Riding instruction from a 5 y.o. kid

[Buffy]

Today, I mentioned to my 5 year old nephew that I had gotten bucked off at my last riding lesson(don't ask). He looked just as thoughtful and said "You just need to hang on tighter; that's what I do." Now, this kid has never even been on a pony ride for all I know. Kids! They crack me up.

[Laya]

LOL. Maybe he just thought he was one of those cowboys in one of those old westerns. How cute.

[Wally]

Between me and my business partner we have three small kids. One is 4, one 6 and one 8.
We also have a problem horse who has not had a fair go on the humans being nice to him front. Some days he will not entertain being caught and when we do get him he is in a very sad state of nerves.

When this happens we are shown up by this comical trio walking straight up to him. The oldest clips the rope on and he follows them like a lamb. Kids are a calming influence on him, he trusts them. They can twitter round him with a brush each, touch his legs and ears, something I have to ask very gently for.

Sadly we can learn from even the smallest child sometimes....not sure about the holding on tighter, I could have sworn I was holding on as tight as I could last time I came off!

[Jess]

There is a 9-year-old at my barn that drives me crazy. It's cute really... she thinks she's training her 3 year old pony because she does exactly what the trainer says and it works. So a 9 year old is a trainer. Riiiiggggghhhhttt. She tells me "hold, hold.... squeeze!" over fences. truthfully, I don't need training advice from a 9 year old. I'm almost twice her age. She enters into easy classes at shows so she thinks she's all high and mighty when she wins. And her parents tell her that it's all about the ribbons. They are creating a monster.

[Wally]

Don't worry, when this 9 year old reaches the dreaded teens, she will either rebel against her parents and that will be the end of that, or she will have to go and play with the big boys in classes she is right for, (one can't stay in the nursery stakes forever!)Then she will pull her horns in.

[Maisie]

Ohhh...I've got a similar problem. It's not about young kids this time, it's about my dad. He keeps giving me ridiculous advice just because he watched western movies and it's kinda driving me crazy because it's all wrong and he insists that it's right...the last time he got on a horse he took up western seat in an English saddle. Bah!

[Wally]

This is so familiar, My Dad was in the Blues and Royals, (Horse Guards, the funny looking guys with red plumes that go every where at sitting trot, on big black horses, after the Queen on state occasions) He tells me that they do more than that but I'm yet to be convinced.

He is over 6 feet four and abot 18 stones now. Last time he rode my litte horse I was told that my saddle was uncomfortable and didn't fit, ( It didn't fit him, it was only a 17 inch job and he's at least an 18.5inch) He then tried to ride my responsive little horse, army style, and dug his heels into him. The pair of them dissapeard off up the track at 90 miles an hour. They returned, thankfully in one piece. Father with silly grin, saying " He's not like an army horse is he?" All I can say is thank heaven for that!

One thing I have found he can do well!! He can't half clean a set of harness for show! He used to insist on cleaning mine for shows because, I was told, I couldn't do a good enough job for parade. He spend 7 hours on a set of pairs harness one year. What a work of art. He did get me in the ribbons I have to say.
But he has never stopped giving me advice. Some good, some very old fashioned and lost in the dim and distant army traditions.