children/stirrups

[XXDU78A@prodigy.com (MS LOUISE D BURTON)]

I used to teach children to ride.  I teach all children bareback.  All this
was brought home to me the day a 12 year old lost her balance, used my pour
horse's mouth as "help" and pulled him over backwards on her.  Since she
was bareback, she slid right off, without a hitch.  Had she been in a
saddle...I don't want to think about it.

Also, dump that children's western saddle and teach them to ride English! I
know from long experience in showing all diciplines that when I rode
English it always improved my Western, but the opposite did not occur!
Hope this helps!
BTW, I'm the only one who doesn't ride English in my family now!
Louise Burton
Firedance Farms Endurance Arabians
OKlahoma