Horse mad dd. Help with gifts.

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Her birthday and Christmas are days apart so I'm looking now at getting stuff in for her. She will be 9 on her birthday.

She loves horses and dogs. She watches Spirit on Netflix on a loop.

I've got the 3 main Spirit characters and their horses and a duvet set of the show.

Anyone able to recommend anything horse themed (or puppies!) That their dc love?

Agree with adopt a pony - look at Redwings. She'll get a photo and regular updates. It's lovely

Do you live anywhere near a world horse welfare place? Penny Farm is near us, they rehabilitate horses. You can organise days out/parties where the children learn all about the treatments for the horses, how to care for them etc. I don’t think they offer any riding, but she might like seeing how they are looked after.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

How many lessons is appropriate? When she swam (pre covid) it was weekly but I think we could do once a month? Or would that be too infrequent.

My DD takes lessons at the stables. I am NOT a horsey person, so find it all a bit overwhelming. Because of Covid the parents lead the pony, and the instructor shouts at you by the name of the pony. It is a different pony every week and I struggle to respond to "winter" or "twinkle", "shamrock", etc. I an not a horse person, but DD is in love.

But, it isn't the same crowd every week. It seems like something you can dip in and out of. It feels the safest thing we can be doing, as you don't get that close to other people and even the barn feels outdoors.

How many lessons is appropriate? When she swam (pre covid) it was weekly but I think we could do once a month? Or would that be too infrequent.

The reality is that to get good you probably need regular lessons, but that is not something we can afford. The less regular lessons we pay for mean that the dds get some contact with horses and can manage the basics of riding, but their ability is far outstripped by friends who ride weekly or have their own pony.

We were clear about what is and isn't feasible with the dds from the start and it has been OK. I've found the horsey kids have been quite supportive about celebrating the dd's achievements even though they are at a higher level themselves.

To clarify my above post a bit - our less frequent lessons mean my 7 and 9yo can control a fairly reliable horse and participate in countryside hacks, but they aren't able to join in in competitions. Both have just started jumping, but only very low jumps.

It might not be everything they hoped, but it is ok.

Melissa and Doug do a lovely wooden stable set with different breeds and a space to write each horses name above the door.

Oh I don't think even she envisages Olympics but she says she wants to be a "horse farmer".

I was coming on to say Schleich horses. My dd loves hers. She has stables and a car with horse box.

There are cheap Spirit pyjamas on eBay that tend to go up to size 9-10