Teaching small children - reins or not?

[chev]

I don't teach my kids as such - just try to get them to sit in a balanced way and listen to the pony. They're always on a lead rein so although May wears a bridle it has no reins on, just a lead for me. My feeling is that because the girls don't yet have an independant seat and May has quite a soft mouth it's better that they develop a good seat without the security of the reins to hang on to. It also means that if they lose their balance at all or if she spooks she doesn't get jabbed in the mouth.

Then on Saturday a woman who stopped to talk while we were out riding asked why no reins - and when I explained my reasons told me that they should be learning how to hold and use the reins from the start.

Am I doing this all wrong? Freya actually turns six in about five days, and wants riding lessons, so I figure it's best left to an instructor with assistance to teach that.

Any opinions?

[anuvb]

We've always taught children without reins if they are little - afterall they are usually on lead rein. Often their hands aren't big enough to handle the reins anyway, and they feel more secure by holding onto the a neck strap, or the pommel of the saddle at first. Then when they are more confident we start on getting them to hold the rein and the pommel, then move onto the holding the reins independnetly and then move onto being off the lead rein once they have basic control.

I think you are doing all the correct things with her. After all, the last thing you want is to put her of riding by feeling unbalanced and scared.

[notpoodle]

hm, when i was little, i did vaulting for a couple of years, hence no reins for me either. mind you, were i was riding at the time thought that nobody under 11 was allowed reins, anyway ...

julia
x

[Mehitabel]

if you want to get her used to the feel of the reins without worrying about may's mouth, how about attaching reins to the noseband, or putting on a headcollar under the bridle and putting reins on that? this is what we do with little ones with wobbly hands.
(i also do it with adults with wobbly hands to make them steer with their seats!)

[Miriam]

Chev I too have a child who tootles around on my pony. Although the reins are on its more convenient for me to leave them on (probbly lazyness too on my part to take them off) so I don't have to start fiddling aound putting tack together when I am hacking out with someone. Charlotte has however until recently always been on a lead rein and never used the reins. It only recently when she said she wanted a lesson that I showed her how to hold the reins. Even then she does not ahve a huge amount of contact because as you say they are on a lead rein

[IrisSilverMoon]

at my barn we don't detach the reins for kids, but they still don't get to use them. But then again no one gets to use them in the beginning anyway (adult or child), everyone starts out on the lunge without stirrups or reins regardless of age and experience. I agree that it's better to have a good seat and security there before bothering to try and sort out the rein issue, a lot of new riders will lean on the reins for balance simply because they don't know any better. Once you have balance in your seat it's less likely that you'll be giving the horse a hard time when you do get the reins.

[jUmPingIsLifE]

when i started my little kid they didn't have the reins, she started on the lunge. then while still on the lunge she got the reins and steered the horse on the circle (this horse is horrible about comming into me while on the lunge).

[Wally]

It all depends on thier age and concentration and understanding..... And balance.

Most kids we start do 90% of the lesson without reins, learning to balance and stay on. We do 10 minutes at the end in walk with the reins so they get the feel and the hang of things and get the feeling they are actually doing things for them selves and improving.

It's no good putting an unbalanced child on Andy pants with the reins, he is so sensetive in his mouth if a kiddie hangs onto his mouth he will pull back hard. He's used to a driving contact which is mega light. It is better to get them to balance and stay safe than to give them the reains too early and scare them.

We are lucky too in having an indoor school and dopey ponies, most of our lot will tollerate bad steering and the kids can come to no harm in the enclosed space. out doors if a different matter, too many distractions and potential for gallopey, gallopey time!

[chev]

Thanks for the replies, I guess I can't be going that wrong then! They ride in a Safari cub saddle, so they have a sort of grab handle at the front if they need it, although Freya has lately taken to dropping her hands down to the side, even when trotting. Es, that's a good idea - maybe I'll try introducing the idea of holding them that way. I didn't want them to learn to rely on the reins for balance either, but I suppose thinking about it Freya's balance is developing nicely anyway.

Brani's isn't so well developed - I think we'll keep going reinless with her for a while yet. At least now I know she won't develop problems not having reins!

[Wally]

Yup, all our RDA kids get the reins on the noseband also the ones with wobbly hands.

I wonder if that would make "Pants" a nicer person? He rarely goes solo under saddle. Hmmmm?

[chev]

May only goes solo if there's an adult around to ride... I took her out a couple of times a week or so ago while my brother babysat but now he's back in London she's back to just lead rein. She is very soft-mouthed - if I take too strong a contact she'll resist immediately, throwing her head about and opening her mouth. With a light contact she's a dream, but I imagine with a child hanging on to a bit she'd fight until the contact was lost.

I haven't tried reins on a headcollar - we'll do that this weekend with Freya - so I don't honestly know how she'd react to it. We'll see!!

[NoviceNic]

My 6 yr old daughter has been riding almost a year. We got a cheek piece and threaded it through the d rings at the front of the saddle and she held it whilst riding. This gave her something to grip when the pony spooks or springs into trot. She is using reins now and steers the pony and halts the pony etc. But she still uses the safety strap for practicing her trotting and now she is confident enough to jump. I think that the most imporrtant thing to teach a child is balance and confidence around ponies. All the techniques and etiquette of riding come after. After all if it no longer becomes fun the child will get bored. Today my daughter rode her pony for the first time with me leading her. It was a brilliant sight and I am extremely proud of her and our little gem of a pony.

[nutkin]

I teach quite a few kids and generally they do start with the reins, but when it is time to introduce trot they are not allowed the reins untill they are capable of rising to the trot with their arms held out to the side in aeroplane position. So far this has proved a good idea as they are then balanced enough not to lean on the horses mouths when they can trot and they don't have to worry about how to hold the reins when it is time for them to come off the leadrein. I haven't taught anyone younger than about 8 but if i was to teach a younger child then i would leave the reins off as i don't think a young child could cope with an independant seat when learning to ride and would lean on the horses mouths. I teach quite a few kids and more often than not the main problem i come across is the kids holding the reins too loosely( if i taught them that is) and their mounts trying to cut corners and nap towards the gate.

[chev]

Well, we tried the reins on the headcollar, and at least now she knows how to hold them. Learning to steer on May isn't really an option as we don't have anywhere safe to school really - and it's been so windy here that rides are getting a bit, erm, exciting!!

We'll be booking Freya's first lesson soon - we'll see how she goes on then! :)

[Alex]

I don't teach at our yard as such, but I do help out as an assistant to the instructor during the lessons (I'm in the process now of getting my Pony Club instructors certificate though) but at our yard even the littlest kids do get reins, however they don't use them as such. The kids are kept on the leadrein but hold onto their reins with hands/fingers in the correct position, but they don't steer or halt with them - they just hold them initially.