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Post by Karen, garrettponies on Aug 8, 2011 19:57:11 GMT
I find it very sad that there are some folk out there that bit*h and back bite about other little children on their ponies and live for nothing else other than a red rosette. They need to get a life. It's my daughter's, who turned 5 last week but is as tall as a 7yo, first year. She is enjoying every minute of it, has lots to learn but is quite happy and smiles from ear to ear, especially trotting. She enjoys the whole thing from bathing to the picnic. She sings songs to her pony and chats away all the time, quite relaxed. She loves rosettes but hasn't much concept of what the colours mean, she just wants pink, she actually cried coming second as it wasn't pink! She, like so many others, is a child who is having fun with her pony who loves her. I wish that she will always enjoy it for herself, not for me. I always swore if she wasn't interested I wouldn't make her. I am competitive but I would NEVER make my child do anything she wasn't interested in. I, personally, will be glad when she moves onto FR as I can't run elegantly for toffee ;  |
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Post by ilovenatives on Aug 8, 2011 20:34:01 GMT
Sage and onion you are so right about lead rein at affiliated shows . It is taken so seriously and alot of the jockeys look fed up . We decided to go for it last year as it was my daughters last year on the lead so pony went to a producer for the season . Did ok got to RI but have to admit i did wonder what all the fuss was about after going to RI . Found we missed all the getting the pony ready and the fun bits like my daughter being able to ride round the showground after her class as pony was put away straight after and producer did not really like him being bombed about the show ground . Also my daughter hated having the pony at the producers because she only got to ride him once a week and kept asking when he was coming home . Having a lot more fun this season mainly doing little local shows and fun stuff . My daughter still has plenty of red ones but they may be for child handler , small M&M [which she can do locally as its normally kids in the ring and they are not very big classes ] or first ridden . She is just as pleased winning at the little show down the road as she was at bigger shows . Pony is cheeky sometimes as only my daughter rides her but i dont care as long as my daughter enjoys herself . We never had push button ponies as kids but still had loads of fun .
Ive noticed that quite alot of kids on the affiliated circuit dont make the transition to first ridden as they are probably fed up with showing by then .
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Post by erminstrudel on Aug 8, 2011 21:58:41 GMT
She loves rosettes, she just wants pink, she actually cried coming second as it wasn't pink! ;D Got one of them too! Although my 6 yo old is all too aware of which colour goes with which placing now & is disgracefully competitive - but very sporting. She has been taught from the start that shows are for fun, that she has a limit on how many classes she does (for both the ponies & my purses sake!) and she gets to choose which types of classes she does. She's currently terrifying me by deciding that I'm no longer allowed to lead her in her jumping classes - although I have to go in the ring with her to act as sat nav  . Even more terrifying as she's doing it all on a very chunky 13.1 highland that we share. We take it in turn to go to shows, or we share at the same show if there is stuff that we can both do. She also knows that she doesn't ride unless she's prepared to look after the pony too. She's an odd one though. At nearly every show she goes to she'll be giggling hysterically when things are going well, but gets quite tearful if she thinks she's made a mistake. She's never been pushed or discouraged. She's been praised whatever she's done - just for having a go. Whenever she gets teary I ask if she's had enough & if she wants to go home - which just sets off even more profuse tears because she 'Never wants to get off ever because it's too much fun!'  ...Go figure! It really hit home this weekend what a good attitude she has to competing when the first thing I heard as I left the ring - (having been eliminated in a WH class that was way too big for us!) - was her shouting at the top of her voice "Well done Mummy for trying, you did really well to give it a go." Wonder where she got that phrase from  |
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Post by 5874julie on Aug 8, 2011 22:52:48 GMT
my daughter had to speak to me very sharply once, when she was about 5. we had been doing the lead rein gymkhana all afternoon and i was fairly shattered. we were in the lead for the points cup, but completely mucked up the final race - i think it was musical mats. my face must have slipped a bit as we left the ring. i noticed my daughter was on the verge of tears, and thinking she was disappointed to have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, i turned to comfort her. to which she said 'mummy, if you are going to take it all this seriously, i'm just not going to do it with you any more'. that told me!
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Post by erminstrudel on Aug 9, 2011 9:44:12 GMT
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bud86
Junior Member
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Post by bud86 on Aug 10, 2011 7:14:07 GMT
PMSL S&O What a brilliant description! I go in the ring with my 2nd hand saddle, borrowed bridle and 2nd hand clothes  We dont look like travellers but I refuse to spend £100's when she might say she's bored next week! |
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bud86
Junior Member
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Post by bud86 on Aug 10, 2011 7:16:26 GMT
I find it very sad that there are some folk out there that bit*h and back bite about other little children on their ponies and live for nothing else other than a red rosette. They need to get a life. It's my daughter's, who turned 5 last week but is as tall as a 7yo, first year. She is enjoying every minute of it, has lots to learn but is quite happy and smiles from ear to ear, especially trotting. She enjoys the whole thing from bathing to the picnic. She sings songs to her pony and chats away all the time, quite relaxed. She loves rosettes but hasn't much concept of what the colours mean, she just wants pink, she actually cried coming second as it wasn't pink! She, like so many others, is a child who is having fun with her pony who loves her. I wish that she will always enjoy it for herself, not for me. I always swore if she wasn't interested I wouldn't make her. I am competitive but I would NEVER make my child do anything she wasn't interested in. I, personally, will be glad when she moves onto FR as I can't run elegantly for toffee ; You have exactly the same attitude as us Aliyah was delighted at Royal Cornwall as she came 6th plus it was PINK I cried when we came out cos we were out for fun this year, they have acheived so much this year, very proud |
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Post by Karen, garrettponies on Aug 10, 2011 16:18:46 GMT
Well done bud86 and family, that is great, you must be proud X
My family will vouch that I am competitive and that I insist on immaculate turnout etc etc, after all you play with the big boys you have to up your game to some extent..........BUT.......where Zo is concerned I don't want her becomng one of the po-faced obnoxious children who are sat with their mouths stuck out being bossed around by a rosette-crazed mother. It HAS to be fun. We are heading for Equifest next week, on holiday with Honey (pony) she can't wait (Zoe!!) sleeping in lorry, BBQ'ing etc etc. We will be as good as we are on the day and will see what happens.
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Post by hs on Aug 10, 2011 18:58:56 GMT
It is a bit like the beauty pagents in the states, some of the kids love it but it is mainly for the mums so they can show off their kids.
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Post by Julie(luke3) on Aug 10, 2011 20:18:01 GMT
I have to confess, I have a son who is mad on ponies, but I am waiting until he is older so as not to do lead rein!!  |
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Post by sageandonion on Aug 11, 2011 7:46:27 GMT
Come on ladies, who looks out for Mummy X to see what outfit she has on this time?
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Post by katherine on Aug 11, 2011 10:17:27 GMT
When i was a child my mum used to take me and my sister jumping. My sister is really competitive and would go in every class and try to win. I would skip the jumps i didn't like the look of or pull my pony up in front of it, have a good look then turn round and gallop at it. I never once got shouted at and i hardly ever completed a whole course i still enjoyed it tho Modified to add i still do the same now. Lol ;D |
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bud86
Junior Member
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Post by bud86 on Aug 13, 2011 19:47:23 GMT
Massive good luck to you Garret! Hope you have a wicked time I would love to do some shows where you stay over but we dont have transport so I rely on mates going to shows  |
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Post by muggley on Aug 13, 2011 20:07:20 GMT
I had a rather strange LR class today. The judge doesn't have a clue about ridden but it was part of the Shetland section and wasn't affiliated so we knew what to expect. Now to be fair the judge shocked me - in kind of the right way.
We all walked round then he called us in to line then practically had a go at us! He told all of us leaders not to make our kids do anything they didn't want to do or were not capable of doing. He didn't want anyone falling off, no kids crying, no one feeling uncomfortable - he practically shouted this at us, repeated himself and then finished his rant with - DO YOU UNDERSTAND! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR! NO KIDS CRYING!
I nearly felt like telling him he nearly had us adults in tears let alone the bloomin kids! He didn't need to have such a go but at least he had the kids best interests at heart.
We were then allowed to carry on and do out individual shows!
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Post by sageandonion on Aug 14, 2011 18:04:09 GMT
;D ;D That made me smile. So glad it wasn't a lady judge or they would all be saying "I bet that was sageandonion"!!!
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Post by welsha on Aug 14, 2011 18:12:53 GMT
Very well said Garrattponies. LOL!!! See you on Weds at Equifest. Cant wait!!! We have pink concours this year!!
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Post by Karen, garrettponies on Aug 15, 2011 15:41:44 GMT
Thanks Welsha, tee heeeeeeeeee Zoe will be thrilled to see your concours outfit, you know we'll end having to do it one day....................... See you wednesday X Bud86 Thanks, my little girl is past herself with excitement. We are going to have some fun plus one of my friends qual for HOYS on sunday so we will be having a glass or three to celebrate. Homebred, totally home prodcued coloured, he qual last year but went lame and on 3 months box rest and she was gutted and couldn't go. So thrilled for her to do it again X |
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Post by welsha on Aug 16, 2011 10:29:53 GMT
Garrettponies I may well suggest to Zoe that Mummy should start sewing when you get back from Equifest for next years outfit LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Karen, garrettponies on Aug 16, 2011 13:23:31 GMT
Welsha, ha ha very funny . I bet she does want to do it next year though when she sees them all tomorrow. Have a safe trip and we'll see you there X |
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Post by Ziggy on Aug 18, 2011 9:33:21 GMT
garrettpopnies you are your little girl have totally the right attittude!! So looking forward to meeting you both on Saturday!!!
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Post by sageandonion on Aug 18, 2011 20:59:58 GMT
I say, have you read Stuart Hollings column in H&H this week about a producer leading. Very naughty  |
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Post by bow1607 on Aug 18, 2011 21:19:33 GMT
I don't think it will be too long before Scarlett is on the lead rein..... everytime she shes a pony she gets excited, I sit her on and she claps like mad shouting "NAN" at the top of her voice (knowing nan has camera on her! Poor hubby won't have a choice!!!! bless him |
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Post by bow1607 on Aug 19, 2011 20:36:26 GMT
I say, have you read Stuart Hollings column in H&H this week about a producer leading. Very naughty just read it.... oops! |
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Post by Karen, garrettponies on Aug 20, 2011 21:48:05 GMT
bow 1607 your Scarlett is just so adorable!
Well today I proved categorically that lead rein is for Zoe not me. Since we had such a good day at Equifest yesterday and we discoed last night as promised, we didn't do our 8.30 class today. Zo didn't wake til 8.30 anyway! We didn't do our second class either as Zo was still really tired, pony was tired, it was hot and it's been a busy exciting week, we thought we'd end it on a good note than have a super-tired child and a cheesed off pony. She was enjoying playing with her toys purchased with prize money, Nursey's daughter, Isobel and relaxing. Was asleep by the time we hit the A1 from the showground.
S & O this mummy DID have to buy a new shirt for the evening performance but thats because I didn't want to let Zoe down in her first ever EP;)
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Post by bow1607 on Aug 20, 2011 22:05:07 GMT
Thank you and well done Garrettponies..... I hope you have pics from the evening! |
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Post by iluvmyponies on Aug 22, 2011 12:15:53 GMT
I was at a show not long ago & was watching the FYFR. There was an older girl, who usually does LR, working in her pony on her own. Pony was going very sweetly & little girl riding it ever so well. Mother arrives...."Walk!....Walk!....WALK RIGHT NOW!" Daughter comes back to walk & clearly didn't realise it was her mummy shouting her. "Sorry Mummy" Daughter walks round & mother asks her to trot. "Wrong! Walk!" They continued to do this for 20 minutes. Pony would trot 3 strides & then walk again. Pony was going foot perfect & little girls position was spot on. Daughter ended up in tears & trotted out of the collecting ring, hugging & crying to her pony. I felt like crying for her 10 minutes later, mummy storms into the collecting ring with pony, closely followed by daughter still in tears. Mummy dearest threw darling daughter onto her pony & stood right in her face yelling at her & dragged pony & daughter into the ring. I did feel sorry for the poor girl When I did LR, my mum did it for me, she didn't care if we came 1st or last. But I was very competitive! I wanted the red one please! When I went into FR, I was just as competitive but again, my mum just wanted us to have fun. I wasn't enjoying FR so I only did half a season of it & then went straight into Open SHP not ex 153cm, I was 7 & pony was only 5 & in a pelham. Both me & my pony had fun & we had a lot of success too. Isn't that what matters, fun? |
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Post by colouredpony14 on Sept 16, 2011 10:19:41 GMT
One thing I do hate to see though is a tiny tot whos legs barely touch the end of the saddle, against a rider on LR who clearly doesn't need to be on it because they can ride perfetly well. You can just tell those who need to be on it, and those who don't.
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Post by muggley on Sept 16, 2011 17:45:54 GMT
One thing I do hate to see though is a tiny tot whos legs barely touch the end of the saddle, against a rider on LR who clearly doesn't need to be on it because they can ride perfetly well. You can just tell those who need to be on it, and those who don't. In defense of some of the older end of the spectrum riders some of these kids are the most confident kids in the world on the lead rein but remove their safety net and they turn into quivering jelly wrecks. Yes some are only in the class because they can be but some are genuinely there because they lack the confidence to move on on their own at that moment in time. |
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Post by jaycee on Sept 16, 2011 18:54:49 GMT
Well said muggley, and some of their lead rein ponies are exactly that, little paragons on the lead but not always trustworthy without their leader. Some would put a child off for life if you tried to turn them into a FR, and a sensible parent wont rush or push a child to take the next step till they are ready themselves.
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Post by nici on Sept 18, 2011 9:34:38 GMT
However when Cerys was a tot she competed a number of times against older LR kids, who would have the LR unclipped at the end of their class and then canter off to do an open / whp / Sj class... Even when she was 4 she could never understand why these kids were still on the lead rein. And when she was 5 and had ridden her pony off the lead at home all through the winter, she declared that she wasn't going to do LR again as she could now ride on her own. A scary experience (for me, not for her!) at the first couple of shows, but I was hugely relieved to throw away the hated LR skirt ;D
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. Even more terrifying as she's doing it all on a very chunky 13.1 highland that we share. We take it in turn to go to shows, or we share at the same show if there is stuff that we can both do. She also knows that she doesn't ride unless she's prepared to look after the pony too.
...Go figure!
