Would You Hack Out Holding Child On Pommel?

newforest

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2008
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Today i saw an adult and very young child balanced on the pommel of the saddle. They were having to hold them there as i take it not old enough to actually sit there on there own.

I know people do put children in front, example below.

http://www.equinetips.com/2010/09/teaching-child-how-to-trail-ride-horse.html?m=1

But this was a fairly busy road and one hand was on reins and one hand on child. Dread to think how young it was. Not small horse either.
 
Erm, nope. I'd be wary of doing it in a controlled environment too - out on a hack, no chance!
 
I was taught to do it whilst doing my HorseBoy training (riding with autistic children). As long as you have a very safe and sensible horse you trust 100% and you are a competent and confident rider there isn't too much of a problem. It is much better on a Western saddle though.


I have ridden around fields on Rhia with my niece and other children like that after many many sessions doing it with a dummy. I also used the method doing pony rides at a fete with the really little children (parents felt more comfortable that way than them being up there alone).

Hacking on a road though? Hmmm, not sure I would feel as good about it due to the unpredictability of motorists, that is just dangerous.
 
On a very special horse, in a controlled environment I would, but it would have to be a very specal horse and with folk around me I trusted and in a very controlled environment. NEVE out side and NEVER on the roads.
 
I was a bit shocked to say the least. Western saddle they can sit in the saddle as well by the look of the photos in the link.
I know with a safe horse the riding for disabled do this, though this could be a duo saddle. Never seen one in flesh, but you can buy them.
 
Never - but there is a pic of my Mum on her father's horse taken on a road c. 1912.
My Mum was not keen on horses. Any wonder?

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Hmm well I have - depends on the age.

However said child was 9, had a hat on and my horse isn't a moron. He's pretty sensible, we hacked out for a short while however the girls mother was right next to her and I had the horse on a lead rope. It was only in some woods near the yard for about 20 minutes.

I wouldn't put anything smaller that that certain 9 year old on him as he's so wide and her legs only just fitted the stirrups enough.

I would NEVER put my daughter up in front of me though, the times she had had a sit (she's only 3) she's been held the entire time and the horse has been tied up.

There's a lady I see near me a lot who has a dinky shetland and she leads him out with her child on him, child must only be about 18 months / 2 years and doesn't have any reins, she's always leading him out on the forest for mini hacks. Child is often just sat here looking around and pointing at different things. I don't think I would be that laid back.
 
There's a lady I see near me a lot who has a dinky shetland and she leads him out with her child on him, child must only be about 18 months / 2 years and doesn't have any reins, she's always leading him out on the forest for mini hacks. Child is often just sat here looking around and pointing at different things. I don't think I would be that laid back.

I think that's fine though, when there's someone on the ground you can easily get the child out of danger if something goes wrong - can catch them if they're going to fall off or grab them out of the saddle if pony is misbehaving. Having reins or not having reins doesn't make a blind bit of difference at that age, stirrups don't make much difference either.

One of our local riding school proprietors has a just-turned-3-year-old daughter doing clear-round crosspole jumping, in trot, off the lead rein. She's amazingly brave and constantly has this determined look on her face! Pony's about 13.2 so no midget. She's not old enough to remember the course! - she hasn't even got the hang of left and right yet, her dad gets her round by yelling out the colour of the next jump. I am hoping she will be a jockey for Mouse in a couple of years :giggle:

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Ah - are we talking leading said pony on the ground or from another horse ? On the ground in controlled circumstances, as I said I would. But only an older child, a toddler no chance.

Wow - love those pics !! :wub:
 
Skib-why didn't your mum like horses after being introduced so young?

Back in the 20's or even the 60's there wasn't the sheer volume of traffic. Where i used to ride has been built on. You do meet people who don't think you should even be on the roads. I wonder if we will get to the stage where actually we don't anymore.
Near my yard there is another 100 houses so that's a minimum of another 100 cars assuming one per house.
 
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