Ridecamp: Re: [RC] [RC-Digest] Vol: 02.0919

I definitely don't have this problem with my daughter. Ours
is working a way to get her to the barn more often. She loves it. She's
already doing a decent job of cleaning stalls. She always wants to ride.
She just wants to go out on the trail and ride. I'm not even talking
about competing or anything (thought when we watched the saddle club the
other day and they had a CMO type episode she thought that would have
been a blast to do) I just want to know how soon to get her out on the
trails. I can pony her, but would prefer she get the hang of it for
herself.

At 03:04 PM 12/22/02 -0800, you wrote:
> My
> daughter, Becky, started to ride when she was about 9 years old. 
> Put her on a pony first and then at 11 she graduated to a full size
> horse.  She had to ride for at least 15 minutes everyother day at
> first and when she didn't want to, turn Bubbles loose in the outdoor
> arena.  When she rode a full size horse, Chip had to be ridden 30
> minutes every other day or turned out into the outdoor arena to run
> around.  Along with the riding, she had to help clean her own stall
> and brush Bubbles or Chip.  I'm a firm believer that kids have to be
> told and not asked if they want to clean the stall and the horse -- and
> there were days when Becky didn't want to go to the barn but she went
> anyway.  A horse is a responsibility.  I think the secret is to
> let the kid do what they want to a point and then point out they have to
> do the other stuff.  But then I'm from the 'old school' of child
> rearing where kids had chores and did what parents told 'em to do -- in
> stead of parents doing what kids tell them to
> do.

Alice Yovich, MA, MT-BC

Mommy, Horse lover, Music Therapist