First actual proper lesson today for DD

[worrywortisworrying]

She's 2YO.

She's been on horses and adores them. After much badgering on her part, I've finally given in and organised formal lessons for her. Her first one is today.

She is beyond excitement!!!

Any tips or advice would be welcome.

I've bought her some cream leggings and told her they are jodphurs (she's bought that one!)

At 2 years old, she will probably just sit there giggling! My daughter is nearly 5, been on ponies since 6 months old (I keep a selection at home,) and she still just giggles and bounces, much to my disgust. I've asked her Pony Club instructors for advice, and they've just said very small children should be just allowed to enjoy it safely, and more formal lessons won't be of much use till she's 5 or 6. She's building up experience and confidence at the moment instead.

She's just gone off. She just couldn't wait. She was like 'bye mum, bye mum'

Oh, you've never met my 2YO!! She is learning spanish too! Where else (other than lessons) is she going to get regular access to horses (we don't own one). At less than a tenner an hour (she will do 30 mins it's a cost I'm prepared to bear

Oh, you've never met my 2YO!! She is learning spanish too! Where else (other than lessons) is she going to get regular access to horses (we don't own one). At less than a tenner an hour (she will do 30 mins it's a cost I'm prepared to bear

How did the lesson go? Have they said what they will be teaching her to begin with? She must have an amazing attention span for a 2 year old if she will stay on a horse for 30 minutes. At that age DS could just about manage 30 seconds before he got bored and was on to the next thing! I can't really imagine she will learn a lot as others have said. Maybe you would be better off seeing if there is anywhere near you that they do pony rides. I know near me there are a couple of little farms where you can stroke/feed various farm animals, and they do pony rides at those.

If we are going to play child top trumps, mine was in Horse and Hound magazine on her pony at the age of 2 and has learnt to speak Spanish at our holiday home. I still wouldn't pay for formal lessons for her just yet! (Mine has gone to her 3 free Pony Club rallies, and that is all the lessons she has ever had.) If you are paying for nice pony rides, and you are happy with the price you are paying, there's nothing wrong at all with that, and I hope she has a lovely time. But please, don't kid yourself that because you have a strongwilled 2 year old she will be able to learn to ride just yet. As has been pointed out, she will not have the strength or coordination at that age - even the tiniest pony is about 225kg, probably about 10 times the size of your daughter.

BTW, are you not going to watch her at her first lesson?

backinthebox I don't do top trumps. I have a son with asd and have learnt never to get into competitive parenting. My only point was that lessons are right for my daughter. I have no other way of provide regular access to suitable ponies and, quite honestly, if all she does is sit on the ruddy horse and have a nice time, then that's fine with me,

No, I didn't get to watch her first lesson as I had to supervise DS.

Anyway, she had a brilliant time. Only issue was leaving the pony at the end of the lesson. Without wanting to offend anyone here, which i appear to have done already, I have signed her up for the foreseeable future. I want her to enjoy things without always being told 'we can't to do this / that' because of DS so it's lovely to see her enjoy something without pressure.

How lovely for your dd, it's never too early to put a child on a pony, and if lessons are the only way for her to get pony time then lessons it is. I'm impressed that you've found a school brave enough to take a toddler, usually they're too risk averse (or can't insure for them). Course, you know that if you have a pony mad dd then you can kiss goodbye to solvency!

Keep us posted about how it goes

Trebles - they seem lovely. Very well set up. Happy to take toddlers and also happy to accomodate autistic children (not that DS would go near a horse, but they were willing to try, which I was very reassured by)

Seriously, I don't expect her to do anything special. I just want her to be able to enjoy it for what it is. She spends so much of her time having things dictated to her because of what DS can and cannot cope with. I love that she can have 30 minutes per week of pure joy.

Whether it is because of DS or just her nature (she is fiercely independent!) she loves to be off doing stuff on her own. ANd I'm more than happy to accomodate her wishes as far as I am able. I honestly don't care if she never gets past a rising trot. That's not what this is about.

It's about my lovely, patient little DD getting to do something SHE wants to do rather than always having to do what DS wants. By formal, all I meant was a designated time each week that she will get to be on a horse.

And I have a happy little girl here, who keeps thanking me for her lessons

My friend got a pony on loan for her 5 yo dd who has now lost interest, but she has kept the pony because her 2 yo is as keen as mustard. Yes I agree that she doesn't do more than sit there and hold on, but she can certainly manage more than 30 mins. Hope your dd has a lovely time .

She is reality, she really is.

She is such a bloody angel, she honestly keeps me sane at times

She is so happy to have her lessons. She loves that. She loves her Spanish lessons too (She seriously speaks more spanish than I do). I just like her to have some fun stuff.

Come September, she will start school and DS will still be at home, so that's going to be tough for her to deal with. Anything I can do to make it easier, I will do.

Hope you've got deep pockets.My two started at 4 because no riding schools would take them younger [and DD1 was asking to ride as soon as she could speak].They both lost interest after a few months,possibly because they couldn't do much at that age-however,around 5 they both went back to it with a vengeance and have never stopped since.They are 7 and 8 now and ride 6 days a week.I think it gives them a lot of confidence which is no bad thing.So if your little girl wants to stop for a while in future,she may well go back to it once she can do more.I'm glad she is having fun.

Glad she had fun!!! Enjoy it, it's what it's all about :) I hope my bump wants to ride!!

Worry - sure she'll have a great time. DD got her first pony (once high class but by then 19yo welsh A mare) for her 2nd birthday and as well as going hacking with us she used to have occasional lessons with PC instructor. It meant she could ride in instructor's indoor school in the Winter and practised her up-downs and steering round cones etc. Instructor always had lots of Haribos at the ready for rewards. Not really sure if it did her much good but pretty sure that it was a good place to start.

Good for your dd! if she's happy, what's the problem! I don't think you are wasting your money! For all those who are all SOIB at formal lessons, I've done toddler lessons. It's tinies on little ponies that follow their leaders, learning to kick, and to look the way they want to go! It's great fun, and seeing their faces when they think they're in control is fantastic! There's plenty that even a 2yo can learn.

Glad to hear she enjoyed it! She sounds like a right little character! Well I have learned something today, I honestly didn't realise such young children could have lessons, and get something out of them. Sorry if I seemed grujmpy yesterday, I'm just jealous as DS is more into football than horses

Thankyou all.

It's fair to say that I am a little bit proud of DD. DS doesn't cope with any activities very well (unless it included a train!), so even though DD is my second child... I have a bit of PFB about her because I've never done these things before

Her first words to me this morning were: Can I have another pony lesson today?

gotta love her!!

Awww, what cuteness. 2 yrs old and has got the horsey bug already. Sounds like me at her age. Be prepared for a life time of horse hair and grot!