Experts agree that exposure to live horses is a child’s best bet, but play horses are the next best thing and have benefits of their own. Here are pluses and minuses of each.

Did you know that pony-riding – as well as being fun - can bring long-term health and wellbeing benefits to children, too? It’s important to introduce children to lots of different types of play – from creative play to outdoor play – as each type delivers different benefits. The benefits of doll play, for example, include teaching children valuable life skills like empathy and caring for others. But what happens when kids are introduced to pony-riding at a young age? In short, LOTS! The mental, social and physical benefits of pony-riding increase exponentially the earlier that interaction begins. Read on for the Lottie Dolls’ guide to the pros of pony-riding…

Kids and play go hand-in-hand. Play is such a natural aspect of child development that many parents don’t give play a huge amount of thought. But the importance of the different types of play in early childhood shouldn’t be understated.