[Lou3]

grrr i said i was getting out this - i gotta get me some self control. lol.
I am going to put this down to another cross-continent difference. Over here kids ride ponies. Its just a given, an eight yr old on a bigger horse, better have some *really* good excuse or someone is going to rip whoever put them up there apart for putting them on a dangerously large horse or at least they would in my neck of the woods. But saying that over here adults ride ponies too. Ponies are nearly as common-place as bigger horses and good ones are easy to find.
The reason i say they have to be able to do everything unaided is that if they cant they will never LEARN to do it themselves. Ponies IMO are MUCH better teachers than horses. If you can get a pony to do as its told by the age of six you are going to have NO problems with a bigger horse once you reach sixteen. kids that learn to ride on ponies are FAR better riders in the long run.

[Dawn]

So from what you're saying, in England, ponies are safe and horses are dangerous. In other words, ponies are well broke, and horses aren't?

We have a 6 year old taking lessons at the barn on a 15.2-15.3 hand horse. She does everything herself, gets him from the field, grooms, tacks, mounts, everything. It's not the size, it's the ability. If an 8 year old can not physically get on a 15.2 hand horse without assitance from someone else, then I shouldn't be able to get on a 17 hand horse without assitance. I can though, and they can too.

[Dawn]

If you can get a pony to do as its told by the age of six you are going to have NO problems with a bigger horse once you reach sixteen. kids that learn to ride on ponies are FAR better riders in the long run.

I guess the majority of Americans can not ride then? I'm very curious as to where in the world you get the reasoning for that statement. It has (from what I can see) no backing whatsoever aside from your personal experience and opinion.

[Lou3]

is most knowledge not derived from personal experience? Yes in my experience *most* people who have never ridden ponies cannot ride as well as those who have ridden ponies because they have never had to deal with ponies tricks, naturally there are exceptions to every rule.

So from what you're saying, in England, ponies are safe and horses are dangerous. In other words, ponies are well broke, and horses aren't?

You know quite well that isnt what i was saying, what i was saying is that good ponies are easier to find in the UK and of course it is safer for a young child to be around a smaller pony than a larger horse from the point of view that a smaller animal is easier to manage for a smaller person. Its common sense.

[tiffany]

*most* people who have never ridden ponies cannot ride as well as those who have ridden ponies because they have never had to deal with ponies tricks,

unless they own a crazy appy

[Dawn]

A well trained pony would be easier (and safer) for a child to handle than a hrose who is not well behaved. But a badly behaved pony would be much more dangerous than a well mannered horse.

Is it possible that you have the opinion that people that have never ridden ponies are inferior riders because they started riding at an older age? Since apparently all children there ride ponies, that would be a very logical explination.

I have a pony and I have a horse. Both are well trained on the ground. My pony is much more difficult to handle than my horse is (for anyone of any age). No matter how large an equine is, they all possess the ability to severly injure and kill a human. It doesn't matter if they're 10 hands or if they're 17 hands.

As far as 'pony tricks', it all comes down to the snappy toy poodle syndrome.

[Moonshine Zeus]

Im sorrey but i have to agree with Lou3, of course there are some very well brocken and bombroof horses out there but it is there size which can put little kids of. I think it is best to start out on a pony. I no my pony taught me everything. he taught me every trick on the book. How many horses do you no who can untie themselves and do all the pony tricks lou3 was talking about. Although hacks are great. I have just purchased one and find him alot more scary because of his height. I will always think that ponies are the best things to ride that is why i am not selling my little pony.

[Dawn]

Of course a child can be intimidated by a horse on size, and a pony would help with that issue. But that does not mean that the horse is more dangerous than the pony. And many little kids are not bothered by a horses size. (After all the difference between a pony and a horse is 1/4 of an inch). I've also seen (in my personal experience) that the kids that start on ponies are forever scared to move on to a horse. Those that start on horses are always fine to ride anything.

[Moonshine Zeus]

yes i also agree with you there just because it is a pony doesnt mean it is not as nice as a hack. There is alot of ponies with nasty attidude and also a lot of hacks with nasty attitudes.

[lovemyshy]

Poor Sad Dad, he probably came on here thinking he was going to ask a simple question and get a simple straight cut answer. I hope that we haven't confused him any worse, or scared him off.