Little Tikes Giddyup n' Go Pony

by Little Tikes

• As you bounce up and down, your pony's legs move and you really go for a ride
• Galloping sound - press the left ear to activate. Whiney & snorting sounds - press the righ ear to activate
• Tail swings side to side as the child rides the pony. Handlebars are located on the pny's head make steering easy
• Tight 4 feet steering radius. Safety brakes included. Perfect for indoors or outdoors
• Makes physical activity fun - kids exercise while having a great time!

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 16 x 29 x 28 inches ; 38.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 34.5 pounds
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0019VSZIS
• Item model number: 609268
• Manufacturer recommended age: 36 months - 8 years
• Batteries 3 AA batteries required. (included)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,212 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com

The Little Tykes Giddyup 'N Go Pony puts your little one on the road to adventure. With your child in the saddle, the pony will actually move forward while your child operates and steers it. Designed for children ages 3 to 8, and up to 160 pounds, this pony offers fun play that's both imaginative and physical, helping develop both coordination and creative play.

The pony supports children up to 160 pounds. View larger.

The Giddyup 'N Go Pony is design for both indoor and outdoor play. View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Toy is sturdy; provides outlet for physical activity. The Bad: Toy is somewhat heavy; brake is not intuitive or quick to use. In a Nutshell: Adorable, child-sized riding pony moves with your child's movements, offering plenty of physical, imaginative fun. At a Glance Ages: 3 to 6 years Requires: 3 AA batteries (included)

A brake lever tightens the pony's wheels.

Plush, Cute, and Sturdy
The pony is much like an oversized stuffed toy, with its plush body, longhaired mane and tail, and its friendly eyes. Our child tester loved just petting it, let alone riding it. Beneath its plush fur is a hard, sturdy body that's heavy enough to support to even larger children. It wears a permanent saddle, and the metal, adjustable footrests -- which the toy's instructions call "stirrups" -- have rubber grips for extra security. They're attached to the horse's body with a heavy-duty, permanent metal bar. This toy is definitely built to last. Grip handles are located at the base of the pony's head, and its four hooves are fitted with hidden wheels.

To make the pony move, the child sits in the saddle and places her feet on the footrests. By alternating a sitting position and standing up onto the footrests, she makes a bouncing action that causes the pony's legs to splay out and then come together, making the pony roll forward. Bouncing smoothly and continuously will make the pony continue to roll forward. The child can steer the pony using the handlebars. A brake lever is located at the right handlebar. It can be ratcheted up or down to loosen or completely tighten the pony's wheels.

Imaginative Fun That Comes With a Workout!
In these days of rising childhood obesity, we're happy to have found find an innovative toy that's powered by a child's sheer physical exertion, rather than by remote control or batteries. (Yes, this toy takes 3 AA batteries -- but only to create its sound effects. Squeeze its ears, and it will neigh and make trotting sounds.)

The Giddyup 'N Go Pony offers plenty of fun physical challenges: the rider is challenged to master the bouncing action that makes the pony go, and she must maintain balance while driving and steering at the same time. The pony is built for both indoor and outdoor use, which expands its versatility and gives kids the opportunity to go outside and play.

Some Wise Precautions
But whether the pony and rider are inside or out, make sure an adult is always on hand. For safety reasons, the pony will not roll backwards, and because of its weight and height, only an adult can lift and move it away from "dead ends" or other obstacles. Smaller children will definitely need some help getting in and out of the saddle. And even though the horse has a break, it's not intuitive or quick to use -- so you'll want to keep a watchful eye to ensure that pony and rider don't stray off into steep or otherwise hazardous territory.

If you keep these precautions in mind, your little adventurer can have plenty of fun imagining rustling up cattle, chasing down outlaws, or riding off into the sunset.

Product Description

This ride-on pony is a toddler's perfect first horseback ride. As kids bounce up and down, the wheeled pony's legs start rolling, so kids can really go for a ride! Horse also comes with safety brakes, which are activated when the seat is held down continuously. Riders can simply press down on the left ear to hear life-like galloping sounds; or press on the right ear for whinnying and snorting sounds. The pony's tail even swings side to side as your child rides along. Handlebars located on the pony's head make steering easy, and a tight four-foot steering radius provides a controlled ride. Pony is perfect for active play both indoors and out. Requires three "AA" batteries, included. 32"L x 13"W x 32"H. Holds up to 150 lbs.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 96 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and sturdy, but has drawbacks November 5, 2008

By K. Kaz

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

I bought this for my nearly 4-yr-old daughter who loves horses. Rather quick and easy assembly, but you really have to push hard to get the tail to click in. The box says you need a screwdriver, but no tools were necessary. She first took it for a ride around inside the house. We have tile floors--it won't go very well on carpet--and then took it outside for a spin. I really had to watch her ride because any big bumps or cracks in the sidewalk could mean a nasty head-over-handlebars spill, plus, since there's really no break like for a bicycle, any slope is potential danger--the horse rolls pretty fast! There is a break, which seems too close to the handlebars and often gets in the way, but it's not intuitive for kids to use and not very effective in slowing down--it seems it's either on or off. She loved the bounce-bouncing of getting the horse to go and the sound effects and got the gist of riding it rather quickly. Although you can steer the horse, it doesn't have that great of a turning circle, so an adult or older child has to pick up the front wheels and manually turn the horse. Watch your toes, this horse is not light! My 6-yr-old son helps his sister, plus he has fun on it too. It helps that there are two sets of footrests: lower for big kids; higher for the little ones. It seems to be a very sturdy and well-made toy, although the reins are made out of thin vinyl. They probably won't hold up too long, especially if the kids lead the horse with them a lot. All in all it's a fun toy. The kids use their imaginations in feeding, brushing and taking care of the horse, which is cute. It's a toy I would've loved as a kid, which I'm sure is a big reason I bought it in the first place!

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Toy....Bad Engineering and even worse customer service March 13, 2009

By Kellyann Tucci

Amazon Verified Purchase

Durability: 1.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

I purchased 2 of these ponies for my 3 year olds for Christmas. It was all they asked for and carried the Little Tykes catalog around for months. When they saw them next to the tree Christmas morning it was heaven...for them and me. Minutes after they got on them BOTH of the ponies tails fell off. Figuring Mommy didnt put them in right, 3 other people tried to get them to stay on. No luck. Every time they "swished" off they'd fly. Then one of my girls showed me she had little black pieces of rubber all over her hands. I looked at the handle and the foam was coming off. I checked the other pony and the same thing was happening. Needless to say, I was getting more furious by the second. It took me 3 months to save up $400 to buy these things. The first biz day after the holiday I began my quest to contact Little Tykes. The pony did not exist in their service portion of their website. So I had to select a different product to even be able to email them. I received an email about a week later saying I needed to provide copies of my receipts, which I did immediately. About a week later I received a phone call from another company (?) saying the new parts were being shipped out and how sorry they were that I had these issues. 2 weeks later I received a large envelope in the mail - containing 1 tail.

I have tried to contact both Little Tykes and the mystery company (thank goodness for caller ID) several times (its now mid-March) and left so many voice mails I lost count. No return phone call. The ponies remain tailess (even the single replacement tail wont stay on) and Ive had to wrap tape around the handle bars.

Its a great toy in theory, but the Little Tykes quality I had come to trust was just not there. And their customer service is horrendous. Never again.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Great but some safety issues December 12, 2008

By Aimee E. Murray

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

My daughter received this horse for her third birthday and was very excited to give it a try. I was thrilled because it was so easy to put together - the tail was the most difficult.
I have two concerns with this toy:
1. The braking system is difficult and impossible for my three year old to figure out. I would never let her play outside with the horse.
2. She tipped it over on herself this afternoon while trying to get on it. I don't think that she would have been able to get out from under the horse if I had not helped her. The horse is very heavy.
She loves horses and she loves this horse - she loves to make it neigh and she brushes it hair. Overall though I wish that I had waited a couple years to get this toy.