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 Expert
Posts: 1631
   
Location: Somewhere around here | The horse I currently have is a good boy all around. Doesn't buck, bite, run off or spook, and I trust him with older kids on him. My oldest daughter will be 3 next spring and she LOVES riding on the back of my horse by herself, as I'm leading her around of course. Me and my husband have been playing with the idea of buying her own saddle and pony/horse but now we're wondering if we could use our big boy as her first horse. He loves doing on her and is careful whenever she's buy him and brushing him. Am I crazy for thinking this? If I'm not, what things should I get my horses used to before he officially becomes hers? Maybe a checklist?
Edited by cecollins0811 2017-12-05 3:49 PM
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  Semper Fi
Location: North Texas | Here's the deal, Kids Horses are BORN not made. A horse is either a kid's horse or not. Age and miles has much to do with whether or not a horse is a kid's horse. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1074
| Horse either are born with it or not. I don't think you can train them to be a kid horse. Either they love children and put up with them or they don't. |
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Expert
Posts: 1631
Location: Somewhere around here | Train was probably a bad word to out in there but I didn't know if maybe I should work with him on spooky things, like tarps and whatnot, and try to make him more bombproof or what. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 612
| You can start slowly and put her saddle on him and lead her around and see how that goes. If that works, then you could put her in a very small space like a round pen and see how that goes. My real recommendation is to not just turn her loose and hope for the best. You can't guarantee that any horse will be bomb proof with your kids so you have to take it slow and control the environment for a while. Three year olds are tough because they don't grasp the idea of actually controlling the horse or recognize how to stay away from potential problems, but many of them love to ride and think that they can ride by themselves. |
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 Angel in a Sorrel Coat
Posts: 16030
Location: In a happy place | foundation horse - 2017-12-05 3:19 PM Here's the deal, Kids Horses are BORN not made. A horse is either a kid's horse or not. Age and miles has much to do with whether or not a horse is a kid's horse.
I agree about a kid horse being born. I had a three year old colt I was still riding with a bosal. My son wanted to ride him. From that day on he was Clay's horse. Never one time did this horse let me down. He was a kid horse deluxe.
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | Yup - born not made.
I'm tickled because I think I lucked out wtih my Shotgun. He is only 6 this year but he has been a steady eddy since I bought him as a 6-month-old. When my daughter is big enough to ride, I think he's going to be perfect for him. Although he is about 15.3 hands. While it's farther for her to fall, I suppose, if he's the right horse, he's the right horse.
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| I agree they have it or they don’t. No horse is 100% bomb proof but the true kids horse is one that is careful not to hurt the kid, not only will they tolerate a kid climbing all over them but if they get in a pinch they don’t act stupid, will step over them as oppose to on them, etc |
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 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | my 4 yr old colt by Firewater Finale is like that. He's still intact so him officially becoming the kids horse is doubtful but I think he will sure work for ranch work etc for them. He's the type that if you can ride at all, he'd be a good fit. I led my 5 yr old son (that is pretty timid since he outgrew his pony) around on him. I've had him in enough places I trust him about as much as you possibly can. I'm super nervous about calling any horse a kids horse that doesn't have some age and been there/done that. You just never know what is their kryptonite. I've had horses that were just angels and then have the wind pick up out of the blue and swirl some dirt and they come unglued. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 682
Location: Northwest | rodeomom3 - 2017-12-05 4:29 PM
I agree they have it or they don’t. No horse is 100% bomb proof but the true kids horse is one that is careful not to hurt the kid, not only will they tolerate a kid climbing all over them but if they get in a pinch they don’t act stupid, will step over them as oppose to on them, etc
I agree! A good kids horse has a natural instinct to “take care” of a kid. It’s truly an awesome thing when a horse has that nature. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1096
| wyoming barrel racer - 2017-12-05 6:49 PM
my 4 yr old colt by Firewater Finale is like that. He's still intact so him officially becoming the kids horse is doubtful but I think he will sure work for ranch work etc for them. He's the type that if you can ride at all, he'd be a good fit. I led my 5 yr old son (that is pretty timid since he outgrew his pony) around on him. I've had him in enough places I trust him about as much as you possibly can. I'm super nervous about calling any horse a kids horse that doesn't have some age and been there/done that. You just never know what is their kryptonite. I've had horses that were just angels and then have the wind pick up out of the blue and swirl some dirt and they come unglued.
My Firewater Finale 5 yo is my daughters trick riding horse |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | My first horse was a 14yo retired (due to minor shoulder injury) rope horse. I was 4. He was great. He wasn't spooky (usually lol he did dump me once when I was about 10) and didn't buck but he was actually well broke so I learned how to ride.
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 Straight Shooter
Posts: 5725
Location: SW North Dakota | Agree- Born, not Made. We were lucky to have a couple of them. My daughter started riding Bob when she was 4 and he was 9 or 10. He was our #1 ranch horse, and I ran barrels on him for a couple of years- but he was never in a big hurry. My husband put her on him to go move some cows and I almost had a heart attack. But Bob took the "kid horse gig" VERY seriously, and was 100% rock solid for her. At 16h and 1500#, he wasn't your typical pony, but he was worth every pound in solid gold. He is 17 this year and is on loan to my BFF and is teaching her 7 year old twins to be great cowboys.
Moral of the story, if a horse has a heart for kids, they are nearly invaluable!
This video will melt your heart. I've shared it before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6THbkLbbZ4
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 Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | ND3canAddict - 2017-12-06 3:09 PM Agree- Born, not Made. We were lucky to have a couple of them. My daughter started riding Bob when she was 4 and he was 9 or 10. He was our #1 ranch horse, and I ran barrels on him for a couple of years- but he was never in a big hurry. My husband put her on him to go move some cows and I almost had a heart attack. But Bob took the "kid horse gig" VERY seriously, and was 100% rock solid for her. At 16h and 1500#, he wasn't your typical pony, but he was worth every pound in solid gold. He is 17 this year and is on loan to my BFF and is teaching her 7 year old twins to be great cowboys.
Moral of the story, if a horse has a heart for kids, they are nearly invaluable!
This video will melt your heart. I've shared it before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6THbkLbbZ4
SOOOOOOO ..... CUTE ! ! ! ! |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | When I first started back riding after my wreck I had to have a true "kid's horse". My boy was 5 years old, 16.3, and about 1350 lbs--not necessarily what one would think I'd need. He was an old soul from the beginning, and I don't know what I'd do without him. He can be spunky, but he knows when I need him to be calm. (I swear as I got to where I could ride a little more confidently, he knew it.) Faci will be 23, and I am so thankful the good Lord let me find him all those years ago. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| My Streakin La Jolla gelding turned out to be a kid's horse at age 20 - and I would have NEVER, in a ga-zillion years believed it, but he is running pee-wees now with an 8 yr old jockey. I got him off the track at age 4 and he was a HAND FULL. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | My 24 year old gelding was a bit of an outlaw in his younger years, but about this time last year I offered to let the little sister of one of my high school students try riding him in case he'd work for her next junior rodeo mount. Joker had mellowed some in his early 20s and he is the easiest horse ever to run barrels on because he does everything the exact same way every time and you really just have to hold on.
Still, I wasn't quite sure he had the kid horse mentality, but we all agreed to let her ride him a couple times and try to decide. I figured if nothing else, I could read him well enough to call it off if he wasn't going to behave for her.
Lo and behold, Joker loved that little girl from the first second he saw her. I would have never guessed it but he loves being a kid horse. She started out as a very timid rider who was scared when he loped, but with time and patience, she grew into him and he backed off the speed to meet her needs. They first competed in May, and in September, she was reasonably competitive at the American Royal Youth Rodeo plus ran a 26 second pole run the very first time she entered on Joker. Just a few weeks ago, they got their first top-6 finish in barrels at a Little Britches Rodeo, so I'd say my old washed up 3D horse still has a little bit left for his new rider. |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | Like some have said above, I have seen some horses that NEVER thought would make a kids horse grow into the job with time, mileage and experience. |
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boon
Posts: 1
| thank you people for some answers that i've found here. your posts are really helpful. i've been thinking the same about my 7 years old. Can i come here back a bit later and ask some questions? thanks! |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Wasis1981 - 2017-12-07 6:20 PM
thank you people for some answers that i've found here. your posts are really helpful. i've been thinking the same about my 7 years old. Can i come here back a bit later and ask some questions? thanks!
Absolutely---and welcome to the board  |
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Folks on-line