How would YOU bring this up? Pony ride.

[JustJumpIt!]

My non-horsey sister recently put her 10-month old on a pony for a pony ride. She sent me a picture, thinking that I would love a shot of my nephew on a pony. Not sure what to say - he's 10 months old, the pony is on a hot walker, no helmet, and the baby is tied with a seat-belt-thingy to the saddle. To be fair, daddy is walking right alongside the pony with his hands on the baby. I realize that most pony rides don't provide helmets, and some don't have attendants leading the ponies, but my first reaction was to tell her how dangerous this was and not to ever do it again! Tying a baby to the saddle?!?!

Am I overreacting here? Would you say anything? How would you bring it up?

[aspenlucas]

When my kids pick the ponies to ride at the fair, not that they don't have their choice of 20 some at home. Erica who is just three is always buckled into a belt. Taylor they allow to ride. Now Erica is big enough that I don't have to walk along side her anymore and they don't either. They are on hot walkers, no no helmets.

I'm sure the insurance companies insist on the belts for young children. I know accidents happen but those ponies are SO quiet and bombproof. I would think with the normal type of riders they get. The belts provide more protection then no belt and a child falling off. Remember there are six ponies. So all of them would have to spook at the same time in the same direction for a pony to really get out of control. If a kid hung off the side in the belt, even if that pony spooked, he couldn't convince the others to run that quickly. And usually I've seen 2 or 3 men or woman standing around the wheel.

Now don't start me on riding double or just riding without helmets. I'm against anything that puts a child in harms way. But I can understand the inability of using helmets are fairs.

My non-horsey sister recently put her 10-month old on a pony for a pony ride. She sent me a picture, thinking that I would love a shot of my nephew on a pony. Not sure what to say - he's 10 months old, the pony is on a hot walker, no helmet, and the baby is tied with a seat-belt-thingy to the saddle. To be fair, daddy is walking right alongside the pony with his hands on the baby. I realize that most pony rides don't provide helmets, and some don't have attendants leading the ponies, but my first reaction was to tell her how dangerous this was and not to ever do it again! Tying a baby to the saddle?!?!

Am I overreacting here? Would you say anything? How would you bring it up?

[quicksilverponies]

I wouldnt say a word. Most of the pony ride ponies are very quiet and used to their jobs. With his Dad right beside him, he was probably pretty safe. Sure accidents can happen, but they can happen anywhere. My kids did this a bunch of times and even rode their own ponies out in the fields without helmets or sometimes even bridles or saddles when they were little. Not saying it is the right thing to do, but sometimes we adults tend to overreact to things. JMO.

[Woodland]

Stay out of it! Kids ride like that all the time at fairs and such Her kid HER rules MYOB!!!

[hellerkm]

My youngest Dd is 2 she "pony rides" everyday on her sisters horses and ponies, yes she does have a helmet and no she is not tied on ( might be safer if she was since all she wants to do is JUMP) and I will admit to letting her ride with me while I cool out a horse , again with a helmet.
At 10 mos old as long as dad is right there and the ponies are on a hotwalker I think there is little chance of them getting too out of control. Most kids I know have taken a pony ride at the fair at some point in their life and most come out of the experience just FINE!!

[Cloverbarley]

My DD had a saddle like this for her little pony http://www.basketsaddles.com/. She rode in it from around 8 months old until she was about 18 months old and then she moved into one of these http://www.thorowgood.com/uk/safari/index.htm which she rode in till she was about 5 years old.

I always took my daughter out on trails from the minute she started riding. She always rode in a helmet and body protector. I led her pony from my horse (:eek: some may think) until she was 4 and then she rode herself, off leadline, alongside me. Damn fine rider she is now :).

Anyhow I digress, I can understand your concerns. No helmet, very young child, pony tied to some mechanical running gear with parents who are not horsey. I'm sure they thought it was cute and hoped you would too. As you don't, then say something to them. Even if it's just to gently inform them of what could have gone wrong.

[JustJumpIt!]

Thanks y'all. I'll either keep my mouth shut or let them know they should ask if there are helmets available next time... my own son was riding (being led around) at a year old, but with a helmet, and not tied on - my daughter will ride too when she's a few months older, but again with a helmet and without seat belt! I'll see if I have an outgrown helmet for DS they can have...

[hellerkm]

Thanks y'all. I'll either keep my mouth shut or let them know they should ask if there are helmets available next time... my own son was riding (being led around) at a year old, but with a helmet, and not tied on - my daughter will ride too when she's a few months older, but again with a helmet and without seat belt! I'll see if I have an outgrown helmet for DS they can have...

I do get the concern with the seat belts on saddles, if something goes wrong its not like you can just grab the kid and get out of the way. I do think MOST pony rides have them though.

[shea'smom]

I think you are supposed to worry about people you love! As an experienced horse person, you know the dangers and of course you should share. I am a helmet nazi, but that wouldn't bother me as much as the seat belt in this situation. Dad needs to be able to yank her off if needed.
Otherwise, just enjoy the picture!

[Wayside]

Personally, I'd say something, though I'd try to be non-confrontational about it. A couple months ago my son's preschool was planning on taking the kids to a place that gave pony rides without helmets, and I wouldn't let him paticipate. I calmly explained that we have horses at home, and in our house the rule is that we never ever get on a horse without a hemet. The thought had honestly never occured to many of the parents, and several of them stated that they never let their kids get on bikes without a helmet, but it never occured to them that kids can fall off horses, too.

Anyhow, I didn't set out to change their ways or anything like that, I didn't really feel it was any of my business to do so, but most of these people had never even contemplated the existance of riding helmets. So it was worth bringing that fact to light, though what they do with that information is totally up to them.

So I'd probably say something like "That picture of Babypoopoopants was so completely adorable! I'm such a worrier, though. I'd be terrified of my little Poopsie tied on a pony with no helmet!"

[GoodyTwo]

An improperly fitted helmet will do more damage than good in the very unlikely event of a fall and I’d imagine it would open up the pony ride operator to all kinds of liability if one of their borrowed helmets caused injury – hence why they don’t have them. Besides, kids have been sitting on pony ride ponies, usually parents at their sides, since almost the beginning of time.

[lcw579]

An improperly fitted helmet will do more damage than good in the very unlikely event of a fall and I’d imagine it would open up the pony ride operator to all kinds of liability if one of their borrowed helmets caused injury – hence why they don’t have them. Besides, kids have been sitting on pony ride ponies, usually parents at their sides, since almost the beginning of time.


:yes::yes: Frankly, if they made you share helmets I'd be more freaked out by the threat of head lice! Once those go through your schools you'll never advocate sharing head gear of any kind ever again! :lol:

It's a pony ride - relax. Surely you have more important things to worry about?

[equineartworks]

It is almost impossible to properly fit such a wide range of children in helmets. And...let's not forget the creepy crawlies like Lice, germy things from kids sucking the the straps and chip pads...

No one rides here without a helmet...ever. But I can see logistically why they would not at pony rides.

[equineartworks]

LMAO LCW

GMTA

[Sdhaurmsmom]

... I can understand the inability of using helmets are fairs.


Yes - just think for a moment about head lice, for instance, in shared helmets that would get that many users in a public setting.

{{{shudder}}}That's an ugly thought...of course, if you know your child is going to want to pony ride, you could bring your own helmet - I'm guessing the operators of the pony ride wouldn't object to that.

ETA: I see I'm not the first to envision this creepy head lice scenario....lol

[Mozart]

I think I would gush about how cute nephew is and that you love him so much you never want any harm to come to him, that is why it is really really really important that Mom or Dad are right there with a hand on nephew, ready to yank him off at a moment's notice. That YOU would never risk injuring your nephew putting him in a potentially risky situation but not every horse owner is as careful as you are so they have to be ready to intervene in case it is necessary....blah blah blah. .

If it is done in a scolding way it won't go over well but you can do it in a way that is not scolding or confrontational. What they did seems okay to me but I would still bring it up to stress that they need to keep doing that in the future.

Unless Junior starts toting his own helmet having a helmet at pony rides is not going to happen.

[RockinHorse]

Sorry, but I do think you are over reacting. I know stuff can happen but honestly, it was just a pony ride. If was probably more dangerous for the child to ride in a car to and from where the pony rides were.

[greysandbays]

And we wonder why kids aren't so interested in riding anymore (as per the riding instructors losing students thread).

We drum it into them that any contact with horses (right down to pony rides at fairs) is so potentially dangerous that "horses" rise to the level of "stranger danger" in young minds.

Then by the time the younsters are old enough to realize that adults (especially parents) are silly old fogies who squash the fun out of EVERYTHING, they are past the point where horses have a natural appeal and they are on to other things that can get them killed.

[katarine]

MYOB. He hurtled down the interstate on the way there, surrounded by peeps on their cell phones. They drove by three phase wiring on the road. They overused antibacterial wipes on his filthy fingers, and he promptly stuck that chemical mess up his nose.

Seriously, this bubblewrapping is ridiculous. THANK them for sharing that sweet pic, and get thee over it :)

[Mozart]

MYOB. He hurtled down the interstate on the way there, surrounded by peeps on their cell phones. They drove by three phase wiring on the road. They overused antibacterial wipes on his filthy fingers, and he promptly stuck that chemical mess up his nose.



:lol::lol:

[RU2U]

In an old Equus Mag. one of their facts in the back was that any child under the age of 3 years old can get shaken baby syndrome from a horse because the little ones cannot support their heads and their necks are wobbily. Horses can move quickly and kids don't move as fast. I didn't let my kids ride but that was my decision.

[kellidahorsegirl]

While I completely understand your need to 'teach' them how to do it right.....its not the appropriate time for that. Everything ended well and the pic is probably adorable.

I struggle with doing this myself....someone is excited about something and all I can see is what they're messing up. So I've had to teach myself to decide when its appropriate to call attention to the wrongs. Maybe gush over the picture NOW and a few weeks from now somehow bring it up and then you can mention something to do differently.

Maybe even something so simple as "wow, they still tie kids into the saddles? I can't believe they still do that..seems so dangerous to me"

[jazzrider]

MYOB. He hurtled down the interstate on the way there, surrounded by peeps on their cell phones. They drove by three phase wiring on the road. They overused antibacterial wipes on his filthy fingers, and he promptly stuck that chemical mess up his nose.

Seriously, this bubblewrapping is ridiculous. THANK them for sharing that sweet pic, and get thee over it :)

:lol::lol: Kat, you need to write greeting cards! You've just got a way about you. :lol::lol: ;)

[katarine]

LOL thanks ;) that 'way' can be a hot ticket to hot water, but meh, I needed a shower anyway, right?

[hellerkm]

In an old Equus Mag. one of their facts in the back was that any child under the age of 3 years old can get shaken baby syndrome from a horse because the little ones cannot support their heads and their necks are wobbily. Horses can move quickly and kids don't move as fast. I didn't let my kids ride but that was my decision.


REALLY??? how old was the magazine?? not that I don't think they might have a point, but that is scary! My kids ride from the time they can sit up, now we walk for YEARS and then trot around age 3 so I guess we are safe, but it never occured to me that it could cause shaken baby syndrome............ this might be worth a more indepth look, off to research.

[blueboo]

I wouldn't. If the picture was of nevy, on some pony out in the middle of a field with nary an adult in sight (or worse, trying to hold both nevy and pony), or tied onto a pony on a leadline then yes - but a pony ride, at a fair, on a hotwalker (with, I'm sure, a tiny enclosure around the whole thing) and dad right there? As others have pointed out more eloquently than I could - the baby was undoubtedly in more danger from the crowds than that pony. And under those particular circumstances, I'd much rather trust a seatbelt in case of a sudden (or semi-sudden) movement than anyones ability to react quickly enough to catch baby sliding off of said pony.
JMIO of course.

[Saidapal]

I would thank them for the picture and leave it alone. If pony had been gamboling around the farm while kid held on desperately I would think there was a problem. Baby just sitting on pony at fair with Papa right there...not a problem.