Kid-Safe Field Trial Horse?

[Boxa]

I'd love to hear thoughts on where to look for a kid-safe field trial horse? I am NOT a great horseman, and last year bought a 13yo TWH that had recently been retired from American Field All-Age Pointer Trials, a little slow for them - perfect for me.

Here is the problem, He is just a little too much for my 8 year old daughter. She LOVES to ride, can ride him by herself in the arena and also does great riding double with me at the trials. she just isn't quite ready to ride by herself at a trial or trail ride.

A couple thoughts, as he gets some more age and she does too, would you just wait for the two of them to mature into a good team, or buy a kid-safe horse she can ride now? I think I could find another horse for me easier than I could find another one for her... If anyone has little girls with horses you probably know what I mean!

Hope this makes sense

[tn red]

It makes great sense if they get along just start looking for you a new one .They will build a bond that you cant buy in a horse .

[RayGubernat]

Caleb -

Question??

How does the horse respond to her?

If he is trying to take care of her and is willingly going where your daughter points him, that is something that may be hard to duplicate.

If the horse is bonding with your daughter, I would give it some time. She will build her confidence in her abilities and he will build his trust in her. You might be looking at the start of something very special.

Give it some time.

RayG

[Llano Shorthairs]

Hey Caleb,
I always heard the perfect total of the horses age and the kids age is at least 25. Of course that's just a way of saying get a horse with plenty of experience and savvy for a youngster. Just keep it safe and simple at this point and make sure she's having fun would be my recommendation (as a granddad with riding grandkids).
Joe

[Boxa]

He does seem to be a 'different horse' when she is riding him, they seem to have somewhat of a bond already. Both of my girls give him a ton of apples, carrots, and treats (I'm sure that has nothing to do with it ) so he comes running to the fence when either of them visit. My thought is that I could go through a bunch of horses looking for the right one for her, or I could let them both gain a little maturity and start looking for a new one for me. I guess we'll just have to play it by ear.

As for her enjoying the riding, I'll let you guys be the judge, here she is riding him in the arena at the ranch in TX last winter.

[daniel77]

I really like that 25 years of experience total.

Another good saying "Green and Green make Black and Blue."

I agree that if this horse seems to be listening to her and taking care of her, that is a rare thing and you're best to find another mount for yourself and let them progress. I'm also seldom in a hurry to get a kid out of the arena, although that depends on the kid. I also think that equitation is one of the worst things you can teach a kid, or buy lessons for them to learn. Horsemanship is FAR MORE IMPORTANT than sitting with correct posture. That can come later.

My niece took english riding lessons for over a year. Her parents also bought her an overpriced welsh pony without consulting their brother in law who lives right down the road and is a horse trainer (me). Her mom is convinced that a country boy like me couldn't teach her daughter anything of value. They spent a year on posture and posting on the correct diagonal. Unfortunately, they never talked about how to stop or control a scared horse and she wound up with a dislocated jaw, multiple lung punctures, ruptured spleen, and a concussion.

Bottom line, be darn sure that whatever horse you trust with your daughter, it is truly deserving of the honor and not just convenient, or the object of your wishful thinking. BTW, lil buddy stirrups are about the best $75 you can spend when it comes to kids and horses. http://www.kotrading.com/lilhelpers.aspx
good luck

[Boxa]

I have a pair of those little stirrups that we bought but they were frustrating to her because they slid around on the trooper saddle that I bought. My thought was to get her a western style trail saddle or a gaited horse saddle with a horn, for when she starts riding more. What other options would you suggest? (And yes, I am rather novice when it comes to horses)

[daniel77]

There aren't many good options, in my experience, when it comes to kid's saddles. They are generally hard to find, and crap when you do. That being said, my son just got this one last Sunday for his fourth Bday. It is the Corriente lil Buckaroo and I'm pretty darn pleased with the quality of it thus far. They run about $400 also, which is a reasonable price to me for something he'll ride for the next 6-8 years, especially since my father in law got it for him .
These were taken about 5 minutes after he got he saddle, and I need to punch about two more holes to make the stirrups fit him, so his lil dudes are in use for these pics, but you can get the idea. This is a 12" seat BTW.

Here's Corriente's link
https://corrientesaddleco.com/YOUTH.php

admittedly, they aren't the greatest saddles in the world, but they are a pretty good value for the money. And I think plenty good for kids. Hope that helps.

[RayGubernat]

Caleb -

I have two horses. My best horse, Blackie, is 15.2, solid as a brick and strong. He has a hard mouth(not my fault...got him that way) and is a bit headshy(when I got him he was REAL headshy). He is very smooth and a good stable ride. All in all a good horse, but by no means a beginner horse.

I say all this so you will understand what I am about to tell you.

My daughter in law is a tiny little girl...a legitmate size 2 and under 100#. She was, and still is a little afraid of Blackie, but she really wants to ride. She is a rank beginner.

Anyway, when she gets on Blackie, he is a competely different horse. His neck arches and he looks like one of those show stallions. He actually prances and she basically only has to lean and lay the reins over his neck with thelightest of pressure and he will turn like a dream. If she gets scared and leans back...Blackie stops and I mean dead in his tracks.

The bond is obvious. She can reach right up and scratch him betweeen the eyes. He lowers his head for her. If I tried that he would be back about five steps with his nose about ten feet in the air and the whites of his eyes bulging. If I ask Blackie to park out, I have to go back and forth stretching out each leg in turn. When Melissa taps him on the shoulder and asks him to park out, he stretches out...all the way out, with both feet...first time. I do find it hilarious but it is also borderline annoying because he won't do that for me either.

I bought her a used Icelandic saddle, and outfitted it with new stirrup leathers that I could adjust all the way up and hooded stirrups. I also put a grab strap in the front of the saddle(it is an endurance type) and when she had to use it to grab and keep or regain her balance it seemed to work quite well. I know she is much more at ease having it there. So am I.

RayG

[dawgmama]

Daniel77 is correct, green on green does make black and blue. He is also correct that equitation lessons may teach the correct 'seat', but every kid should know how to do a one rein stop in the case of a run-away horse, and how to do an emergency dismount.

Boxa, your kid/horse combo is almost at Wheeler's 25 year old kid/horse age calculation(21 is pretty good). The fact that he was a trial horse means he's been there, done that. But.... even a bombproof horse is still a horse.

Great pics of your kids on their horses, but as a mom, and a horse-woman, I'd really like to see helmets on those kids. A broken arm or leg will heal, but skull fractures and brain injury.... well.....

Glad to see your daughter is into horses. Mine is too, and she's a great young adult now. I figured if she smelled like horses, it would keep the boys away a bit longer!

[CherrystoneWeims]

GET HELMETS ON THOSE KIDS!!!!!!

That will do more than ANY kid safe horse!!! Take it from someone with years of riding experience. A helmet has saved me many times over the years from serious head injuries.

[Karen]

This is our kid-safe horse...Quinn.

[tn red]

This is our kid-safe horse...Quinn.

I really like the style of Quinn .He would be very competive in the ring .Very nice looking in the pic .Whats the ped on Quinn just courious ?

Eric

[Karen]

Thanks Eric. No papers on Quinn, so no idea what his ped is.

[Crestonegsp]

GET HELMETS ON THOSE KIDS!!!!!!

That will do more than ANY kid safe horse!!! Take it from someone with years of riding experience. A helmet has saved me many times over the years from serious head injuries.

Couldn't agree more!! My 20 year old daughter is a very experienced rider - grew up on horseback- and yet we insist she wear a helmet. She came off her horse a while back and while she was fine, her helmet was split up up the back. Her pride was a bit bruised, but she NEVER argues about putting on a helmet.

[Boxa]

We spent the weekend looking at some helmets and CO2 powered vests in case she gets tossed off they will inflate. Any experience with those?

[DGFavor]

Haven't tested my helmet yet, and don't really have it on my schedule to test it out, but I can vouch for at least one safe impact vs. earth with my Air-vest blown up. Didn't even feel hitting the ground. I wear it all the time now even on my trustworthy mounts - you never know. I wore both helmet and vest the other day riding my 17yo horse that's never acted up ever but I was ponyin' a youngster with a set of pack boxes on him that he intermittently imagined might be gonna kill him - kept things interesting.

[Boxa]

Do you have a brand of vest that you'd recommend? Are there improvements on yours that you'd look for if buying another?

[DGFavor]

Mine is the Hit-Air Vest. http://www.air-vest.com/

I did add a new valve system to mine that inflates it twice as fast - 1/4 second. I got the new valve from Safer-Moto.Com - you can get the vest there also.

Had my wife snap a photo out riding today. I really don't feel like I need any protection to ride the horse I'm riding but the fellar with the packs on still likes to climb your leg when he hears something rustle those packs!! I feel like a goof wearing the stuff and I swear Quenton if I hear you laughing even clear across the country I'm gonna lay a whoopin' on ya'!

[Boxa]

I hope we never need to test either helmet or vest, but my daughter and I were watching a horse jumping competition together (The Rolex?) last saturday on TV when we saw this fellow take a bad fall. Here is the article recapping the fall (http://equineink.com/2010/04/25/oliver- ... -at-rolex/) Well, That convinced me that we probably ought to invest in some safety gear, without it I'm convinced this guy would have been pushing up daisies.

Here she is sporting her new helmet!

[dawgmama]

Boxa, you are a GREAT DADDY! One of the best ways to show your kids you love them is to keep them safe, and that blue helmet will surely help! The helmets now-a-days are so light and comfy, I often forget I have mine on. Two thumbs up to you for not just reading these posts about riding safety, but for actually going out and getting one, and having her use it. She looks so proud, and she sure is a cutie! Glad you are sharing your passion for the outdoors with her. We've hunted with our kids since they were infants, and now, as young adults, they are people we are proud to spend time with! Remember, just cause she's a girl, that doesn't mean she can't go huntin' with you!

DG, cool pic of you and your horses, beautiful scenery, and you can't even tell that that is a safety vest!