I honestly can't think of anything more difficult than finding a good kid's horse for my 6 yo son.  Anybody have any leads?

Bomb proof

knows playday stuff

can walk out nicely

Pretty

Ropes

sound

unicorn

etc

You need to ask around any of your team roper friends-they most likely know someone that has one that is on the verge of crippled, they usually don't advertise because they just don't do those types of things, the horse will be so happy to have a kid take care of him/her it will be amazing AND you will find a horse that is tolerant of almost any situation.  (some of this is tongue in cheek but most is very true)  My son had a crippled old head horse that was amazing.......we all cried the day he died!

We have one and worth his weigh in gold.. He taught my niece to ride and now teaching my son and daughter. 

He was not cheap and is old but horses like him are hard to find.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4gZSx6oTNj8

I know they are that (almost) unattainable unicorn. . . I have been blessed beyond measure because I have a herd of 5 horses, and 4 of them are Debra-proof.   (And most of you have heard me talk about my Dan.  He's gone now, but he was simply PRICELESS.)  I am so thankful to the good Lord, my friends that helped me find these amazing animals, and the previous owners . I wish I knew where there was one to direct you towards. . . . Good luck

i don/t know of any but we were so lucky to get  not 1 but several

ask around  good luck

Exactly! These horses don't get advertised very often because they sell word of mouth and quickly. The old retired rope horses are awesome because they've been everywhere and seen everything.

My parents will be shopping for a pony or horse for my niece in a year & a half or two years and I know they will put the word out to our rodeo family for one of those type of horses.

I have one, but he's not for sale - for sentimental reasons.  He's definately worth his weight in gold, still loves to get in the trailer and go, even if its a slower pace, he IS mostly retired., but  he still loves to go on trail rides and cart the babies around. And he loves to be loved on.   And my new little paint mare is showing all the signs of being the same way. 

True kid horses are hard to find and when you do, people don't want to let go of them.

I have one.  But I can't justify selling the old fart (mostly because I need 1 more year out of him!) because he's earned his keep multiple times.   He loves kids and I'm not having any.  He's also not your typical kids horse, because he's 16 hands. lol 

Even once my filly takes over for full time next year, I couldn't sell him.  I'd be afraid he'd be broken hearted, kid to love him or not. 

Whiteboy if you have any Playdays in your area go to them and watch for a few weeks and see what the kids are riding, sometimes the kido's are moving up to a faster horse and the parents are wanting to sell their first horse, and like someone else said go to all your local ropings and ask around you never now their child may be bumping up to a faster horse and they need to sell old fathfull, word of mouth gets around fast, I would rather buy one this way instead of looking at ads from far away and dont have any ideal about the horse.

I was going to suggest the same thing.

My husband's head horse is 18 this year and while he's perfectly sound and working good, he wants to retire him that way.  Plus he has plenty of other horses that he will never rodeo on while the old man is still going.

So he is actually going to live with my mom and will be a step up barrel horse for my 10 year old cousin.  He's the definition of a babysitter, but willing enough to go fast that she doesn't kick her legs off LOL.

My 4 yr old daughter rides a little old mare right now, and while she is great for my daughter right now, just being ponied behind me, learning on the ground, etc, etc, I wouldn't give my daughter that horse's reins. I don't look forward to the day she outgrows her in the sense that she's ready to take her own reins in hand for that very reason. I do NOT want to have to go about finding another for her and I'm hoping her stubborn little mare surprises me. 

I had a gelding from when he was a 3yo w/ 30 days on him, until he was 14yo and he was just horrible for me! He bucked me off more times than I could count, broke numerous bones of mine, ran over calves and goats during practices, and was just an all around stinker. He took me to the NHSFR though, and was one of the grittiest horses I've ever ridden. When I left for college, he was given a year off to just "be a horse" (after being ridden and putting up with basically non-stop attention from a growing girl for about 10 years), and that next summer I came home and advertised him for sale. In my eyes, he was by no means a kids' horse, he was a finished rope and goat horse, and was advertised as such. The first people to come look at him brought three little kids, and wouldn't you know it- he turned out to be a perfect angel for them! He ADORED those kids, and helped them learn to ride and compete. The parents knew him from when I was high school rodeoing, and must have kept tabs on him. A few years ago, my mom ran across a picture of him in one of their pastures- I'm not sure he is still alive, but I am so thankful for the rider he helped me become, and the kindness he passed along to those kids.

Long story short, I would highly recommend looking at some of the local high school rodeo horses, especially ones that the owners are graduating and stepping up to college level horses. I never thought he would make a good kid's horse, but boy was I wrong.

I have no leads but wishing you good luck! We have gone to the local barrel club here for several years and always loved this one mare in particular who we watched take care of a couple little girls there. Last year about this time we were offered the opportunity to buy this mare and we jumped all over it. I think the horses like you are looking for aren't typically advertised because the owner probably has a list of potential homes in mind for when the time comes. I would do as the others suggested and go to some of the things you would like to use this horse at and see what is currenlty out there and put some feelers out so some of those current unicorn owners know you're looking. Our girls are 2 and 4, and I thank their special mare "Wiggles" every day for taking such good care of my babies :)

My main guy is 16.3 (my avatar); he certainly doesn't look like a kid's horse!   I took two horse people with me, and when we pulled up, he was on a walker.   Sammy said his age (5) combined with his size had him concerned, but we tried him there, and a few weeks after that tried him again at a cutting with lots of people and horses around.   Nineteen years later, Sammy still tells me if he had known what kind of horse he was back then, he would have bought him out from under me!!