Would you let your daughter take up horse riding?
Discussion
OP, as a father of a four week old I'm kinda with you in the'concerns for my offspring' stakes, alas no dilemma - an 8th grandchild of grandparents of modest means, the only My Little Pony they'll be buying is from Argos. My concern then would be because the nipper is a boy! 
I digress: it's all about acceptable level of risk. I cocked about at a mate's mum's stables as a kid, rode horses with little training, supervision or protective gear - a badly fitting hard hat was about the best it got. Never had any problems. I soon got bored of it though, the shovelling s
t to riding horses ratio was far too wrongly skewed so I knocked it on the head.
Can I ask if the issue is with the danger of the riding, or the assumptive nature of your wife and extended family expecting your kid to follow their interests? That's what would piss me off more, if they'd bought my 2yo a pony - that I'd have to give up valuable leisure time at a formative time in my kid's upbringing doing interesting stuff to watch something only suited to the glue factory plod around some stinking show ring!
I digress: it's all about acceptable level of risk. I cocked about at a mate's mum's stables as a kid, rode horses with little training, supervision or protective gear - a badly fitting hard hat was about the best it got. Never had any problems. I soon got bored of it though, the shovelling s
t to riding horses ratio was far too wrongly skewed so I knocked it on the head. Can I ask if the issue is with the danger of the riding, or the assumptive nature of your wife and extended family expecting your kid to follow their interests? That's what would piss me off more, if they'd bought my 2yo a pony - that I'd have to give up valuable leisure time at a formative time in my kid's upbringing doing interesting stuff to watch something only suited to the glue factory plod around some stinking show ring!
My daughter (8) rides at the weekend - we are not 'horsey' people by any stretch.
She loves it - it build her confidence, and to be honest she is trotting around a sand-school, not doing point-to-point racing.
Yes there is a risk - but better that she goes riding than sits in front of the TV.
And since I ride downhill MTB I can't really lecture on the stupidity of dangerous activities.
She loves it - it build her confidence, and to be honest she is trotting around a sand-school, not doing point-to-point racing.
Yes there is a risk - but better that she goes riding than sits in front of the TV.
And since I ride downhill MTB I can't really lecture on the stupidity of dangerous activities.
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
I went racing British National Superbikes for about five years too. Total tally of injuries - a dislocated knee and a shoulder separation. Despite motorbikes having a morbidly dangerous reputation.
^^+1^^Many years back the company had a staff insurance review and one of their final questions was "do you practice any dangerous sport?"
"Err... I hold a national road-race licence"
"Thats OK, bike racing isn't on the list"
I was gobsmacked and asked her what was
"Well I hope you don't ride horses" she said.
At what point do we need to take into account inflation for the standard fiver?Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
Here's a summary of my two-penneth worth...
For a kinda comparison, I rode all kinds of motorbikes, often recklessly on the roads, for over 20 years. Then I went racing British National Superbikes for about five years too. Total tally of injuries - a dislocated knee and a shoulder separation. Despite motorbikes having a morbidly dangerous reputation.
Then two years ago I started training / working as a Paramedic. In those two years I have been to just one RTC involving a motorbike, where the rider walked away with some bruising to his knee.
Compared to me attending around a dozen horse-related incidents. Some of them were minor injuries, some of them were more major, and a handful were life-changing.
So in my experience - there have been a far higher proportion of injuries involving horses than anything else. So let's put it this way....I wouldn't get on a horse again, let alone allow someone in my family to. They seem to be lethal!!!
Ray. Seriously. Two penn'orth, as in two penny's worth.For a kinda comparison, I rode all kinds of motorbikes, often recklessly on the roads, for over 20 years. Then I went racing British National Superbikes for about five years too. Total tally of injuries - a dislocated knee and a shoulder separation. Despite motorbikes having a morbidly dangerous reputation.
Then two years ago I started training / working as a Paramedic. In those two years I have been to just one RTC involving a motorbike, where the rider walked away with some bruising to his knee.
Compared to me attending around a dozen horse-related incidents. Some of them were minor injuries, some of them were more major, and a handful were life-changing.
So in my experience - there have been a far higher proportion of injuries involving horses than anything else. So let's put it this way....I wouldn't get on a horse again, let alone allow someone in my family to. They seem to be lethal!!!
Now to your points. What proportion of these horsey incidents have been young girls on ponies in riding schools?
(just out of interest what proportion of them have happened because utter cocks like KFC wanted to make a point?)
doogz said:
Whilst he did appear to be a complete walloper, did you read the horse and hound site and their description of what happened?
He came round a blind bend on a single track road doing 90 (no idea how they figured that out), stopped immediately (stopping distances don't aplly to old TVRs) then sat wheel spinning on the spot for a minute, 60 seconds straight
You know what - I did.He came round a blind bend on a single track road doing 90 (no idea how they figured that out), stopped immediately (stopping distances don't aplly to old TVRs) then sat wheel spinning on the spot for a minute, 60 seconds straight
And it was 100mph IIRC as calibrated by the Horseybint-oculus 20:20 (TM).
There is a reason that hysteria has its etymology.
Nevertheless, not that particular TVR owner's finest moment perhaps!
mph1977 said:
some of the comments about ' the horsey set' can be applied to any activity
arguably ' football dads' are just as bad if not worse than anything the horsey set produces - i've seen more violence and insults from football dads
I'm not sure it applies to football, after all you can't run round in a £30k pair of football boots very easily. Which is the level of shallowness I've witnessed when it comes to buying "ponies".arguably ' football dads' are just as bad if not worse than anything the horsey set produces - i've seen more violence and insults from football dads
Zoon said:
mph1977 said:
some of the comments about ' the horsey set' can be applied to any activity
arguably ' football dads' are just as bad if not worse than anything the horsey set produces - i've seen more violence and insults from football dads
I'm not sure it applies to football, after all you can't run round in a £30k pair of football boots very easily. Which is the level of shallowness I've witnessed when it comes to buying "ponies".arguably ' football dads' are just as bad if not worse than anything the horsey set produces - i've seen more violence and insults from football dads
motorsport dads across the demographic map and arguably Optimist dads occupying a similar percieved niche to the horsey set ( and certainly the cash splashers - you'd be suprised at what a 8 ft box can cost )
My suggestion for those thinking of taking up the sport but wish to have a bit of safety, make sure its a hairy Cobb thing. They are about the only docile, non buckarooing thing there is (unless your unlucky). More Nissan Almera than Ferrari. Anything else is potentially a nutjob in my experience.
My wife has a livery yard with about 10 of the nutter variety, docile in their box on the whole but show them a bit of grass & they are off, easily spooked by plastic bags in the hedge or hot air ballons & of course by the local air ambulance. Personally I stick to brakes & steering wheels it is far far safer unless its a hairy one.
My wife has a livery yard with about 10 of the nutter variety, docile in their box on the whole but show them a bit of grass & they are off, easily spooked by plastic bags in the hedge or hot air ballons & of course by the local air ambulance. Personally I stick to brakes & steering wheels it is far far safer unless its a hairy one.
cptsideways said:
make sure its a hairy Cobb thing. They are about the only docile, non buckarooing thing there is (unless your unlucky). More Nissan Almera than Ferrari. Anything else is potentially a nutjob in my experience.
Not all of them. My mothers Welsh Cobb and it's relations are mostly mental. The Drays and Cart horses are the most docile ones in my experience.
omgus said:
cptsideways said:
make sure its a hairy Cobb thing. They are about the only docile, non buckarooing thing there is (unless your unlucky). More Nissan Almera than Ferrari. Anything else is potentially a nutjob in my experience.
Not all of them. My mothers Welsh Cobb and it's relations are mostly mental. The Drays and Cart horses are the most docile ones in my experience.
but thats the general gist I've gleaned, is if its had a haircut then its a nutjob type, hairy ones to me are the type that pull beer around, as you've pointed out thats not always the case. 
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