Adult on native ponies

Leandy said:
Size-wise you are absolutely fine for a native, so it is perfectly sensible to go for one if that is what you want. Do have a good think about what exactly you are aiming for if you have competitive ambitions and just make sure that the type of animal you look for is suitable for that. Natives are of course good allrounders so may people will tell you they can do everything a bigger sporthorse type can do, which of course they can. However, if you have ambitions of being really competitive in competition then consider whether a particular breed may have its natural limitations there and whether you care about that or not. If you are buying your first horse then I'd say a native would be ideal though.
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You’ll find there are different types even within the same breed for example not all highlands are ‘ploddy’ trekking ponies ( although a few are!,) many of them can become turbo charged performance ponies with the correct schooling and diet, and the majority are definitely not ‘first owner’ ponies. A lot of natives can become / are opinionated if not handled correctly from a young age.
 
I love most M&M ponies but sorry to those fell lovers they would be bottom of my list. Only met a few but have not been particularly genuine and all have choppy action which I find very uncomfortable. To quote my current instructor who had never sat on a highland "they are like riding on a cloud" so smooth and cover the ground. I also love all 4 Welsh sections. Don't know much about new forest ponies but another breed I found temperament to not gel was connies loved mine to bits but boy what a diva she was
 
windand rain said:
I love most M&M ponies but sorry to those fell lovers they would be bottom of my list. Only met a few but have not been particularly genuine and all have choppy action which I find very uncomfortable. To quote my current instructor who had never sat on a highland "they are like riding on a cloud" so smooth and cover the ground. I also love all 4 Welsh sections. Don't know much about new forest ponies but another breed I found temperament to not gel was connies loved mine to bits but boy what a diva she was
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It's definitely horses for courses as the couple of Highlands I have sat on I haven't liked at all. They were big, slow lumps of animals. I have never sat on an Exmoor or a Dale's pony.
 
My gypsy cob has a fantastic ground covering walk,she can easily keep up with very big horses and the loveliest smooth trot.Its almost easier to sit with her trot than rise to it.
 
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Elf On A Shelf said:
It's definitely horses for courses as the couple of Highlands I have sat on I haven't liked at all. They were big, slow lumps of animals. I have never sat on an Exmoor or a Dale's pony.
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Mine is really sharp -- I would not want to ride much sharper -- but he may not be pure Highland. The "breeder" had winged some Welsh Ds, Arabs, and TBs into the herd. If I ever feel like I have £70 I don't need, I might try one of those genetic hair tests, just out of curiosity. He's also a big mover, for 14hh. Trot and canter feel like you're on something much bigger.

I have ridden two other Highlands. They had very smooth trots that felt more side-to-side rather than boingy. There's one at the riding school who is the world's slowest horse, a "big slow lump" indeed. A friend hired him for a day to go hacking, and he could not keep up with Foinavon or my other friend's cob. However, he's also the world's safest horse and the riding school's go-to guy for insecure riders.
 
eahotson said:
My gypsy cob has a fantastic ground covering walk,she can easily keep up with very big horses and the loveliest smooth trot.Its almost easier to sit with her trot than rise to it.
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I ride essentially an over size gypsy cob at the moment and my instructor always compliments my sitting trot but really he just makes it look easy! He’s very rhythmic so can produce a nice dressage test too
 
I will had altthough this will be my first horse I’m not a novice, I’ve loaned, shared, brought on youngsters and “problem”horses, and working in 2 riding schools Got to ride a lot of different types, I won’t say I’m the best rider but I can ride to a decent standard.


If I was a novice I probably wouldn’t be looking at some of the more firey natives like highlands or welshies!
 
My Highland is a sweetheart to ride. Does what you ask, doesn't do anything you don't ask for and is solid as a rock. Unless you do something that she thinks is schooling. She doesn't put up with that nonsense. Rounds her back and tells me she could buck me off if she wanted to. lol
 
I would love a highland but am definitely too heavy at 12st 4lb. I have a 15hh welsh sect d but wouldn't have another full sect d.
 
Crugeran Celt a 14.2 highland is a very big pony. I really get annoyed with people who think they’re too heavy for 14.2 mountain & moorlands as a general comment. It depends entirely on the conformation of the pony as well as the rider, how experienced you are and how you ride. It also depends whether or not you’re actually committed to finding a suitable pony! ?
 
I have two Welsh D‘s. Both 16.1. There are really versatile and fun. I evented one up to BE Novice only stopping at that as it was too big for me. She would have kept going.
The other one has been to British riding club championships in every discipline.
so go for it ?
 
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gallopingby said:
Crugeran Celt a 14.2 highland is a very big pony. I really get annoyed with people who think they’re too heavy for 14.2 mountain & moorlands as a general comment. It depends entirely on the conformation of the pony as well as the rider, how experienced you are and how you ride. It also depends whether or not you’re actually committed to finding a suitable pony! ?
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I do too. It's really bad and does a disservice to a lot of our endangered breeds like the Dales ponies that people think they are too big for them when they are capable of carrying easily as much as a 16.2 warmblood. There's a lot of strength in wide loins and short legs.
 
Gloi said:
I do too. It's really bad and does a disservice to a lot of our endangered breeds like the Dales ponies that people think they are too big for them when they are capable of carrying easily as much as a 16.2 warmblood. There's a lot of strength in wide loins and short legs.
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The only potential problem which has been discussed many times is saddle size. Our Dales mare wouldn't really notice 12 stone, my daughter at 10 stone and 5' 3" looks a bit small on her to my eye, but she's very compact and takes a 17" saddle.
 
Madali said:
I have two Welsh D‘s. Both 16.1. There are really versatile and fun. I evented one up to BE Novice only stopping at that as it was too big for me. She would have kept going.
The other one has been to British riding club championships in every discipline.
so go for it ?
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16.1 is a little bigger than I’d be looking for ideally, I’ve set 16.2 as my absolute maximum but I prefer something I can get on from the ground if needed!
 
gallopingby said:
Crugeran Celt a 14.2 highland is a very big pony. I really get annoyed with people who think they’re too heavy for 14.2 mountain & moorlands as a general comment. It depends entirely on the conformation of the pony as well as the rider, how experienced you are and how you ride. It also depends whether or not you’re actually committed to finding a suitable pony! ?
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Anyone who thinks they are too big for a 14.2h highland or dales pony probably hasn't even been on one, they are a big chunk of pony with bone and strength a warmblood could only dream of
 
Cob Life said:
I’m hoping to buy my first horse, currently riding a few different ones ( a BIG warmblood with big movement, a slim tb and a cob) but I found my heart remains with the native ponies I grew up riding!

is it unrealistic for me to be looking at buying a bigger native such as a Welsh sec D or highland?

I’m 5’0 and 10-11 stone (my weight fluctuates but 11 is the heaviest I’ve been in the last 4 years) and a well balanced rider

ETA I know there will be variation depending on the individual pony
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Go with your heart, a Welsh D, Highland, Fell or Dales will EASILY carry you!! You will end up having real fun, especially with a welsh! Our native breeds are so often overlooked in favour of warmbloods and sports types, Natives are versatile and less expensive to keep too.
 
gallopingby said:
Crugeran Celt a 14.2 highland is a very big pony. I really get annoyed with people who think they’re too heavy for 14.2 mountain & moorlands as a general comment. It depends entirely on the conformation of the pony as well as the rider, how experienced you are and how you ride. It also depends whether or not you’re actually committed to finding a suitable pony! ?
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I wouldn't hesitate to have a 14.2hh welsh d so its not a case of not thinking a pony is big enough. I haven't come across many highlands but all the ones I have seen have been under 14hh so just assumed they would be too small.
 
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tda said:
Anyone who thinks they are too big for a 14.2h highland or dales pony probably hasn't even been on one, they are a big chunk of pony with bone and strength a warmblood could only dream of
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No i have never had the privilege of riding a highland, one day hopefully.
 
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I am biased as I have a New Forest, he is a have a go chap, has tried a bit of most things, most recently Trec, which was great for him. He can pull off a decent novice test, am sure he could go higher with the right person, and is a lovely chap to be around, very versatile, and honest as the day is long, always gives a very short warning if hes about to bog off, just hang on and enjoy the ride! He loves to jump, dabbled in x country. Just love him, New Forests are very under rated.
 
Good luck in your search!! just a quick note to add, if you go looking for a proper native don't forget to factor weight management options into your yard search for said horse. The only downside to these breeds in our very green and lush pastures!! It is not much fun if you're at a yard with no options which suit that kind of horse.
 
Morgan123 said:
Good luck in your search!! just a quick note to add, if you go looking for a proper native don't forget to factor weight management options into your yard search for said horse. The only downside to these breeds in our very green and lush pastures!! It is not much fun if you're at a yard with no options which suit that kind of horse.
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at the moment the plan is my Current yard which houses a cob who lives off air!
The livery yards here are very hard as most offer very little turn out which I’m really not a fan of
 
I’ve found exactly what I’m looking for on paper well within my budget but she’s over 6 hours away and 13.1 so possibly a little small
 
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Cob Life said:
I’ve found exactly what I’m looking for on paper well within my budget but she’s over 6 hours away and 13.1 so possibly a little small
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I hope it goes well. Before travelling 6 hours, I'd want to see a photo of pony being measured with a proper stick, so many overestimate the size of their equines.
 
millikins said:
I hope it goes well. Before travelling 6 hours, I'd want to see a photo of pony being measured with a proper stick, so many overestimate the size of their equines.
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Definitely! I looked at a four year old Highland who the owners swore was 14hh but I couldn’t believe it. She seemed tiny, and very fine and petite. Nice mare with good breeding, but when you can’t see yourself happily riding it, you know it’s not the right horse.
 
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