose that as we get older but living in the moment is what creates rapport with the horse.


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## Inga (Sep 11, 2012)

I agree that kid horses are sort of born. Yes, training is neccessary but some horses are just more in tune to kids and beginners. I had a few Saddlebred mares that would go out together. One of them was a super hot headed horse that could only be described as explosive. Her daughter however, was easy going and was such a softy that even when she was only 4 years old, I used her for lessons with adult beginner/intermediate riders. One day, My friend wanted to ride her and give her kid rides on her, so she went out to the pasture and got her (or so she thought) She had asked ahead of time so I was a little surprised when I looked out there and saw that mare still in the pasture. Then I panicked when I saw which mare was not in the pasture. I ran in to see her letting her son toodling around the arena by himself on miss explosive herself. Her head was down and she was walking so carefully. He almost fell off when she turned though she had done nothing wrong and I almost fell over as she bent her legs and swooped under him to keep him from falling off. She somehow just knew and took care of her little charge. My friend however almost had a heart attack when she realized her mistake. That mare became that little guys favorite horse to ride.


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

My retired show gelding was born for both....mindset and trainability. You put anyone on him, and he'll go along so quiet and sensible. Granted, a beginner or newbie adult won't know what his buttons are to get him to round up and go in WP show mode, but he will take care of whoever is on him. He packed my city slicker husband around the pen at AQHA shows in W/T for 3 years (won year end all 3 years with CT QHA), first place every time with the exception of the one time he showed at the AQHA Regional Champ show in Adult W/T, 19 entries, 3 judges.....ended up Champ with by placing 1st under 2 judges and 2nd under the other. My hubby couldn't tell you what a pastern is on a horse, but my horse packed him around that colesium without batting an eye. He would have done the same with any kid or novice on him. I woulde LOVE to find another horse with his mindset and ability...but they are far and few between and cost a pretty penny.


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## TheRoundPen (Mar 15, 2012)

I will say that I believe it's both born and trained. I have a soon to be 18 yoar old mare who I have a hard time putting a kid on her when I'm leading them. I can put a beginner on her as long as they are older, but a kid no way.


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

I think horses do know when there is a baby on their back. My youngest daughter is not an animal lover and has always been terrified of horses. No pony rides lol. I bought a 6 yo appendix gelding a year ago and to my amazement she wanted to get on his back within a short time. I was a little scared because I hadn't had the horse that long, but I was excited that my daughter was willing to ride. I led her around on a lead rope and now she takes the reins and he is happy to plod around the arena at a walk. I would never let her out in an unenclosed space, but I trust my boy to take care of my little girl. He seems very calm and considerate of the little one.


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## QuaterHorseRider (Mar 19, 2015)

it also depends on the kid. If you put a kid that is nervous and scared on a horse that is usually good the horse will be nervous and scared. if you put a kid on it that's not scared of anything they'll be more likely to react better if something does happen. Bottom line, all horses mess up and get scared and bad things will happen, you have to do a lot of teaching to the rider also.


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