enigma wrote:
Rosalie B. wrote in
:

Check to see what they require in terms of helmets. They
should not let the kids on the horses without one. Buy him
one so he has his own. If by chance he does have a fall,
you need to get another one.

oh, i know! i hope he's not as hard to fit as i am. i need a
weird size long oval helmet

Ideally he should wear boots to ride - ankle type boots are
OK and are more suitable for children anyway. They should
have a heel and hard soles. No trainers/sneakers.

yup, so they don't slip through the stirrup. he has cowboy
boots.

I had a kid in my 6th grade homeroom (when I was a teacher) whose
mother said that they tied her son's feet to the stirrups and that the
saddle slipped and he was dragged. I was horrified.

I don't remember exactly what problems Boo has - if any -
and I can't remember where you live (sorry) but I myself
would look for an instructor affiliated with Pony Club.
Actually I'd want him to join PC and get instruction
through them.

sensory integration disorder, both sensory seeking and
sensory avoiding. high functioning autism. some dyspraxia.

I'm not sure exactly what all those things are, except it looks like
he's sensitive to stuff that other people might not mind (?). I'd
want to have private lessons then maybe?? And if it was possible, I'd
want grooming and catching the horse etc included if possible - not
just have the pony presented, hop on and ride.

does Pony Club take almost 6 year olds? the stable i saw in
Candia (not on your list) says they have Pony Club for ages 7+

I don't know that PC itself has any rules about age. When my kids
started, the oldest one was about 15 - we didn't have a local club and
then two of them were started at the same time. So my youngest was
about 5 then. 4H had minimum ages, but I didn't think PC did.

From the national website

Club Membership
It is the policy of USPC to admit as local club
members all interested young persons who comply
with the requirements for membership regardless of
race, color, gender, religion, or national origin. In
order to become a member of a club or to maintain
membership status, each individual must pay
annual club, regional and national dues, as well as
the annual insurance premium. Each club may set a
minimum age for joining if it so desires, but no
person may remain a member of a club after
December 31 of the year of his or her 21st birthday.
Dues and fees are non-refundable.

In any case, what I was recommending was that you take lessons from
someone who was a Pony Club person - perhaps an older B or HA rated
teen, or someone who was a PC instructor. And you might also check
into Therapeutic Riding.

We got our first pony when my oldest was 14, and dd#3 leased a cart
pony. She was 7 then, and she got her own pony when she was 9. DS
wasn't as interested, and he also leased ponies - I know he was in
leadline when he was 4. The only problem for us was the younger ones
couldn't catch and tack up their ponies by themselves because they
were too little to be able to put the saddle up on the pony's back.
But since the oldest was old enough, the older ones helped the younger
ones. When DS was taking one of the early D ratings, they asked him
what the saddle flap was called, and he said it was a "blouse". (He
remembered it was some article of girl's clothing - he just had the
wrong one[the correct answer was 'skirt']).

from the list, Pittsfield & Auburn are relatively close, so
i'll give them a call. thanks!
lee

grandma Rosalie