better the devil you know...or pony shopping time?!

nicolenlolly

nicolenlolly

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I think I need some of you to help me get both feet back on the ground and figure out what to do please.

My daughter is going to be 6 in August and has been riding since she was 2 and a half (ish)

I foolishly bought these two little two year old section A's for her to grow up with and learn with and all those romantic notions when really, I should have bought something old and steady! One of them took to her and is completely her soul mate and she loves him dearly, they follow each other around all day and he is the most gentle, loving creature I have met. As a lead rein pony he was fine, occasionally he would spook but nothing silly and he has been lovely.
On the ground she can do anything with him and he wouldnt object to it, from that angle he is just what any mother would want in a pony...but...under saddle and off the lead he can be nappy, scared of everything and strong but only sometimes. Some days he will be lovely and let her trot round, pop a little cross pole, serpentines, round trees, in and out of cones etc etc, other days he will run through an electric tape fence to get back to his stable and it is this that is worrying me.

I hold my hands up that until Feb this year, we didnt have the facilities to do much with them, they lived out 24/7 and so we rode in their field whereas now we have moved, they have stables and a specific grass school to ride in. I wondered whether selling his brother would help and it has a little but he still naps-often to me rather than anywhere else.

So what do I do? When he is good he is so lovely but when he is naughty, its just no fun for my little girl. I know push button ponies dont teach them much and due to his quirkiness she is now a very confident and good little rider with a very sticky bum but is that fair? Is napping something that can be schooled out of them or are lead rein ponies always only ever that?

I can send away for schooling and I am happy to spend the money to pay a professional to come and school him or do I just buy ready made pony and save mr lead rein for my 14 month old who will need a lead rein pony in a year or so?

Thank you for any advice :) xx
 
Also meant to add that if anyone knows of someone in the Brentwood area who can school an 11.3 pony then please pm me their details as it couldnt hurt to try and improve him eh?!
 
Push button ponies teach plenty- they allow the child to learn how to ride correctly and build up their confidence, so when they move onto bigger and less schooled ponies they have the basics well in place...
 
I would buy her an older pony that she can enjoy. She's too young to have to deal with a nappy pony, let her experience a well behaved pony for a while.
I'd also take the youngster out in long reins by himself without a rider to get him a bit more disciplined and build up his confidence. How about breaking him to drive :D
 
Gloi, that is interesting you should say that, only last night I said to my husband, what if we break him to drive, her would have to be confident on his own then wouldnt he?!

Lolo, I wasnt trying to be rude, I hope I havent offended :) I just want her to enjoy riding and just have fun - at her age it shouldnt be more than that. She wants to do the odd dressage test/clear round jumping at the local shows etc but this pony is miles away from that!
 
Without a shadow of a doubt buy an older, experienced pony who she can learn from and have fun. When she is much older she will then have the experience to help educate a younger pony or horse, but how can she do that now without the knowledge herself?
 
Good horses/ponies make good riders, so buy her an experienced, schoolmaster type of pony she can learn on and enjoy.
This bizarre notion that if your kid gets constantly ditched, run away or napped with it will make them a great rider is just wishful thinking. What it will do is slowly (or very quickly) ebb their confidence away, put them into a defensive position and take fun out of riding - not that great at all.
 
Have you told your daughter your thinking of selling him? It could end in a lot of tears if they love each other like you say. I'd spend the money and and him away or get someone in to school him. He's just taking the Micky and needs a more confident jocky to make him behave.
 
Been there done that. I would buy her the schoolmaster.
I had my own land and had about three 11.2 -12hands at one time. The ugly schoolmaster taught them to ride, took them hunting and to the sweet shop. The other two, one was bought as a lead rein pony just to stop a child from screaming at pony club camp, older sister took it off lead rein and schooled it on.The other was 3 , bought by a friend as a lead rein pony only it had other ideas, far much brain and ended up a good hunter WHP pony.
The ugly white pony went on to teach lots of other to ride, never won anything but our hearts and died out on loan.
 
snorkey, I cant sell him - he was my first pony too :)

I love him with all my heart and he has a home for life here. Maybe I will let him be the lead rein pony for my 14 month old once she is old enough and then invest in him to be 1st ridden in what, 6 years time, by then I can use my oldest to help as she will be more confident etc and then he will be useful still. then who knows - loan him out or let him just be loved here...could even then drive him?!

Thank you for your advice...so if anyone fancies some pony shopping...:)

it has to be a gelding, pref not chestnut, I would say not older than 14 but no younger than 8 and not more than 2k

oh and no wall eyes (they freak me out)

thank you xx
 
If you want to keep the youngster then you could also look at loaning a schoolmaster to ease the financial pressure. I would not rule out ponies over the age of 14' as often these are the 'best been there, seen it, done' it type of ponies. If you loan an older pony you don't have to worry about losing money selling on, which is often what puts people off the older ones.
 
Over 14 shouldn't lessen their value- we know of a very sweet little 12.2hh pony who has been 21 for a good 6 years now (!!) who still has a waiting list for him as he is worth his weight in gold.

It wasn't a jibe, it's just it bugs me when people think naughty ponies make good riders! They can do, but they can also make terrible riders who are only good at staying on. My sister had utterly awful ponies as a child, and never really got down to riding well (despite competing at the upper end of her age group throughout through sheer grit and determination) until she got a nice pony who she could learn to do something other than stick tight and ride very forwards on!
 
if schoolin and any other plans etc. do not work i would get her a schoolmaster/mistress but NOT a push button pony...believe it or not there is a difference :)
 
For schooling Claire Fielding is great and tiny, so could easily ride him. She is up in the Stansted area, she has a website.

There is a nice pony for loan on the EHNPC website... http://ehnpc.org/?cat=63

Oops - I see Claire has an ad on there aswell, she has ridden all my childrens ponies for me.
 
I think an older pony would probably be a good idea for your daughter at this point. The current pony has probably taught her loads about how to stay in the saddle and rise to the challenge of riding, but her development as a rider will probably start to plateau without a pony that allows her to concentrate on herself a little more. An older pony that is quiet and genuine sounds like a great idea :)
 
I had the sharp pony that destroyed my confidence. Mum quickly replaced him with an older schoolmistress. She was not push button, but she was safe. I thoroughly enjoyed her and she taught many others to ride as well. She ended her days here with us. For the sake of your daughter's confidence I'd get a schoolmaster. ��
 
I am going through a similar thing with our lead rein pony. Initially he was great off the lead rein, as he was on. However, once I clipped him, he became ridiculously over sensitive to everything and she has fallen off four times in the last two weeks because he has bucked or spooked her off. :(. Previous to me clipping him, I had him long reined by a pro. I have gone back to the pro with him and she has been working with a dummy on him and desensitised him. He is still not as good as he was pre clipping but I think we will sort him.

I went through the thought process of getting another, but as he is a mini Shetland she wouldn't go back on him as she will be too big. For the moment, I've decided to work with this one as he is super in most ways, hoping this is just a blip.

If you will keep this one what ever happens, and can afford it, I would get someone to school him (we worked extensively on long lines). If you can really afford it, keeping an eye for another pony to have along with this one would be ideal too.
 
Clodagh thank you I have emailed the lady and hope to hear back. That is the pony club branch lolly wants to join so at least they would still see the pony :) hadn't thought of loaning, thank you for that!doh

I suppose it won't hurt to contact Claire and see if she can help in the interim whilst we try a few ponies :)
 
My boys did PC with EHNPC. THey are very good. I remember Teddy I am sure although it is a few years since we went. The same ponies seem to stay on the circuit with new smalls!

Diane Pegrum is the DC and she always knows of ponies looking for a home, so it may well be worth emailing her as well.
 
Having been in the same situation as you 6 months ago we loaned a more whizzy pony for my 9 yr old after her dear old boy seemed 'too steady'. To cut a long story short, it all went wrong and daughter went back to old boy for another six months and has had a lot of fun just building her confidence doing PC rallies etc. we are now trialling another pony who does have a bit more go and daughter is in a much better place for having had the experience of the steady old school master.

Also look on the Essex and Suffolk hunt PC classifieds - nice pony called Puzzle on there ( was recommended to us but too small for my daughter. Good luck - it is absolutely horrendous finding good children's ponies!
 
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