words Alexa Wang
If you’re looking to buy a horse for your son or daughter, the first step is researching which horse breeds are the most suitable for children.
Whether you’re purchasing a horse for the first time or not, an online marketplace such as Horsesme.com can be the perfect starting point for research into the different breeds and their characteristics.
Read on for all the information you need to make the best choice on the ideal horse for your child.
The benefits of investing in a horse for your child
Investing in a horse for your child will allow your son or daughter to fully embrace their childhood for the better. Years will be spent creating amazing memories that will be treasured for a lifetime. Besides, the confidence that a child gets from developing his or her horse-riding practice can dovetail into other areas of their life. All the while, a horse can create a better, stronger family unit.
Meanwhile, as the years go on, your child will grow to develop a deeper relationship with their horse, providing them with a greater sense of meaning in times of challenge. Nurturing the love for horses or animals provides them with a rich outlet, enriching their sensitivity and receptivity.
Results from a study on children’s horse-riding
But if that isn’t enough, according to a study performed by the Laboratory of Effective Animals for Human Health in Japan, children who learn how to ride a horse, and continue the practice, develop increased decision-making ability and introspection, modulating the balance between a child’s parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system[1].
However, to be able to get all these wonderful benefits, picking the right horse breed is vital. When you’re making such a pivotal decision for your child, there’s a lot of things you need to consider.
Important Things to Consider
- Safety – You need to be able to provide the appropriate horse or pony for your child’s age, size and experience.
- Temperament – Horses can display traits that make them appear friendly, steady, and energetic. It’s important to look at specific temperament traits that match well with your child’s and to pick a cold-blooded horse due to their calmer demeanour
- Ease of training – The steadier the temperament, the easier it will be to train them. The more aggressive a horse is in displaying their personality, the more challenging it will be.
- Height – You don’t want a horse that’s difficult to climb; especially consider your child’s height.
- Your child’s experience level – The newer your child is to horse raising, the better off you are sticking with the below horse breeds.
Popular horse breeds for children
- Shetland ponies – Small, hardy, strong and adorable. The Shetland pony is a Scottish breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles in the north of Scotland.
- Welsh ponies – Intelligent and loyal, they existed in Wales before 1600 BC and were influenced by the Arabian horse, the Thoroughbred and the Hackney horse.
- Pony of the Americas – Developed for younger riders with a spotted coat. The Pony of the Americas is a pony breed developed in the state of Iowa in the United States.
- Appaloosas – pretty coat patterns, trustworthy and calm. Today, the Appaloosa is one of the most popular breeds in the United States.
- Morgan Horses – Morgan horses are excellent family horses, especially for beginning riders. They are known for being highly cooperative and eager to please, and they generally love to socialise with their human family members. They also have a relatively small stature compared to other horse breeds, which is manageable for many children.
Conclusion
By now, you should be better informed on what horse breed to pick for your child. Out of all the important things to consider, there’s one common theme: adapting everything based on how fulfilled your child will be.
Picking a horse breed with the right temperament and height is crucial for your child. If you find a horse breed that’s not on this list, make sure it’s a cold-blooded type – as hot-blooded horses can be more challenging to handle. If you still have more doubts, it might be a good idea to talk to an equestrian expert or even take some horse riding lessons with the breed that you prefer.
[1] Horseback Riding Improves the Ability to Cause the Appropriate Action (Go Reaction) and the Appropriate Self-control (No-Go Reaction) in Children: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00008/full
