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.

About Planet Bike
In November of 1996, Planet Bike was founded in Madison, Wisconsin. In many ways, Planet Bike began as a social experiment that dedicated itself to doing business in a different way. Instead of being just another company that develops and sells products with profit as its end goal, Planet Bike wanted to help bring about positive change for people, their communities, and the environment.

Despite being a simple machine, the people at Planet Bike have always believed that the bicycle has great potential to help improve the world and the lives of the people in it. From the start, they have embraced an alternative corporate purpose which seeks to help get more people on bicycles by making communities friendlier places for the self-propelled. By donating 25% of company profits to causes that promote and facilitate bicycle usage, Planet Bike hopes to make an impact.

Social experiments aside, Planet Bike was born from the heart of a cyclist with a goal of making innovative, high quality, and practical bicycle accessories. Simply put, they strive to design and develop the best bicycle products in the world. In the company's short ten year history, they have made important product innovations within the bicycle industry. Advancements include the 4-line computer which is now a standard in the industry and the world's first self-contained HID light. Not bad for a company that ten years ago started as a one man operation. Today, while still a small company, Planet Bike continues to evolve and improve their product line with the goal of always striving to build accessories that make it easier for people to ride their bikes. Since 1996, Planet Bike's financial support of the grassroots bicycle movement has totaled $500,000. By 2010, they have made a goal to donate $1 million to organizations that are dedicated to making America a friendlier place for cyclists.

Fun, exciting way to get exercise.

Get some air and show your tricks.

The aircraft-grade aluminum tube in the center is ready for extreme grinding.

The board offers such features as spiked traction pads, a kick tail and nose, and a concave deck design, which combine to improve your foot control--a must for tricks. And thanks to the 76mm polyurethane wheels and precision ABEC-5 bearing casters, skaters will enjoy a smooth ride on almost any type of pavement. Designed for children 8 years and up, the Ripstik's plastic end platforms and metal torsion beam support up to 220 pounds.

Key Features:

• Inclined caster trucks
• Concave deck platforms
• Traction plates
• Kick nose
• Kick tail
• Rubber-padded handle
• Torsion bar
• 76-millimeter polyurethane wheels
• High-performance ABEC-5 bearings
• For ages 8 years and older
• 220-pound rider weight capacity

Other details include large pneumatic knobby tires for a maximum power transfer, authentic dirt bike frame geometry, a retractable kickstand, and a double-crown fork. The MX500, which requires roughly eight hours to fully charge, is recommended for ages 14 and over and offers a maximum weight limit of 175 pounds. It's also backed by a 90-day warranty.