Gauteng Smallholder December 2015-January 2016 | Page 27

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From page 24

quarter of Gauteng’s
smallholdings. In many cases
they spend their days idly in a
paddock, unridden, and often
uncared-for, their owners
having found other interests.
Thus, before succumbing to
your child's plaintive “Daddy,
I want a pony” wheedling ,
consider the following:
If the child (or adult, for that
matter) has no riding experience housing a pony or a
horse on your property is the
wrong way around. Rather
enrol the aspirant rider at a
reputable riding school in the
area because very few people
teach themselves to ride, at
least not properly.
After at least a year of regular
lessons at a riding school, on
one or more of the school's
ponies, as well as attendance
and competing at suitable
training shows, and joining
the local branch of the SA
Pony Club, the rider should
have developed sufficient skill

Horses eat continually, so will decimate your fields of grazing. They are also social animals, so enjoy companions

as a rider and knowledge as a
horseman (or woman) for you
to consider buying a suitable
mount.
But before you do, look at the
rider's daily schedule. Is there
sufficient time in the day after
school, ballet, sport, homework, and the daily commute
to and from these activities for
the rider to exercise and look
after the horse? If the horse,
even a relatively placid old
dobbin, is not exercised for at
least 30 minutes at least a
couple of times a week, and
preferably more, it will
become frisky, and will
eventually unseat the rider or

at least scare him or her to
such an extent that he or she
becomes fearful of mounting
up and a cycle begins with
you nagging the child to ride,
threatening to sell the horse,
tears and arguments, with the
horse ending up forlornly
standing in a paddock all day.
Also, horses are social animals
and keeping one only,
particularly if it is neglected
by its owners as well, can lead
to all sorts of psychological
problems, which will inevitably manifest themselves in
difficult behaviour when
ridden.
But there's another aspect to

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consider: the number of
years your child is likely to
ride. This is a function of the
age at which the child shows
an interest in starting to ride.
Continued on page 27