1st or 2nd pony

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skydancer

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i am on the look out for a pony for my 9 year old daughter. She has been riding since she was 5 and has private lessons at her local riding school every fortnight. She is a good little rider who has a very balanced seat and she isnt phased by anything. Unfortunately we had a pony on loan for her a couple of years ago who unbeknown to us had a bad back and a broken saddle ( he had been fine when we tried him out) and because of this he bucked when doing transitions - luckily she never came off but i dont want to go there again!
This is one of the reasons for my dilemma she isnt a big girl very skinny and tall bless but not very strong i dont know imaybe its just that i am her mum!! when i look at the blog for 1st ponies they are for children just coming off lead rein and she is now starting jumping - so whats the answer?

Sorry for the essay but i need some advice xx:)
 
It is a difficult one, as some of the ponies advertised as 2nd ponies are utter rat bags, and others are simply off the leg, it depends on peoples opinion, and quite often how honestly the add is worded. I would look for one which has done pc with a similar age child, and get references. My friends daughter is a similar shape, and they have had a few teething troubles with ponies, if they are good, they are often too quiet and don't go forwards enough. If you can find an older pony don't be too worried about the height. My pony is 14h/14.2h but he is on loan to a girl who was 9 when she got him, and she has had him 18 months, and thinks he's fab. I wouldn't have let her go xc on him when he was 12, he would have been too strong, but at 21 he is a been there done it type.
I would look on the local pc website, or possibly talk to them, as the real gems often go by word of mouth!
 
I don't think it matters what the pony is advertised as. I went looking for a first ridden and 10 ponies later only 1 would have been suitable. Look at the type and temperament and take it from there. Good luck, buying ponies is a minefield!!
 
I'd say a first pony/first ridden type. A child coming off lr that's always had ponies at home has usually jumped, cantered hacked etc already, so just off lr doesn't mean only up to sedate walk & trot. Just safe & uncomplicated. Second pony types aren't nutters or dangerous, but do generally require a rider, rather than a passenger. I don't mean that as an insult to your daughters ability at all, just that there's a big difference between riding a rs pony, I'm guessing in an arena once a fortnight for a few years, & riding a second pony type on a hack with friends, or jumping at little shows. Imo buying or loaning a first pony while she adjusts to the difference for now would be the best thing, then review it in a year or two. Last thing she needs is overhorsing by something slightly too much for her & her confidence knocking. And especially as she's just learning to jump, a first pony type is better to do so on for that alone. And don't worry about her size, being in control or safe with a pony has nothing to do with needing to be physically strong. My 7yr old is a beanpole & its really not an issue.
 
Don't presume 2nd ponies are all dodge pots! I find it hard to describe mine - he is a complete dobbin while schooling/flat/dressage & at home, but when sj/xc he is more giddy & forward & strong (but not super fast!) A confident novice could take him round but not a numpty novice if you know what I mean! I wouldn't class him as a 2nd pony only though. My daughter was the size of a 9yr old but was 12 when we bought him! I think the key is to just try a few that are advertised as either 1st/2nd

What is it you are looking for as my boy is just about to go up for sale (14hh 13yrs been there & got the tshirt!) xx
 
I'd go for a good first pony, as privately owned ponies are far removed from riding school ponies. Try and loan one and see how she goes.

You can get awful 12.2hhs which are too much for a ten year old, and lovely 14.2hhs which are easy for an eight year old, it totally depends on the pony.
 
I wouldn't get too hung up about whether a pony is advertised as 1st or 2nd pony, but would probably go for something 13h to 13:2. I'd also try a few & see which one your daughter 'clicks' with.

We have 2 in that size range & they are completely different, but both can be happily ridden by very small children.

One is a NF, who I'd describe as a typical 1st pony in that she isn't too forward going - my somewhat cautious but competent 10yo has been riding her for a year (so since ashe was 9) and won't outgrow her for a couple of years. She is unlikely to win a jump off (too slow) but will jump 2ft 6 to 2ft 9 quite happily.

The other is a much more forward going PB welsh who is more of a 2nd / 3rd pony. She can be very strong & excitable but my petite 13yo has ridden her since she was tiny (she started riding her off lead rein when she was about 6 or 7) & they really suit each other.
 
I know exactly where you are coming from having just bought a first pony each for my 9 year old and 11 year old daughters. People have different ideas and expectations for first ponies. We also loaned a pony last year and my daughters had been off the lead rein for quite a long time but they weren't experienced. We didn't want complete plodders but my main aim was for safety. Our first pony was described as a 1.5 pony!! He's probably not whizzy enough for a very confident experienced rider but is certainly enough for us at the moment - loves jumping and hacking but needs more leg for schooling. Our other pony we have only had for 3-4 weeks and so far has been fine. We did look long and hard for the first one (had about 3 months now) but the second one came along very quickly. Just be honest with your child's capabilities and explain what you would like to pony to do. Good luck, I hope you find one soon. :)
 
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