How big should a Mini be if it's rider is 4-5 yrs old?

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headintheclouds

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Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum, so if this questions has been asked dozens of times, forgive me.

How big should a Mini be if it's rider is 4-5 yrs old?

I do not have a mini yet, but I'm looking for one my little girls. We currently have 2 full-sized mares, but I think they could gain a lot of confidence working with and riding horses their size instead of 16 hh horses.

I love the petite sleek minis, but I don't want to put a rider on one that could cause injury to the mini by putting a child that is too big on it .

Thanks for your input

Lisa
 
Welcome Lisa!
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How about a 38" B sized mini or a pony?
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While I don't put my kids on my minis (even my 4 year old) I think the typical accepted weight for a mini in good health to accept on its back is around 20-25% of its body weight. Better idea yet, if you get one, look into one that is broke to drive, depending on their size they can pull a large adult or even two slim adults on a flat surface no problem. This may be an option if you want something that will be used by the family for a long time, rather than just until your child gets too big.

Welcome to the forum,

Carolyn
 
We have given the grandkids rides, when they come, this is Mikaylah at about that age on a gelding who measured about 35 inches.

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Mikaylah is 8 now and this is more recent., the pinto mare is also just over 35 in and I wouldn't do it for a "long" ride but Mikaylah just loves going around the round pen a few times.

And the mare Haley is soo good to her.

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Nick and Mikaylah

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Nick and Mikaylah

If you want the kids to ride longer I would definitely look for 36 to 38 in.

But this is so much fun and her grin just kept getting bigger.

(Haley is currently offered for sale bred for 09.)

Anne
 
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I take my minis to lots of "kid things". I never let one who weighs more than 60 pounds get on my 32" horse. He is a quarter-horse style and sturdy. So it isn't the age, it is the weight that matters.

If you are looking for one for your children, the temperament shoudl be paramount, rather than how pretty it is. Having a pretty one is a bonus, but one that will be a good experience for your children is much more important. They are just like big horses--finding one that is a "kid horse" is not easy.

And if they have never had a child on their backs, they will do just what big horses do--try to buck them off. I recently took my 34" one to the county fair. He is learning to drive, but I haven't had any children to put on his back. At the fair, besides the exposure to lots of noise and busyness, I found 3 or 4 children to sit on him. They were children used to riding horses and weren't worried about Hawk thinking of crowhopping. We adults lead him on either side and he got some good experience. I was not interested in a rodeo, but it calmly teaching my horse to accept a weight on his back. I didn't want "yee haw" children, but true horsemen who would stay calm.

Hawk accepted the weight on his back--unless asked to trot. Then he tried to get them off. He is not a kid horse yet, and may never be. It's harder to find a small horseman than you think, so I am not sure when he will get more experience.

Also, I would say the miniature hrose should be 3 years old before being asked to carry a child. So getting a foal so "they can grow up together" might not be ideal.

Hope you find the perfect one for your children!
 
Right now my daughter is two and she has a 38" mare to ride. Right now we do not have a saddle or anything but we are planning on trying to pick one up for Christmas if the finances ever get straightened out again. Anyways she is fine riding my 33.5" stallion but I prefer to ride the mare. More height that makes it easier for use to hold her and she won't out grow her soon. She handles all of our horses though. Some we let walk by herself and others we let her help lol. She already has a big love for riding.
 
Please tell me I am reading this wrong, and you are not letting a 2 year old handle a stallion? Even with assistance.

Otherwise, the 38" mare should be a perfect mount for several years, more if she's a little one.
 
Why not a nice cute sturdy pony
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. That way you could use it much longer.
 
Our daughter had a wonderful time with our 33 and 34 inch geldings, both bareback and in a small saddle until she started going over about 60 lbs...........Then she graduated to our 46 inch Shetland gelding until last year when she turned 10. At that point she started riding a wonderful steady 9 year old quarter horse gelding who I hope she will still have when she reaches adulthood.
 
Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum, so if this questions has been asked dozens of times, forgive me.
How big should a Mini be if it's rider is 4-5 yrs old?

I do not have a mini yet, but I'm looking for one my little girls. We currently have 2 full-sized mares, but I think they could gain a lot of confidence working with and riding horses their size instead of 16 hh horses.

I love the petite sleek minis, but I don't want to put a rider on one that could cause injury to the mini by putting a child that is too big on it .

Thanks for your input

Lisa
 
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This is my 37 inch mini gelding Neo with one of my students. She was just 6 in this picture, and they went on to win many many more ribbons.

She out grew him as far as showing when she was almost 7, however she still rides him still from time to time.

I find sturdy minis like him from time to time, and snap them up to train for kids. The one pictured here will never be leaving my barn, he's one of my lifers.
 
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I have the perfect mare! She's about 37", maybe a little bigger, and built just like a Quarter Horse. She just needs to be trained to saddle.

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Of course, the issue is not how old the child is, but how much he or she weighs.

You also need to consider if the child will be truly riding or just sitting on the horse while it walks around on a lead. Many minis will tolerate the occasional "sitter," but I'd want some serious training before a young child was given free rein (pun intended).

I'd suggest looking for a large mini (37-38 inches) or a small pony who is also trained to drive so your kids can enjoy riding him for now, and the entire family can enjoy driving him now and later.
 

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