things my daughter can do with our pony?

[laceyfreckle]

My daughter is 8years old and has ridden on and off for the last 6 months. she is now really into it and wants to ride twice a week on our pony now. (i won't let her ride much more then that) the problems is shes seen pony club etc and shows and wants to show (thinking about doing LR and FR next year) but also wants to do things like dressage tests and jumping eventually.

She has juvinille chronic arthiritis which means her joints often hurt and it can affect her position and ability to get on and off. she also has hypermobility which makes it hard for her to keep her heels down and stretch with her legs.

She also has autistic tendancies and extremely poor short term memory so things like remembering a dressage test will be very very hard. her speech is poor. she also has the stature of a 5yr old even though shes 8 1/2. she struggles at school academically and has 'global development. speech and physical development delay.

it all sounds terrible but shes not that bad really.

prob is i don't want her to try her hardest and achieve whats a lot for her to get a harsh comment from other kids/pony mums. eg if she ever did a dressage test and actually remembered it she would be excstatic even if she didn't ride particulalrly well.

she can ride at walk and trot (sit and rise but needs practise) on and off the lead rein. she rides my 12.2hh 19yr old welsh b mare.

i have put a pic on which was taken on her 8th birthday hence the dress it was taken back in june.

any ideas??

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t40/laceyfreckle/laceymodifiedgeorgie.jpg

[coss]

if she is really willing to compete then i think you should let her. I don't know much about the conditions she has but would the competing help? you say she has short term memory problems but would having something that she really wants to learn and remember help her memorise things better?
There are always people out there waiting with snide comments and something we all have to live with unfortunately :rolleyes:

[acw295]

I guess only you know how she would react if it didn't go well. If she is likely to be very upset or if it damages her confidence then you might want to think twice, but if not I think you should go for it.

I think you are usually allowed to have dressage tests read out to you so you don't have to remember them? So assuming she can understand the instructions and can physically manage the test then she should be fine.

Other peoples comments are more difficult I guess, but I would hope that no-one would say anything within earshot of such a young child - but I suppose you never know these days, and you don't have to show her the judges comments :eek:

Start with LR and FR and take it from there, if she's got the riiding bug I can only think it will help her development - great motivator. How lovely to have a daughter who shares your passion :)

[Emz]

I would try some unaffiliated lead rein. Alot of te lead rein riders aren't perfect riders, they're only young after all! and at unaff level anything goes! What about veterans too? then its judged on the pony?

[8-legged-pony]

I don't see why she can't compete to be honest. A young girl who rides with our RDA group also has the use of a really wonderful pony. She is 16, but due to her learning difficulties has been able to enter beginner rider classes. Her mum speaks to the judge/steward before hand and explains that she has trouble remembering things and that she might need some extra help and they are usually more than happy for her to enter the class, and happy to be nice and simple with their instructions to her. I don't see why dressage would be any different with your daughter, just might be worth having a quiet word with the judge beforehand and explain her difficulties and that she might need some extra help. As to other parents/kids, I very much doubt they'd actually say anything to her, and if they do look disapproving then who cares! Your daughter has just as much right to be out competing as their children do!

[laceyfreckle]

thank you everyone for your support. i suppose i'm mainly worried as she IS very confident and has never yet beenin a situation where she feels 'different' . i don't think she sees herself as having any disabilities although so far other children do but have been nice about it/find it quirky/interesting lol.
My other concern is that she gets into the riding/pony care so much and becomes bloody minded when her legs and fingers cease up over winter like they normally do. she will need to rest then.

i have chatted with her and we have decided that a compromise is lessons every week from me with her on 'our' pony and in about three weeks time i will let her enter one of those dressage competitions you can video and have judged on the internet. she likes the idea of being able to see her result and having her pic on the computer! then next summer she can enter LR and FR classes. (the dressage comps over the net i found out about on another thread and she can even do them either on lead rein or with be shouting out the instructions.

:)

now...remind me ....just how does a mum cope when their child has their envitable first fall??? :rolleyes:

[Silvia]

My Mum used to go away whenever I started learning something new in a lesson. Her nerves could not stand watching because she did not want to see me fall.
I never knew at the time - when I came to her after the lesson and said "mum, did you see me do X" she only said "You did very well, didn't you" .
I was a teenager before I figured out what she was doing :D

[laceyfreckle]

yes silvia ...i'm exactly like that...prob is it will be me teaching her :o i know i'm over protective and its silly but...............:o

[miggy]

Do you have any "fun" riding clubs near you. Our local one has lots of fun shows with things like cuddliest pony and prettiest mare, can all be led or assisted and all very friendly and inclusive, rosettes for all sort of thing.
In my experience Pony club tends to be a bit high powered with the assumption that by the age of 8 they should be jumping a course off lead rein, I find my children struggle to keep up, particularly my eldest who is dyspraxic and struggles with coordination.
My instructor recently showed me an exercise that involves standing up in the stirrups at walk and trot and pushing heels down as far as they will go, this is really helping my son. Just do it for a few minutes at first then build up (assuming her joints are ok with that)
Never gets easier seeing them fall off though some parents seem oblivious, I can hardly bear to watch mine jumping!

[laceyfreckle]

yes i agree pony club is too high-powered. i did enquire but pretty much got asked why i was bothering as she isn't as advanced/wouldn't be able to keep up with or communicate brilliantly with children her own age.

There isn't any 'fun' clubs this way but there are a few 'fun' shows i might let her enter next spring. Problem with living in a small village is most people with horses here are a)adults and b)snobs.

my own riding instructor is very good and i'm hoping she will eventually be able to share lessons with me as well.