Every little girl’s dream is to have a pony. Do you live on a farm and want to give your little girl a surprise gift for her birthday or just something that can keep her preoccupied and learn what responsibility is? You can get her a pony, but first you will need to train the pony so that it can be kid-friendly. You do not want your child to get hurt.
So, how do you train a pony for a child? The first thing you want to think about is the safety of your child. If the pony does not look like it is cooperating, then try for another one. The second thing you want to keep in mind is the kind of pony you think your child will like.
There are many steps that goes into training a pony, so that it can be kid-friendly. If you do not know how to train a pony, find someone that can get the job done, so you can have a well-behaved pony for your child.
Finding the Right Pony for Your Child
Not all ponies are great for a child to have. You have to do research to see which ones are great to be around your child and there some ponies you can choose from. Some of these ponies are the Welsh Pony, Pony of America, Shetland Pony, Connemara Pony, and the Quarter Pony.
These ponies all have things about them that makes them a great fit for a child to have. From being dependable and sturdy, having a life span about 30 years, and suitable for beginners, these ponies are great.
What You Should Look for in a Pony for a Child
The first thing you want to look for in the pony that you want for your child is to make sure that the pony is safe and dependable. It should be able to make your child feel as though it is easy to ride.
You need to make sure that when you are looking for a pony that it is well trained and good-mannered. It should be a little older than 10, so you know that the pony is mature. Some might think that it is a great idea to get a pony that is young, so their child can grow up with it, but that is dangerous especially if your child is learning to ride a pony for the first time. Getting a pony that is older is the safest decision you can make for your child.
The size of the pony should match the size of your child. If your child is small, the pony should at least match the child’s size as well. This is important because when it comes time to take care of the pony or saddle it, your child can have great difficulty doing so if the pony is bigger than them.
Training a Pony for Your Child
If you are going to train a pony yourself, the first thing you want to do is get to know the kind of pony you have. You want to make sure you know everything about this pony from its breed to the previous owner it had, and its personality. Knowing all of these things will help you train the pony to the best of your ability, so your child can be safe.
Teach the pony good ground manners. Do this in the beginning of your training, so not only will you keep the pony safe, but you will be as well since you are training it. By doing this you are teaching the pony to see you as its owner. Should you be around when your child is with the pony, you will be able to help. Don’t think that you can do this a couple of times and your pony will understand.
You have to do this multiple time, so your pony knows what you are doing and understand what you are asking of it. Walk next to the pony, so you can lead and drive the pony at the same time. This will help as you want the horse to halt, wait, make turns, and stop.
Make sure you touch your pony. By doing this all the time, you are creating trust between you and the pony. The pony will also then be able to accept you gradually. Stroking the pony is a form of touch you can do. If you have objects that you want to use to train, use those objects to touch the pony with, so they can trust those objects as well. Grooming is another form of touch.
While you teach the pony ground manners, you will also need to train them with physical aids. An example of this can be a light touch behind the ear of the pony. This will tell the pony to put their head down. Another form of physical aid is touching the pony on the chest. This will tell the pony to take a step back.
Summary
Training a pony to make it safe for your child is hard work and there are so many things you have to look out for. But if you are determined to give your child the pony that they wish for, you will do all the necessary work and training to give them the best pony ever.