Bombproof plod!

[Luci07]

My old event mare is pretty bombproof, but is a very sensitive ride. Her sharers have worked their way up with her so understand she can be wound up which would result in a speedy return home...however, cyclists, wind, dogs...does not care..love riding her!

 

[mollyblob]

Not a plod by any stretch, but Ellie, a pony I rode occasionally on hacks years back, was totally bombproof and reliable. My (very capable) friend who owned her used to take her cross country and showjumping and she was a pocket rocket, jumped anything, was an absolute star competing, and regularly hunted. Put me (novice, nervous, not a jumper) on her and she was brilliant! She was always forward going, but went along on the buckle, even cantering in a group. She'd stay at whatever pace you asked her for until you asked for something else, stopped/slowed instantly without a fuss, and would jump anything I asked her, regardless of whether I thought we could get over it or not! I never knew her spook at anything. She completely looked after me every time I rode her. I'd love a horse like her now!

 

[lara b]

Wow quite a response, thanks everyone

Seems like there are quite a few genuine bombproof types about then (just that people don't part with them easiliy!).

Interesting that a couple of people mentioned ride and drive, the big cob is broken to drive, and up until last year I would have put him more in plod catagory but end of last year we found an abcess in his colon so he got a 'refurbished arse' courtesy of RVC and now we appear to have found go faster stripes!!

So maybe the holy grail is acheivable then, just have to look hard or make your own from youngsters.

When the big cob eventually retires I shall be looking long and hard but until then I shall stay in the 'not a plod, sort of bombproof and a bit 'special'' catagory

 

[Jenni_]

I used to share a 17.2 hh TB eventer, he was so safe it was unbelievable!

Nothing fazed him, main roads, tractors, sheep etc. Very forward going but could gallop up the field on the buckle, and point him into fences like that- although if your body said at all that you didn't like the jump, he wouldn't jump it. but if you said go, he went!

My ten year old cousin used to ride him, and she even entered her first show jumping class on him. She looked a bit rediculous, but that big horse took her round a course of 8 jumps with no lead rein and brought her back beaming from ear to ear and won her her first frilly.

He looked pretty chuffed with himself I must say too....

 

[jendance]

I've just bought one! Ex riding school pony, completely dead to the leg and I love it! All of my life I have had forward going ponies. This time (and because I'm that bit older) I opted for a plod.

He's not dead to the leg!! Just needs a little warming up...and the use of your leg or a schooling whip ;-)

xxx

 

[SmartieBean09]

He's not dead to the leg!! Just needs a little warming up...and the use of your leg or a schooling whip ;-)

xxx

Lol! All to come! For now we plod and enjoy the rest (both of us) x

 

[Parker79]

It think that they are hard to find...they do not come up for sale as they usually have a following of fans or many 'aunties' waiting in the wings to have them if the owner has to sell!

 

[PonyIAmNotFood]

I know of 2, one little welshie who hasn't spooked in ten years, works on a RS and has 6 year olds cantering round on him. If they lose their balance, he stops. Slip sideways, he catches them. Fab pony. And another RS horse, cob who has never spooked i don't think. Can get strong in the field but will stop and generally do as he is asked all the time. The RS is very lucky to have them both

 

[Jericho]

So far my daughters new 13.2hh 22 year old pony seems absolutely unflappable. Stood next to a bouncy castle at the weekend with children screaming and leaping over the sides in high winds, with balloons, streamers, footballs, ice cream van, etc and he didn't bat an eye lid and proceeded to let my 8 yr old groom tack up and give a 'demo' to her friends without being at all bothered. Smashing little chap and I love him to bits for the confidence he is giving my daughter - every pony loving child needs a plod like him to get started on.

 

[Dexter]

My cob i bombproof safe! If you ask him to go, he will go until he is asked to stop. Hes a 16 yr old ex riding school pony who is used to carrying beginners on the beach. He is as safe as I have ever met, but he is also a plod. He will do a fast canter if asked to, but would never dream of cantering off if not told to. I have ridden him out on a 5 foot wide bridle way, with 6 scramblers about 3 foot behind me, all revving their engines and screaming abuse. I nearly died, he just plodded on until we reached a wider part then stood and rolled his eyes at them till they were past.

However he did spook the other day at a dog emerging from long grass with a 6foot wide branch in his mouth. He spun, in slow motion and jogged away. He then went back past when told to. No one could have fallen off what he did, and I'd have been surprised if anyone was upset by that, but it goes to show that even the MOST safe horse will have something that bothers it!

 

[palomino698]

My beloved old 14.2 Irish lad (RIP golden boy, miss him every day) was truly the most spook-proof pony I've ever known, though not a plod, he always asked, "are you sure...?" before speeding up, and always came back immediately to a quiet "Whoa". He was a very, very safe ride.

Our Welshies are 21 and 22 and both so stupidly spooky it's really hard to enjoy either of them. One purposefully looks for excuses like crisp packets, fallen leaves, flowers that weren't there yesterday. The other just leaps sideways at every single pigeon in every hedge and every field, and we have millions of the sodding things. It stopped being fun a long time ago, I'm not good enough to stay on when it spooks at speed. Articulated lorries, jets, flags, no problem, but it can't stand birds.

I would give my eye teeth to ride another spook-proof horse.

 

[popeyesno1fan]

I dont think they exist. i have ridden very quiet horses, even especially quiet horses, but in my opinion, all horses have something. those that are "BOMBPROOF", are prob in riding schools, so they have the workload to not be any way "unbombproof". now, i'm not saying they are over worked, or anything like that. it's just that, as an individual owner, you couldnt possibly ride them for as long as they are ridden in a riding school. i have had ex riding school horses, and they were great, but did always have something. ~(due to me not riding them as much as they were used to). So, no i def think they dont exist, but if you find one, clone it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[melbiswas]

There is no perfect horse; my "Saint under Saddle" (was on PC teams. affiliated jumper, nanny to all beginners / nervous riders) is a monster on the yard.
He decides which field he goes in and if he can't jump the fencing (this chunky boy has jumped a 5 bar gate from a standstill) he will trash it.
He will spot an open gate/feedroom door/elec fencing off etc before you do , undoes knots or leans back to break tethers, the list is endless.
Can't help but love him more for it.

 

[Sparkles]

Hairy is.

Hop on him in the field, no tack and go where you like on him walk/trot/or canter checking the colts he's out with - up banks, through the stream, down the hills, through the motorway bridge - wherever. He'll go off your legs and seat for steering just fine, go forwards from voice leg and voice, or sit back and say woah, he'll stop. If the colts go galloping off and disappear over yonder horizon, he has no worries and won't charge off with them.

Equally, he's schooled to a tee, can do all basic lateral work, etc. Happy jumping up to 3/3'3 plus happily goes XC, fun rides, shows, etc.

Also equally, he'll hack all day, anywhere. Never known him spook in his life, never done anything wrong.

He's not a 24/7 plod either - he's got an engine on him if you want it used. You don't have to kick, or haul him to stop, bend etc. Equally, can put a baby on him and wander round on or have a complete newbie riding round on him walk/trot/canter in one session if they feel they want to.

And he's also handsome and has correct conformation and no hidden agendas, quirks, or temperament issues.

Every person that comes out to see the cobs, has asked to buy him numerous times. But he will never be sold from us! If we could clone him over....we'd do it repeatedly! He's one in a million. It's not the work put into him either...he's been like it from a baby and never changed once - it's just him as a horse.

 

[palomino698]

Oh ChristmasSparkles, please add me to the long list of people wanting him cloned!

 

[Star_Chaser]

As kids my sister and I had a bad habit of buying to put it bluntly s**ts. One that I still feel is my pony of a lifetime kicked me off the first time I tried her out (much to the pleasure of the girls in the yard who were desperate to keep her) and my dad bless him asked me how the ride went and I told him, he laughed and then asked the serious question of did I want her? OF COURSE I wanted her It took 4 years of time love patience and learning about her but she was bombproof in the end you could literally do anything with her and she gave everything and more when asked we built up our own bond and trust. She was put out on loan when I went to college and sadly like many on here they sold her from underneath us and we never found her again If you can find a horse like that all ready to go you are very lucky but personally I think that you make horses like that with a bit of hard work, love and patience. They don't grow on trees... mores the pity.

Dad only ever said no to one horse I wanted and purely based on the fact that this one would have ended up killing me I've never forgotten that horse she was stunning but I know he made the best decision at the time.

Right now though I would love a bombproof plod ideally that would be a family pony big enough to take a bit of weight because I'm a fatty on a diet but also that would be sensible enough for my little boy. I damaged my back badly in a car accident so riding was totally written off for me and I lost my confidence not being around them as much for the last 20 years but the last couple have been such a pleasure even though all I have done is groom, all the jobs and plodded along side as my son rode and I have to say I do miss having a pony to go down to each day.