So this might be a stupid question, but I really don’t know. How the heck do they train a mini pony to be ridden? Every once in a while I see a small child on a small mount and question how it was taught to not immediately throw its tiny rider.
I have seen people use feed bags and stuff to get them used to weight, and of course ground driving, but do you just throw your least favorite child up there and hope for the best? 
it’s not like any adult could get on it to school it.
2 Likes
Good riding petite teens and petite adults. A 5’4 adult is small enough to safely flat a small around and get it jumping. Do they look goofy? Yeah, duh.
you take the mini off to one side and explain to them if you hurt the kid then you go to Europe to part of a small dinner
Ours are not ridden but are worked in harness… but they could be ridden since they are pretty reasonably behaved…these are not wild mustangs that go bucking off into the sunset
3 Likes
even the true minis? Im 5’5" and can’t imagine riding my mini mule. I could stand up 
This question was thought of because a clients 4 year old reeeeeeeeally wants to ride the mule. But, if i put a small child on her, the child would definitely die.
1 Like
1 Like
I was referring to small ponies. I see very few actual Miniature Horses that are ridden… and the ones that are I am suspicious of how broke they really are vs. manhandled because they’re so small. I thought mini horse people advocate for them not to be ridden anyway due to size.
3 Likes
I’ve trained a little 9 hander ages ago. Taught her to long line for steering and pull a cart with voice commands. Then added a rider one day, found a decent riding small kid, and put her on a lunge line. Transferred the voice commands to leg and seat, got her used to taking orders from someone on her back using legs, seat, and voice. I was really careful to make sure kids treated her kindly and treated her like a horse.
Ponies are quick learners; faster than most horses, you just have to be meticulous in maintaining positive experiences in each step to have a happy pony. They don’t forget and get bad habits 10x faster than good ones.
4 Likes
Simple Answer:
You find the right mini.
A lot of them give the lie to Ponytude.
At 3yo, my 34" Bugs’ attitude toward kids was basically Stuffed Animal.
BUT:
He went to an Amish family at 2-1/2 to be broke.
Spent the next 6mos being handled by 5 stairstep sons - from 14yo down to 3.
They did NOT ride him.
He was there to be broke to drive.
MHO is minis should not be used for riding. Period. Full Stop.
Possibly the larger - 39" limit - minis can leadline toddlers.
But actual kids small enough to not stress a mini have no business yeehawing around on their own.
There’s a video on the interwebz of a little girl on a mini trotting barrels.
~cue the Awwwwwss~
Head wobbling on her little neck, even with (probably because of) the keyoot pink helmet, looking like she’ll come off or get hung up & dragged any second.
Makes my brain hurt.
For the “big minis” or really stubby ponies, I think a lot of them are lead line only anyway… Kids that small usually don’t have enough body awareness to do more than be a passenger. It takes a good temperament to put up with kids in general… but it seems like you could do a lot of the training with a sand dummy or something equally floppy.
1 Like
Oh dear I found the video you are talking about - it’s horrifying. I’m pretty sure she is strapped on that animal.
I can’t disagree with you. I won’t teach kids less than 6 because they just don’t have the mental or physical ability yet. But every once in a while, I see a kid riding a mini.
I actually grew up riding a mini. I probably have pics of me on it as a little thing.
Sand bags! First the pony gets used to tack, then sand bags are added as stirrups. Once the pony gets used to the sand bags, a small adult/teen can get on and do the rest (though they might look a bit silly). These ponies really just need to know “stop” and “go” to various degrees and have the heart of a saint to do their job.
