# Age for starting a young rider



## maura

Like a great many things with horses, the answer is "It depends." 

But let me put some framework around that and make it a more useful answer. 

MOST children are too young to start formal lessons before the age of 7. In order to get anything out of a formal lesson, a child has to have body awareness (If you tell them to move their lower leg, they can identify, isolate and move just their lower leg) a pretty good attention span and the ability to follow directions. 7, in general, is an age where those things come together, some children will be ready at 6, others not until 8 or even 10. In addition, before you start formal lessons, you want to know that they can graduate to independent control over the horse within 3 - 6 months. If you keep a child on a lunge line or lead line for too long, it's much harder for them to become independent riders later. 

Children that start younger than 7 without the body awareness and attention span have to be "babysat" and monitored constantly. My own daughter rode in front of me on the saddle and was leadlined from my horse practically from birth; and I gave her casual instruction and "mini-lessons" all along; but she still wasn't ready for "real" lessons until 7. 

If you have a friend or neighbor whose child is taking lessons at 4 or 5, don't panic or assume it's unsafe. It can be safe, with the right horse and supervision. Whether or not it's a good use of time and money is another question entirely.

Oh, and welcome to the forum! :wave:


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## OTTBLover

I bought my daughter a pony when she was two. She rides on lead line about once a week, and now at 3 she can trot about 100m non stop, kinda just bouncing along!
I've just started teaching her rising trot, which she manages for a few strides before she starts bouncing again!
My son (who is 18months) absolutely insists that he needs a ride too, so he always gets a ride after Zara - only at a walk, and i hold his leg, just in case he 'dives' off! 
They both love it though!


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## SEAmom

My daughter has been getting lessons since she was 2, but w also showed leadline. They were short in the beginning, but have increased in length over the years. At 4.5-5yo, she started getting real lessons at 30-45 minutes each. Now at 6, she's going in for the full time to get ready for walk/trot classes next season.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Susan Crumrine

I think young children can ride, but it depends on the child's individual personality how much they learn and retain from formal lessons. Some children seem to pay attention and retain knowledge better younger. Susan


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## VelvetsAB

_I was plunked on a pony when I was about 6. No lessons (until I was at least 10). I was probably watched for a little bit, but I had a saint of a pony, and off we went. However, I have been a very independant person my whole life. My Mom even likes to "complain" that I was not that huggy, cuddly little girl. _

_But I am also the kid who "helped" Grandpa at 3 with barn chores, and "drove" a few Standardbreds on his lap while he was jogging them._


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## AlexS

I was in the 2-3 range, of course I had someone leading the horse, and someone walking along side supporting my back.


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## smrobs

Maura had a wonderful post.

Like she said, it depends. I was riding alone by the time I was 3 (on a 34 inch tall mini-burro) and graduated up to a real horse at the age of 4. However, I had been on horses since I was old enough to hold my own head up. My Dad used to put me in front of him in the saddle while he warmed up his show horses so I spent a lot of time trotting and loping circles with a very secure person holding on to me. 

I was also one of the fortunate ones that had a perfect kid horse. He could judge who was riding him by the way they felt and if he didn't believe you needed to go faster than a walk, then you couldn't beat him into a trot. With him, I was comfortably walking and trotting around by the time I was 5 and could lope for short distances before muscle fatigue caused me to start flopping a bit.


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## ItzKayley

I started when I was 8 on my cousins horses. Like most young girls, I fell in love.  I got 5 lessons before getting my pony when I was 9.


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## SocietyJoe

I think it is a lot better to start off younger; you just have more confidence with horses and have a natural seat as you grow as a rider, although there is a greater risk of a child who started younger growing out of horses as they become a teen.

I do also agree with Maura a young child such as 5 or 6 would not have the attenion span to sit and listen to what the very patient instructor would have to say. 

I just recently attended a 3 day school lesson, where the girls riding where at least under 10, and they were giggling, talking and just being silly, and not listening to what the instructor wanted them to do. It was very frustrating to watch as the instructor lives 4hours away, and was there on special request. 

I think you should start your child young, but only do lessons and such when she is mentally and physically ready to handle the pressure and the ideas that the instructor put across.


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## OTTBLover

I just thought I'd share some pics of my kids riding their pony 'Rocket'

Zara is 3, and Cain is 18 months


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## Susan Crumrine

When I had my oldest daughter, I was young. 18. I taught her to ride when she was 5. Now I am 40 and my baby son, Bo just turned 8. I am so scared to put him on a horse. Funny how age has made me a chicken. And poor Bo wants to ride.


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## PoppysMum

Thanks for the lovely replies everyone, and pictures. Its always wonderful to see kids having such fun. :wink:


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## waresbear

I was 2, but my mom said my brother had to supervise and not let go of the pony. I vaguely remember falling off, lots.


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## speedy da fish

Where I live most riding schools refuse to give lessons to children under 4.


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## MHFoundation Quarters

I agree with others, it depends. I don't take students under 7. My daughter just turned 6 and shows small fry w/t classes. She's been riding well since before she was born and on her own off the line for the last couple years, but she is in the barn with me 7 days a week. If she was just taking a once a week lesson I don't think she would be ready as early, being immersed in horses and sharing my love for them helps. I started the same way, my mom rode prego and I was riding on my own before I could walk. 

Most young children don't have the attention span or eye/hand coordination required to truly "ride" in the sense of being on their own and controlling the horse. Riding with someone or on a line is totally different. I take lots of little ones along for rides, my 2 yr old nephew is hooked on horses already and I'm certain he only asks to come see me because I will take him out to the "Hooses".


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## Snowkicker

For our therapeutic riding program we will not take children under five because their necks are not developed enough to support their heads properly for the movement of the horse and so can cause strain and injury.


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## pinkswagger26

My little girl is interested in horses and I was considering getting her lessons because we do not live on a farm or have horses. She is four and will be five in Sept. When she was 2 1/2 we gave her swimming lessons, which teach her to swim on her own without a float but gave her confidence in the water and got her used to the water. I just wondered if riding lessons would do the same thing for her, get her use to horses and learn how to care for them.
My husband and I love horses and I was thinking if she really took to the lessons that we would take some too. We have rode horses before, several times, just with trial horses. The idea is to make it a family thing to learn about caring for horses too and maybe in the future, years down the road, buy one. 
When we went to the fair last year after riding some rides we took a break to eat a snack and drink some lemonade. So , we sat and watch the horse show while we ate and she didn't want to go back to the rides, she was just fascinated by the horses. There is a local petting zoo we go to sometimes and she talks about the pony she rides there all the time and I just want to encourage her if she really has developed a love for horses. My uncle bought me one, at his house well barn, when I was little (although I never rode it I was really small) but I remember feeding it apples and visiting it a lot.


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## JanaRogers

I rode since I was an infant and both my 19m and 3 yr old ride in front of me or my father. My 3 yr old is starting to want to ride with out mom and so we are definitly babysitting. Even though I have done lessons for others, I think when they get bigger they will do lessons with my friend. It just depends on the child and the horse, and never forget the helmet.


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## faye

I was plunked on a pony as soon as I could hold my own head up.

In the UK leadrein classes the minimum age is generaly 3yrs old to compete. I have a friend who's 4yr old daughter is doing very very well in the leadrein classes, she has all her up/downs sorted, she is starting to understand that she needs to steer her very patient little pony. It is not unusual to see 7 and 8 yrolds riding independantly at shows, infact the upper age limit on first ridden classes is 10yrs and most people try to get at least 3 yrs in the class.


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