|
Kathy, when my kids were little I pulled
the western stirrups and leathers off the saddle and replaced them with English
leathers and safety stirrups (with the rubber band on the side) (( I think they
are called peacock stirrups)) It solved the problem of the western fender
not allowing the stirrups to go short enough, and gave me a little peace of
mind. I know the cages will keep the foot from sliding thru, but I like
these with the bands on them better.
I do recommend boots, but kids grow so
fast, it is hard to keep them in shoes at all <G> without adding good
riding boots to the list. At least with two, I get a couple of years out
of each pair.
I did go ahead, when the oldest was about
six, and get a quality child's English saddle., he is in a small adult (English)
saddle now, and the (now) 6yo is riding in the older one. Even tho the
progress has been a little slow sometimes, I've never regretted teaching them to
*ride* - not just 'sit-on-the-horse' and 'hang on' like is so easy to do in a
deep seated western saddle with a horn-to-hold-onto. At six and eleven,
they are both competent riders and I have to admit they look pretty good posting
down the trail on their perky Arab mares <G>
"Good and Ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing
among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men. "
-Aragorn, son of
Arathorn
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 1:40
PM
Subject: [RC] kids stirrups
My daughter is nearly 6 and ready to do more
riding than just being led in the arena. I have an old western saddle,
with stirrups and taps, but the taps are so deformed she can hardly get her
foot in the stirrup (I have vague memories of this always being the case with
taps when I was a child, too).
I use stirrups with a cage, and am wondering if
anyone makes child-sized stirrups with cages? Or should I just get her
some boots?
Kathy Kelly
Parks AZ
| 