Post by calekio on Dec 21, 2008 8:41:15 GMT 1
My friends 7yr old daughter has a share in my 33" gelding. He is just the saint on legs... she has learnt everything with him and he is so patience with her... more so than he is with other kids i've found..
Her confidence is growing and so she is now starting to go off lead rein... yesterday the pair had there first proper hack out off lead rein.... admitted i was always within grabbing distance with a lead rope round my neck but its a start!
He is very stubborn off lead and does the whole 'i'm standing her... kick me as much as you like i'm not moving...' and yesterday discovered that napping could also be effective! So i reluntantly gave her a riding crop........
I've always said i'd NEVER give a child a riding whip! I will admit.. this 7yr old isn't like many 7yr old and acts very responsible and more like a teenager (in some bad ways as well! lol) And she adores her pony so much i knew she wouldn't wack him with it... but thought it better than the pony getting booted in the ribs for not going forward...
And was given the warning 'you hit your pony i'll hit you!'...... lol
She was just told to brush it around his hind and it worked effectively to get him to move forward then and more off her leg as well... and the pair hacked out happily with him going nicely for her at walk... i popped her back on the lead (and took crop off her) when she had a trot as she's still trotting holding on... and also when we had to walk past the cob stallion and his mares as i thought that would just tempt fate too much! But apart from that he was such a good boy... he longs reins out with me so i knew he would go off lead rein... just requires a little bit more effort! lol
Its funny as 2 months ago she was scared of trotting... when her boy had his operation and had to have a month off she had to ride one of the girls and i think changing ponies build her confidence up... and also maybe make her relise how good her pony is as her confidence has just sky rocketed since that (she now wants to take the recently broken pony off lead... i did say that may have to wait another few weeks for her.... lol)
Her parents have gotten her the share in him for her xmas present... she is very mature and i suppose she'd had to grow up fast due to family problems... so xmas morning she'll find her pony in her back garden to wake up to and be able to ride him around where she lives which will be sweet.
Her confidence is growing and so she is now starting to go off lead rein... yesterday the pair had there first proper hack out off lead rein.... admitted i was always within grabbing distance with a lead rope round my neck but its a start!
He is very stubborn off lead and does the whole 'i'm standing her... kick me as much as you like i'm not moving...' and yesterday discovered that napping could also be effective! So i reluntantly gave her a riding crop........
I've always said i'd NEVER give a child a riding whip! I will admit.. this 7yr old isn't like many 7yr old and acts very responsible and more like a teenager (in some bad ways as well! lol) And she adores her pony so much i knew she wouldn't wack him with it... but thought it better than the pony getting booted in the ribs for not going forward...
And was given the warning 'you hit your pony i'll hit you!'...... lol
She was just told to brush it around his hind and it worked effectively to get him to move forward then and more off her leg as well... and the pair hacked out happily with him going nicely for her at walk... i popped her back on the lead (and took crop off her) when she had a trot as she's still trotting holding on... and also when we had to walk past the cob stallion and his mares as i thought that would just tempt fate too much! But apart from that he was such a good boy... he longs reins out with me so i knew he would go off lead rein... just requires a little bit more effort! lol
Its funny as 2 months ago she was scared of trotting... when her boy had his operation and had to have a month off she had to ride one of the girls and i think changing ponies build her confidence up... and also maybe make her relise how good her pony is as her confidence has just sky rocketed since that (she now wants to take the recently broken pony off lead... i did say that may have to wait another few weeks for her.... lol)
Her parents have gotten her the share in him for her xmas present... she is very mature and i suppose she'd had to grow up fast due to family problems... so xmas morning she'll find her pony in her back garden to wake up to and be able to ride him around where she lives which will be sweet.