Advice please on buying our first pony

[Loreleya]

Hello, I am a total newbie and have a 14 y.o. daughter who is mad about horses. After years of expensive riding lessons and a few months of loaning, I've decided it's time to buy our own. Mainly because there is a fab private yard across the road and my daughter needs access to horse at all times during the day - she is transformed from a troubled grumpy teenager into someone angelic when this happens, so yes, I'm being selfish too as I love hugs with both the daughter and pony. The pony we are loaning is for sale. We love her and everything about her, but I'm agonising about her size. My daughter is 14, 40kg, short height wise but well built. The pony is 13.3hh and is just the right size at the moment. I'm indimidated by big horses and by the idea getting someone we do not know, so this pony is just right. I'm interested, what would people do if you were not emotionally attached to the pony. Would the size or age (13) put you off? Age is because we might need to sell in 2-3 years to get someone bigger and she will be classed as aged then. Thank you.

 

[Squeak]

Firstly, how exciting to be buying your first pony!

It's a really tough one as you know and love the loan pony and she obviously does the job well but unfortunately I think your daughter looks like she'd be outgrowing her very soon. Others might think differently but personally I think I'd be looking for a 14.2hh - this would hopefully still be small enough to fit into the less intimidating size for you but save the heartache of selling an overgrown pony for another few years.

 

[elizabeth1]

The age of the pony at 13 would certainly not put me off. You know this pony and clearly get on well with her. Good ponies like this are so hard to find and would readily sell at 16 or even 18. I would however get a vet to check her over before you buy her. Good luck!

 

[PSD]

A livery on my yard had this problem. They bought the pony anyway and when the daughter gets too big they’ll loan the pony out and get her a bigger one.

I say buy the pony! Life’s too short and you may lose the space on the private yard whilst searching. It’s a long process

 

[JackFrost]

OMG You are an awesome mum!! The age wouldn't put me off but I think your daughter already looks a smidge big for the pony. I might be inclined to buy anyway, just owning a horse is a learning curve - it depends on what your daughter wants to do with it.
Are you familiar with the advised rider to horse weight ratio of maximum 15%? put a weigh tape on the pony and see what this gives you, I suspect you may already be at the limit of this pony's ideal capacity.

 

[Lipglosspukka]

Buy the pony.

She will last your daughter a year or two, by which time her riding should have improved.

Finding a first pony type at 14.2 is very difficult and eye wateringly expensive.

At least this way, when you come to buying the next pony, you will be able to look for a more challenging second pony or maybe even something a little green if your daughter has progressed well.

 

[ycbm]

The pony would have to weigh less than 240kg for your daughter to be considered by anyone as too heavy. That's unlikely. (Weigh tapes are useless for anything except monitoring changes, by the way, you would need to put her on a weighbridge)

I do think she looks big on her, but that's not an issue for the pony if it isn't for your daughter. A bigger pony you don't know will be a big risk and probably big money. The age is no worry.

I would buy her, but get a vetting.
.

 

[splashgirl45]

the age is not a problem ,if your daughter is happy and confident on her that is worth a lot. i would buy the pony but have her vetted to make sure there are no hidden problems. if she is a good first pony you will have no trouble selling or loaning in the future, good luck

 

[Peglo]

I got my first pony at 13 and she was 13.1/2. She was absolutely brilliant and gave me so much confidence. But she wouldn’t school (which was fine with me) so was we mostly hacked and played at home. She was retired 2 years later though but I still have her now 17 years later and it’s been the best thing getting older together. I would say it depends what your daughter wants to do with her pony but be a shame to give up on a great pony.

 

[Upthecreek]

If your daughter is anything like my two she will change quite a lot physically over the next couple of years so it’s quite a risk buying a pony that size for a 14 year old. Personally I’d be looking for something 14.2 minimum unless you are fully prepared to be selling/buying within a short timescale.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

As others have said buying a pony that you know and like is much better than spending hours/£££/miles searching for another one. Not all teenagers grow much after 14, I know someone who was the tallest in her class until she was 12, then she stopped growing and everyone passed her until she was the shortest in her yr group, how much more do you think your daughter is likely to grow? She doesn't look too big for the pony currently, imho. But yes, a pre-purchase vet check would be a good idea for the pony you are loaning currently.

 

[PSD]

As others have said buying a pony that you know and like is much better than spending hours/£££/miles searching for another one. Not all teenagers grow much after 14, I know someone who was the tallest in her class until she was 12, then she stopped growing and everyone passed her until she was the shortest in her yr group, how much more do you think your daughter is likely to grow? She doesn't look too big for the pony currently, imho. But yes, a pre-purchase vet check would be a good idea for the pony you are loaning currently.

This is a good point. I’ve been 5ft3/4 since I was 13!

 

[ycbm]

I don't know much about buying 14.2 ponies, but since they're big enough for small adults, wouldn't they be smack bang in a segment of maximum demand?

IE expensive and scarce?
.

 

[Snow Falcon]

My 14yo son is now riding our 13.3hh. He's nearly 5'4. I've been looking for a 14.2+ for months. The market is ridiculous and littered with some rubbish. If you have the option of buying something you already know at a good price that will build confidence for a year then go for it. I've given up for now and sticking with what we know!!

 

[Loreleya]

Thank you very much loveky people for all the advice.

 

[ycbm]

You have to let us know what happens! Pretty please ?

 

[Winters100]

I'm afraid for me she looks so close to outgrowing the pony that I would not buy. Such a shame as it would be really ideal to buy one that she already knows and loves.

 

[ycbm]

I'm afraid for me she looks so close to outgrowing the pony that I would not buy. Such a shame as it would be really ideal to buy one that she already knows and loves.

Do you mean size Winters, because she's way off being too heavy? And if the child isn't yet highly competitive, the size doesn't matter if everyone is having fun.
.

 

[splashgirl45]

at the moment to find a safe first pony of over 14 hands will be difficult if not impossible and the price would be huge as well, better to buy this one as long as there are no known vet problems and sell in a couple of years, if she is a good first pony she would sell easily..

 

[Winters100]

Do you mean size Winters, because she's way off being too heavy? And if the child isn't yet highly competitive, the size doesn't matter if everyone is having fun.
.

It wasn't really weight, I just could imagine it being a bit limiting having a smaller pony. I suppose you are right though, if she isn't very competitive I guess it doesn't matter.

 

[Upthecreek]

It very much depends on how the child feels I think. One of my daughters wouldn’t have thought twice about whether she looked too big/tall on a pony. The other was very self-conscious at that age and looking ‘too big’ would have bothered her.

 

[Highflinger]

Got my pony when I was 10 and he was 13.3hh. I grew over the years to 5 ' 8' and he obviously didn't but i continued to ride him until he was 30 and I was 31 . Yes I was a bit tall on him but there was no way I would ever part with him. Interestingly a lot of my friends who moved from ponies to horses gave up around age 16/17. A few like me who continued with their pony have stayed riding and we are now in our 50 's

 

[windand rain]

I don't believe anyone needs a horse bigger than 15.2 so I woud say unless your daughter gains a huge amount of weight she will be fine on that pony until she retires. the rider is 5ft 8 ish pony is just 13hh that is a BE90 course

So I would buy and hope she enjoys her pony doing what she wants with it and not be overhorsed and be put off

 

[PurBee]

At 14 i was 5’5” weighing 40kg, and loved riding the RS 13.2’s and even 12.2-3’s…mostly welsh C’s…some finer. I love ponies and grew 2 inches more and weigh between 45-50kg at 40+yrs…i still prefer ponies for so much….except trot!
So if i had bought a 13.2/3 at age 14, id’ve ended up keeping it for life to ride….as i prefer leisure riding not competition etc. So if your daughter wants to compete she probably wants to upgrade to a 14.2 fairly soon.

 

[Loreleya]

You have to let us know what happens! Pretty please ?

Well, she’s ours now

 

[Loreleya]

Not sure if better to start a new thread for each of my worries or continue here . We’ve owned the pony for over a week now. Uncompetitive is an understatement. All my daughter wants to do is groom, hug and hack in the woods (slowly). There’s no arena at the yard. daughter tried her out in the field and I think got frightened of how fast the pony is. She wouldn’t even contemplate a trot on a hack. I feel I’ve been conned into buying her a ridiculously expensive toy and at the same time regret not doing this sooner. instead of a snappy, rude and uncontrollable monster who turned me into a nervous wreck over the last year, I now have a polite, focused, happy child (ttt). All her mental health issues seem to have retreated. The pony needs to be awarded a diploma in psychotherapy, as I find I also look forward to hugging that big bum after a hard day at work. I guess I’m looking for reassurance we are not going to hurt the pony by treating her as a family therapist and not getting her to do any work?

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

As long as not doing much work isn’t going to cause any health risks (ie getting fat and getting laminitis) then it sounds like pony has landed on her feet. Some horses need work both mentally and physically. Others are just happy to plod along taking life as it comes!

Sounds like you’re all very happy!

 

[Red-1]

I would enjoy the lull in teenage angst while it is here!

With a pony not doing much work (which is fine BTW) the only thing to look out for us that they don't get too heavy, as this can bring about medical issues. The pony is a lovely weight in the photos, so that isn't currently a concern. They need to be able to move, so go in the field daily. They need company of another horse.

I al so happy for both of you, long may the therapist continue.

My first pony was fine in walk, but would tank off with me if I went any faster. I took the pony back to the riding school where I learned, so familiar ground, and had a few lessons there. I was also 13. Three lessons got me on track.

 

[windand rain]

As the others have said ponies don't care whether you ride them at all as long as they have water, grass or hay,company and are kept a healthy weight thats all they need. They do make great tharapists and even better teachers and should keep her out of bother for years to come. That is all true with one exception they should never be bought on a whim as they also need a surpriing amount of time and money spent on them

 

[PurBee]

Not sure if better to start a new thread for each of my worries or continue here . We’ve owned the pony for over a week now. Uncompetitive is an understatement. All my daughter wants to do is groom, hug and hack in the woods (slowly). There’s no arena at the yard. daughter tried her out in the field and I think got frightened of how fast the pony is. She wouldn’t even contemplate a trot on a hack. I feel I’ve been conned into buying her a ridiculously expensive toy and at the same time regret not doing this sooner. instead of a snappy, rude and uncontrollable monster who turned me into a nervous wreck over the last year, I now have a polite, focused, happy child (ttt). All her mental health issues seem to have retreated. The pony needs to be awarded a diploma in psychotherapy, as I find I also look forward to hugging that big bum after a hard day at work. I guess I’m looking for reassurance we are not going to hurt the pony by treating her as a family therapist and not getting her to do any work?

The great thing is you have the pony at the yard she’s used to - its just across the road - many people at the yard with experience to help whenever you need it….those things are really helpful with 1st pony owning.

Its so lovely your daughter is smitten and has something to focus on to help those teenage angst years. That pony will do more for her development than any therapist!

As there is no arena at the yard - would it be possible to set up a 40m x 20m section of flat, firm soil field with electric fencing posts and tape? It would mimic an arena size and help daughter and pony do slower schooling work, lunging etc? She can work on trot and reducing to walk/halt transitions giving her more confidence controlling the pony when in open areas riding.

Mostly be calm with equines. They ‘mirror’ us so much so when we’re stressed, they can become more stressed behaviourally. When we’re calm and confident, they are. They are great therapists for teaching us calm confidence.
There’s been a few studies done on human expression and how equines ‘pick-up’ their owners feelings. One study discovered horses read their owners facial expressions. Another went into horses being able to pick up an elevated heart rate of a human. Their sensitivity for environmental awareness aids their ‘prey/protection’ status so it makes sense to know as an owner that being supportive to them by being calm, confident, happy means they look to us for leadership and become the best companions ever.
As a first pony, yours has been there and done a lot so isnt so reactive about ‘weird human methods’ like an unhandled, young ‘live wire’ horse. The older ones are the best type of ponies to start with as they help give so much confidence.

Wishing you all so much luck and happiness with your pony! ? please feel free to share pics and your journey here…we love to see other’s progressions with their horses. If you need help, ask on here, there’s collectively hundreds of years of equine experience here and its a very active forum so you’ll get instant support and help if you ever need it.