Should You Buy Your Child A Horse?

So you want to buy your child a safe horse or pony? Great! If you’re planning to scroll through Kijiji and find your newest family member, wait. Here’s a look at the whys and whens to think on before you make those calls.

Who’s gonna pay?

 

Trust me, somebody is going to pay for the new horse – it will either be you, by way of your chequebook, or your child, by way of her safety. Here’s the thing. Knowledgeable, consistent training comes only through many wet saddle blankets. I’m talking countless rides in very good hands.  Years of skilled riding do not come cheaply.

 

When it comes to safe horses, you generally get what you pay for.  Buying a horse is a lot like buying a reliable, quality, secondhand car.  You’ll want the one that has a good safety record, has been well-maintained and has not been flipped after being in a bad accident.  This is not the place to scrimp on good steering or brakes!

 

While we might finally be getting beyond the romantic notion of having a young pony and child grow up together, there are still a lot of parents who want their child to have a project. Who knows whether they are trying to save money on the initial purchase, or whether they genuinely fear that if their child has a good horse to ride, she will only be able to ride good horses? I honestly don’t know.

 

I do know this, however. If your child is just starting to learn on her horsemanship journey, this is not the time for her to be teaching a horse.

 

I believe that there is a place for the project animal.  This can work if the child is on her second or third step-up horse. She must have proven that she is keen enough to not cool at the first hint of hardship. She must have proven that she has the technique and knowledge to overcome the lack of training found in a young or green horse. She must have the consistent and experienced support found in a trusted adult coach. She must have proven she is not easily scared.

 

No matter how kind and gentle a green horse or pony, there will be hard days. Whatever the reason, a young horse cannot learn in a straightforward way if his precious cargo is also trying to learn body control and feel, along with the technique to allow a horse to do his job.

 

People always ask for ‘bombproof horses, nothing fancy’, that their kids will be able to ride down the trails. As though safe horses are cheaper than dodgy ones.  Trust me, the least expensive horses and ponies are the young beauties! These are a dime a dozen because they haven’t had anyone’s precious time invested in them. Remember, the old, trail worn fellows are the real treasures. Their wisdom is worth its weight in gold.

 

It’s important to remember that if your child will only be riding in an indoors program, buying an indoors horse is okay.  If you have dreams of bringing your horse home, of having your child ride the trails, however, you need to be looking at a horse that has made many outdoor miles.  Indoor and outdoor mileage is not the same. A child’s horse with both is the most valued horse of all.

 

Related to this is in knowing that your horse’s purchase price is only the first drop in a very deep bucket of expense.  Can your budget support the cost of monthly board?  This varies greatly in different areas, depending on proximity to your city, quality of the establishment and horses, the level and specialization of instruction. There will be such regular costs as dental and farrier visits.  Incidentals such as veterinary emergencies and show entries have an alarming way of adding up! Again, leasing school horses is often the best way to build your child’s love of riding with the least amount of financial risk.

 

There are people who have horses – and there are people who live horses.

 

I have noted over the years that genuine horsemen give their animals an environment resembling that of how we raise our children. Their horses are the first things seen to in the morning and the last things thought about at night.

 

Right or wrong, their horses become central to their lives. After flourishing in an environment of care, respect, discipline and affection, such horses seldom transition well to living on the fringes. If you are unable to make a horse or pony the hub in your family wheel, then please acknowledge this and look for a pet that requires less time and emotional commitment.

 

I encourage parents to enrol their budding young rider in a local riding program with good reviews.  This is even before the decision is made to join such hands-on organizations as Pony Club or 4H. After a year or two of lessons, it will become apparent that the next step is either a horse of one’s own, or else a change to karate or dance lessons. This is not money wasted!  It is a good thing to learn without the burden of paying board on a horse, then finding interests have changed and now you somehow have to get the horse sold.

 

Being part of a good lesson program is of huge benefit when it comes to horse shopping.  You will have established a relationship with someone currently within the horse community.  You will learn what sort of horse or pony best suits your child.  You will learn which people can be trusted.

 

You will not have to chance your child’s health to an unknown entity purchased on Kijiji or the online sales pages.  Most professionals will be happy to help you, albeit at a percentage of the animal’s purchase price.  Many will have lesson horses to sell or lease. Often, they will find a better match for your child if the new horse proves unsuitable.

 

Does one size fit all?

 

Many parents try to find the horse that will serve their child through her entire riding career.  This is somewhat like expecting her to wear the same jeans at age sixteen as she did at age three.  I concede that jeans are much less expensive. In a perfect world, I like to see children under the age of ten or twelve mounted on ponies. There is a caveat, however.  These ponies must be very, very good.

 

Ponies have a bad reputation when it comes to carrying children.  This is somewhat deserved, as few people bother putting their children on well-trained ponies.  They see a little animal and think ‘how cute’, they can go figure things out together. While no sane parent would send their child off with a dangerous two-hundred-pound man, they think nothing of doing the same with a six-hundred-pound pony.

 

Understanding that most ponies’ issues are born through a lack of correct training, it’s easy to remember that the size of an animal is secondary to safety when you’re shopping for children. If forced to choose between an unschooled pony and a well-trained, quiet horse, go with the horse, no matter its size or the size of the little child.

 

A small pony has to be very correct before we’ll consider it. If we find a good pony for our young rider, however, then this child will most likely become a beautiful rider who is also incredibly keen. A good pony is small enough to allow a child to learn about grooming, saddling, bridling and ground work.  A good pony will help a child achieve real horsemanship and not just sitting tall in the saddle.

 

Yes, children need an adult to ensure the gear is fitted correctly and that the girth is snug but even the best horses mean that a fall is a long, long way to the ground. Expect a child to be a good fit for a pony as long as the child’s age equals the pony’s height in hands.

 

Generally, a twelve-year-old child will be outgrowing their twelve-hand pony. A fourteen-year-old child will be ready to move from a fourteen-hand pony to a talented horse. If the outgrown ponies have been well-trained and well-cared-for – and this is big, as a bout of unmanaged grass founder can render a $10,000 pony worth sixty cents a pound – you will easily be able to finance the step-up horse.  I repeat:  if we do not have a great pony at hand, we recommend that even a tiny child ride a well-schooled, large horse.  There is no place for an unproven animal when it comes to your child’s safety!

 

If you find an animal of any size who holds your child’s well-being in high regard, congratulations.  You have found a treasure.

 

Look to ‘The Rule of Twenty’.

 

This is a phrase we’ve coined whereby the ages of the child and the horse add up to at least twenty years. When it comes to experience, we can waver from this rule a little but never a lot. The Rule of Twenty is an easy formula.  It helps ensure that at least one of the players in the partnership will have some life experience, will have pretty much seen it all. Don’t be afraid of pairing your child with a horse in its late teens and, as long as the horse or pony is fit and healthy, even older.

 

Know that all horses and ponies can become un-trained.  They are not machines to be used and put away until needed again.  Things that once worked well can become problems.  Little glitches have a habit of growing into big ones. Pay attention to the new balkiness at leaving the barn, the pull towards the out gate, the kicking up at the cue to canter.  All of these are whispers of mutiny, a gateway into something bigger.  Seemingly insignificant, they may eventually pose a hazard to your child.

 

Expect that at least once a week, an experienced rider might need to ride your child’s horse or pony as you would like him to perform in her hands. No horse is a mind-reader. He’ll live up to your expectations, however high – or low – the bar is set. As your child gains in skill, this ‘tuning up’ will be required less and less often.

 

Will your child’s horse have a job?

 

Be careful here – this isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. Yes, we want the horse or pony to go to the weekend riding clinic, to host the birthday parties, to go and work some cows. That’s healthy employment and everybody needs it.

 

The unspoken ‘jobs’ are the ones we worry about: the frightened or disinterested child; the tense home where Mum and Dad are just trying to buy their kids some happiness; the rebellious child who is acting out at home or at school; the ‘red ribbon family’, where second place is never quite enough…

 

Please be honest with your situation. Many parents want their troubled child to have the healing aspect of owning of horse.  Just know that not all horses and ponies are capable of dealing well with unspoken emotional stuff. They can start falling apart when presented with underlying tension or emotional outbursts. Realistically, in such a setting, neither the pony nor the child stands a chance.

 

The horse or pony expected to provide safe therapy in a volatile environment needs to be very calm and obedient, himself.  If not, he will end up adding pressure to an already tense situation.

 

Ten rules to shop by:

 

1. Go for gentle, middle aged horses or ponies, aged ten to the late teens. Any older, try leasing them. Any younger, they’re still ‘colts’ as far as kids are concerned. Be guided by the golden “Rule of Twenty” where the child’s and pony’s ages equal at least twenty years.

 

Goals. Everybody needs them.

 

Come what may, please make sure there is good reason to bring a horse or pony into your family life. Before making the phone calls, before driving to the try-outs, before signing the cheques, ask yourself this: what are you hoping to achieve by buying your child her own horse?

 

For your child, please keep it simple. Teach her to love horses and riding and cherish the memories of growing up. Teach her to have lasting gratitude for the good days, resilience on the bad days and most of all, to be kind.

 

When you buy that first pony for your child, you are buying the most important horse of her lifetime. She must be safe, without doubt – but ideally, she will experience the achievement of correct horsemanship… along with a joy and love of horses that will sustain her for life.

 

Please comment and share on any of the mistakes you’ve made while buying children’s horses, what you’ve learned and what you’d do differently.  Your generosity will be a help in allowing someone else to learn.

 

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