For many people, the thought of having children is an exciting time, where they start to plan the ways they will instill values, morals and traditions to their kids as well as passing on their passions.
Passing on your love of your horses is more than a simple labour of love; it’s essential in order to continue the various sports, activities and care of horses. So how do you promote your passion of horses?
The Fun Factor
It almost seems too good to be true but making any activity more fun for a child will ultimately make them want to be a part of it. This is why so many parent adopt the “aeroplane game” when trying to entice a toddler into eating vegetables and it is certainly a tactic worth trying at this stage.
Luckily for you, children are naturally curious about animals and a cute pony nuzzling on their ear or eating a carrot from their hands in a petting zoo or farm is a great place to start feeding their interest.
Seeing you then interacting with your horses and having a grand old time of it is sure to win them over.
It’s also well worth finding a tame pony in your yard on your equestrian property to give your little one a short and safe ride as you look on.
Afterwards, it’s important to talk to them about what happened and even assure them that the pony enjoyed seeing them too. Adding a “they can’t wait to see you again” is sure to be met with wide eyed wonder.
Find a good child friendly stable or trainer
If the first contact went well and you think they’re ready for some more interaction then remember where you started. Book them a lesson or let them ride with you. If your stables aren't particularly family friendly or you don’t have a suitable horse for your child to ride then you may need to spread your loyalties into another yard but the sacrifice will be worth it in the end.
Whichever approach you take, it’s well worth remembering that just as is the case with everything else they do; only your child can decide when they’re ready so take your cues from their natural behavior. If they seem anxious then speak to them about it, if they seem unsure about riding but want to pet or help you to care for your horse then this is a great start.
Finally
You already know this but it’s very important. Horses are your passion. There’s every chance that because your child has seen your love and enthusiasm they will follow naturally from that but you can’t force them to share your love and trying to will only make them rebel and less likely to want to be involved. By making their introduction to the equine world as fun as possible you’re making a great start but after that, it’s essential to let them find their own way into a hobby or interest. Forcing something on them won’t make them love it – they will just end up resenting you.
This is a guest post on behalf of Anna Wright who enjoys horses, equestrian property and the outdoors and is looking for horses for loan.
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