Is it too early for 3.5yr to learn horse riding? (Montgomery: insurance, loan)

[joinsway]

My daughter is 3.5 years old and she told me she wants to learn horse back riding. There is a ranch that provides such lessons, but I am not sure if there's anything bad for her physical body developemnt such as getting O-shaped legs?

[EasilyAmused]

I started when I was three and rode for 20+ years.
I think you would be hard pressed these days to find any place that will let you start before 7 years old, due to liability and insurance issue. They take the fun out of everything. Of course, if you buy her a pony, you solve that situation.

No she won't go bow legged. They only issues she would have was if she took it to a national level that requires hours a day, 6 days a week. That pretty much lends itself to bad back problems..compressed nerves in the hips...bringing the feeling of old age faster..... getting dumped on your head a few times doesn't help either

[astrohip]

Not too young. Make sure she starts wearing a helmet from day one (the stable would make you anyway).

[Poltracker]

Not too young. I started at that age on a pony loaned by the neighbors. That pony was a great babysitter that the neighbor's kids outgrew. I was competing by the age of 8.

I agree with EA, you might run into some resistance on the liability issues. We didn't have that problem since we had our own place.

[desertsun41]

I now live 45 seconds walk from a very large Equestrian facility in Montgomery Cty. I never miss an event. I can tell you that I have seen kids as young as yours on Horses. With parents of course. The parents tie the kid up on the saddle so they can not fall off then walk them around the barrel course. At about 5 YO I see kids solo barrel racing. Of course they are pretty slow in the high 20 second range but that's not what it's all about.

What I see are locals who own ranches and had Horses for generations and they start their kids off quite young. Between races they are ridiing with infants in their arms and by the time they are maybe 3 years old they are tied up on the Horse and walked. And by 5 kids are riding solo.

[wy0dude]

I've been riding ever since I was born! No age is too young for horses, just make sure its not a real broncy horse!