>>> It's a good way to start, if you have a kid that's willing and with a good >>> seat. The young horse's back is not used to carrying weight, is not fully >>> fused, and lighter is better to start.
I agree with starting with the lightest weight rider possible, but I would be VERY wary using a kid for the first rides. I can't remember a time when a horse bucked or did anything stupid during the first few rides here, but just in case it was a rare case where something did go wrong, I can only imagine the liability issues if some ambulance-chasing attorney found out you were using a kid as your "crash-dummy." Plus, you have to measure the risks of the rider's weight against the maturity of the rider...and with your definition of "kid." Until a kid is of a certain age, I wouldn't trust the kid not to have a brain-fart and do something really flaky at the wrong moment...heck, I don't even like to have Cary in the area when we mount the first few times, because he's likely to decide to mindlessly swing a lead rope or kick a rock or something just as the rider sits down the first time. As the kids get older, the maturity and dependability increases of course (except with husbands, but that's another story)...but so does their weight. I don't want to stress my horses with excess weight at first, but I also don't want the first ride to be traumatic because of an immature person's innocent mistake. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.4/1394 - Release Date: 4/23/2008 7:16 PM
