A Parent's View from the Sidelines with Deanne Thompson

This article is from the September 2020 Horse Deals magazine.

What are your children’s names and how old are they? Taylor 15, Angelina 13 and Ryder 5.

How did Angelina commence her riding career? When my girls were three and five I bought them a little miniature pony named Stormy. He was the best introduction to horses for them. A beautiful, sweet tiny little thing that they were both able to safely learn to take care of and ride. Grooming, washing, feeding and saddling up. He was small enough for them both to handle and very patient and loved them both fussing over him. He was not the most comfortable ride as he was very bouncy, so as they showed more and more interest I got them both a bigger pony each that they could take the next step on. We went to pony club twice a month and rode at home. When Angie started kindergarten she attend her first School Equestrian Carnival. From there on she was hooked. The keen button had been pressed and she wanted to ride all the time. She loved every discipline including jumping, sporting, dressage, mounted games and showing.

What were your initial thoughts when you realised Angelina was into horses? I was over the moon. Thrilled to think we could share this passion together.

Did you have experience with horses prior to your child’s interest? I have always loved horses ever since I was a little girl. I attended pony club, ag shows and Royals but was never as successful as Angie and her horses. I spent a lot of time just enjoying them at home without competing — trail riding with my friends and swimming them in the river where I lived. I bought a horse again when she was little and loved attending the odd show and began having lessons myself. As Angie’s enthusiasm for riding and horses increased I ended up off the horse again and became her total support crew.

Does your own personal experience with horses have an impact on your child’s sport? It’s definitely helped Angie’s journey with horses that I am comfortable handling them and knowledgeable to a certain extent. We have both learnt so much together along the way, too. I don’t think you ever know everything there is to know about horses. No two horses are ever the same and present their own individual learning journey along the way.

What were your expectations of your child’s first pony and what did you end up with? The right pony can make or break your child’s interest in horses. I was looking for a proven beginners mount that was not young or just broken in that had had kids riding it previously, that could walk, trot and canter on a loose rein and would halt with very little pull on the rein. My ideal pony had been to pony club lots of times, attended shows and was able to be handled on the ground by a child at all times. I was lucky enough to find the most amazing little Welsh Pony by the name of Cherry Pie for Angie to learn and grow with. She was 11.1 hands and had the most beautiful and gentle temperament. She would follow me around which made Angie feel like she was doing it all by herself. If Angie ever felt unstable Cherry Pie would stop ­— it was almost like she knew her job was to teach Angie and she took great care of her. There was nothing Cherry Pie wouldn’t do and she gave Angie the confidence because Angie always felt safe. By feeling safe she was able to experience the joy of learning to ride.

How do you juggle your time for horses between the rest of your commitments? I just do the best I can. Some days I do it better than others. I have three children and a very supportive husband. Corrie travels the countryside with our oldest daughter, Taylor, racing Motorcoss, and I travel the countryside with Angie and the horses. Ryder is our youngest and he has always come with me and Angie, but now that he is five he has decided MX is more fun.

What are, or what do you think the life lessons and benefits of your child being involved with horses? I can tell you a long list of the life lessons and benefits Angie has gained from loving and competing her horses. The responsibility of caring for four competition horses is huge and it is daily and it is sometimes constant. Feeding, rugging, grooming, riding and cleaning out stables. It is before school, after school and sometimes before bed, and even on the days she doesn’t want to ride. It’s in the sunshine, in the freezing cold, or even in the rain, or during storms the horses have to be taken care of. She has learnt responsibility, she has learnt to trust herself and her own intuition. She has learnt to win and to lose and she is learning patience. She has learnt how to set goals and has shown dedication in achieving them. Most importantly she has learnt unconditional love. Her horses adore her. Together they are a team and must always work together.

As a family what sacrifices have you had to make in order to fulfil your child’s passion? I don’t think we feel like we sacrifice anything. We both just do whatever we need to do to make it work and enable them the best we can. The investment we have made financially is not only into a sport but into a lifestyle. We don’t feel like we are missing out on anything.

Horse riding is known as high risk. How do you come to terms with the risk factors? We eliminate the risks by ensuring she is provided with only horses that we believe are safe, well educated and have a proven history of a good temperament. Angie has always been given the highest standard of coaching in every discipline and is constantly reminded of how she must never get complacent on or off the horse, no matter how quiet we may think they are. Helmets are a must always at comps or at home, no matter what she is doing with the horses, and when jumping she wears a body protection vest.

What enjoyment do you get out of watching Angelina ride? I am so proud of her. The enjoyment I get is incredible. Competition days are not about the ribbons, they are about putting together the endless amount of hours training and the blood, sweat and tears that go into her striving to be the best she and her horse can be. I am in awe of her ability and her passion.

What advice can you give to other parents whose child may be interested in riding? The best advice I can give is to find a great local instructor or riding school that can supply a safe pony for your child to ride and learn the ropes on. The local pony club should be able to help with pointing a horsey or non-horsey family in the right direction for finding a reputable instructor in your area. Joining the local pony club will give your child the opportunity to experience every discipline horses have to offer and to learn horsemanship, as well as develop friendships with likeminded children.

With Coronavirus putting a hold on most competitions in 2020, Angie’s achievements in 2019 were:
• NSW State Interschool Primary Dressage Champion
• Australian Nationals Interschool Primary Preliminary Champion
• EA NSW Champion Small Child’s Galloway of the Year
• Grand National Runner Up Champion Rider 9 and Under 12 Years
• Pony Club Nationals Formal Gymkhana Runner Up Champion 11 and Under 13 Years

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