Minimum height for riding horses in lessons

[Kirikou]

Hi,
I am a firm proponent of “proportionality” when it comes to matching horses/riders - particularly beginner riders. My lesson string is varied (from 36 inches Shetland/mini crosses to 17h TBs) . I do group lessons and try to have similarly sized mounts in the same lessons (easier when setting up grids, etc).
The small/medium ponies are size/level appropriate for the kids (and typically better behaved than the 15.3h 20 yo gelding “who should really know better” grr) and I want to produce “horsepeople” not just riders (which means grooming, tacking up, etc). So if you’re small you’re on small ponies, and when you’re tall enough to put the saddle on a horse on your own then you’re ready to move up.
Recently many parents/children have started questioning when Little Susie can move up to ride horses though. I am currently using an age requirement but kids’ height vary greatly and it’s not really working well to make sure everyone is signing up for size appropriate group lessons.

I would like to set up a minimum height requirement to “move up” from the small/medium ponies to horses and, while I did find some examples googling European lessons barns, I can’t seem to find much in the US. I did see the 50inches/55inches mark mentioned quite a bit on trailriding outfitters websites here though. What would you recommend as a minimum height for riding the schoolhorses?

And how would you phrase the requirement in an area where everyone else starts their toddlers on large QHs and where riding a “big horse” seems - understandably perhaps - to be a badge of honor for the kids?

[clanter]

@Kirikou

I am a firm proponent of “proportionality” when it comes to matching horses/riders - particularly beginner riders.

then your rules would be the rules whatever you have chosen as acceptable

but since you have researched the European standards I would suggest that you those standards because your past researching could be discovered if an action was brought against you providing a foundation for legation

Our youngest daughter never rode a small pony, her pony was 14.1 however she began riding at a very young age only because we could not keep her off her horse.

[Kirikou]

@clanter

an action was brought against you providing a foundation for legation

Thanks, could you provide an example of that?
I am unsure how a rule meant for safety of the students could be used as a foundation for legation?

[Scribbler]

I would also use common sense.

Supply some photos of adults using good position on horses. Then a photo of a small child on a big horse, an adult on a small pony and several children on appropriate sized ponies.

Make this into a wall chart. Hang it on your main bulletin board with the heading “What Size Horse Should I Ride?”

The aim of children riding ponies is that they can learn correct aids especially leg position on a horse proportionate to their size. A child on a big horse has no leg and is just a passenger. Explain to parents that the child is learning better skills on ponies than on big horses, and that they are very very lucky to be in a program that has ponies because it’s such an advantage.

Maybe source some British photos of kids riding and jumping ponies.

Most parents just wouldn’t know this at all.

The answer is: when your leg is long enough that you look like this, pointing to a photo.

[Kirikou]

Thanks @Scribbler! I LOVE the bulletin board idea!

[AllTheCarrots]

I remember lessoning as a kid and climbing up one or two of the school horses as if they were Mount Everest. From there, I would have to wrap my stirrup leathers (sometimes multiple times!) and would wind up with with my heel somewhere around the very bottom of the saddle flap. Shockingly, this made trotting and cantering rather difficult, as the already hard-sided schoolies now had an extra layer of armor against my leg.

If you have the options, kudos to you for wanting to make life easier for your petite kids. Tell the parents that ponies are not equine training wheels; it’s just like giving their kid the right size skis or bat or racquet so they can progress faster.

If all else fails, show them video of 14.1 Teddy O’Connor.

A Tribute To Theodore O'Connor

[joiedevie99]

If it’s coming from the parent, give them more information. Ponies aren’t easier/lessler/etc. - they’re just an appropriate scale to allow the children to use their aids correctly.

If it’s coming from the kid, let them give it a go. Perhaps on the biggest lesson horse you have that is safe enough. See how they feel after that.

I rode horses first, because they were able to be ridden by adults, and were therefore better behaved. I only rode ponies after I had some basic skills. It’s just what my trainer had available at the time.

[exvet]

The rule at our house was basically you rode what you could tack up on your own. My kids started out on a section A welsh and then graduated up from there. I did not have the time to tack up for them just so they could ride as I had too many of my own to ride. Now of course I was always there and monitoring the situation. I made sure they weren’t putting themselves at undue risk and their mounts were appropriate for their level of understanding/experience. This ‘rule’ was to insure that my kids developed their horsemanship skills as well as their riding skills. They had to prove that they wanted to ride by being able to catch, groom, tack up and the reverse when done…otherwise it wasn’t my priority that they have a horse. The horses have always been ‘mine first’ and theirs came as a privilege if they followed the aforementioned rules (and worked for it by helping take care of the farm/ranch). Having said that, however, I must admit to lunge line lessons on my perfect, sane, safe 15 hand Arab occasionally with both of my kids while they had smaller mounts because there were certain aspects of riding I could teach on him as opposed to their pony/horse at the time. Still, they could catch and tack even him up while relatively small and young because he was ‘that’ good for a beginner and they weren’t riding on their own.

[Kirikou]

Thanks everyone for the great ideas!
I like the idea to compare it with choosing a baseball bat/musical instrument. The parents wouldn’t get a 26’’ wheel bike for their 4 yo so why would you think your beginner kid can independently (I agree that lunge line lessons are a little different here) a 16h horse?
I’ve nerdily been researching charts about “choosing the right bike for your child” which mention inseam rather than height of the child. It may help to come up with some similar guidelines for ponies/horses (acknowledging that of course they’re only guidelines and some may have had a great first experience riding on a placid draft cross).

The pushback I am getting is coming from both kids and parents who are mostly influenced by the other local riding instructor (who also happens to be the 4H-leader) who is firmly “anti-pony”. She is apparently convinced that all ponies are evil and actively discourages families from purchasing them for their children. I’ve tried mentioning that it’s the training of the mount that matters - not whether it’s under or over 14.2 but she’s had a lot of “influence” locally over the years…