Children hacking out .. what age ?

[Ruskii]

Righto mind is wandering already (child isnt even born yet! ) and I'm REALLY REALLY hoping she'll be interested in horses and want a pony, but sods law will probably prove with having both parents horsey she wont be. Which is absolutely fine, but fingers crossed in the mean time

At what age would you think a child would be capable of riding a pony out with companion ie me or her dad ? Would it make a difference of being lead rein or not ? Would you think 7 or 8 years old to young ? Or would some be able to go sooner ? Obviously a lot would depend on said pony as well wouldnt it ? Hubby used to with his daughter, but I cant remember how old she was.

So for the NR parents, do you kids hack out with you and if they do what age did they start ? Pics would be lovely to

 

[kclarke]

my daughter is 4 and will hack out with me on a horse and her dad leading her on foot. she is very confident and well balanced and gives me no worries at, we constantly tell her to be aware of her surroundings etc, look where her horse is going and pay attention. i'm not 100% about taking her on the lead rein without her dad, i always think at least if he's there and the worst did happen and her pony spooked or something, he's there without first having to dismount/having another horse to deal with at the same time.
a friend of mine takes her 3 year old out in the saddle with her. she has no problems but again i wouldnt be sure about it....if the horse spooks, do you concentrate on holding ontot the child or containing the horse? but, our way works for us just now, though the rate she's learning i expect she'l be demanding off the lead rein before long!

i will have a look for pics!!

 

[Ruskii]

a friend of mine takes her 3 year old out in the saddle with her. she has no problems but again i wouldnt be sure about it....if the horse spooks, do you concentrate on holding ontot the child or containing the horse?

Sh*t - no way would I try that, I think even if I did OH would murder me !

4 year old hacking out sounds great, and you can relax as well as she's been led from the ground.

This is sounding promising

 

[hdonna]

I am terrible I have a thirteen yr old son who wants to do more. we keep our horse on a farm with hacking around he fields he has now been out round the fields with friends once without me but i would not let him go off site. I dont even like him going off round the farm with others.

 

[SallyLoofah]

i have been hacking out off lead rein since i started riding (about 7 or 8 i think) im now 14 and am allowed complete freedom to hack out alone, don't normally tell anyone where im going just go wherever the mood takes me! all my hacking is off-road though, not sure mum would let me out by myself on the roads. (my pony is completley bombproof, its the k**bs on the road she she worries about!)

hope your baby likes riding, sure he or she will with two horsey parents!!

 

[kclarke]

definitely the younger the better i think. katy's been sat on since she was teeny, i think she was about 2 when we first went wanders with her, and ok, she still can't 'ride' in the sense of di it all herself, but she knows the basics, has tons of confidence, and now that she's started lessons, you can see how she's benefitted when you compare her riding to the others of a similar age who havent been on a horse before. she has balance down to a t, most likely because she's always ridden ours either bareback or without stirrups, and she can sit a spook or sideways jog without wobbling. i've always said that the kids who get on board when they're tiny tots have all the confidence in the world, when they get that bit older and they have the knowledge there is potential to get injured/fall, they always hold back that little bit.
i'm sure with two horsey parents your little one when she arrives (is it a girl you're having?) will have a fantastic time learning to ride!

 

[evie]

My daughters hacked out with me on trusted ponies from the age of 6/7 (off lead rein).

From the ages of 9/10 they hacked out together or with friends on the 200 acres on-site private hacking (no roads)... they always had to have a mobile on them and I was always on the yard.

This year we have moved yards and now have a mile of road work to do before we get to the bridleways (and members of the public to deal with), so hacking is now strictly with adults only!!

I have no issues with my childrens ability to ride and I trust the ponies they are riding, but they are no where near observant enough or understand the risks of riding on the roads, much to their disappointment the 'riding-with-an-adult-on-the-road' rule will be enforced for years to come!!!!

xx

 

[StormyJ]

The 8 year old at my yard is hacking out without a lead rein, I lead her when she was 6 or 7 from a horse.
If the child is capable of sitting on the pony I don't see it makes much difference whether they are in a school or on the lead rein out hacking as long as said pony is quiet.
I started hacking alone at 13, would have been earlier if I'd had a pony!

 

[FeatheryFeet]

I have a 24yr old daughter who I always find a reason why she can't take my mare out on her own.....perhaps it's time to cut the apron ties lol.

 

[xloopylozzax]

ah i love these threads

me aged about 3/4 on my first pony (we'd only just bought him)

that is an almost private road, and there was both my mum and dad there. raffles was 100%, a fantastic pony- the type everyone should learn on.

a bit older

aged 7/8 maybe? thats my mum behind getting ready to ride out with us.

aged about 9/10 on the same black mare in the previous picture, she'd only been broken about 10 months and i was hacking her out on busy roads on my own. shes 14.2 for a bit of perspective.

its how i learnt to ride, i never had lessons and it has made me handle the horse and adapt to get them to do what i want.
also means i have a huge amount of confidence, and i arent fazed by anything out hacking. i will go anywhere with that mare (over and under the A1(M) ) and do!