bringing on a pony vs bringing on a horse

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Peter7917

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I know this is perhaps a stupid question. I have a pony. Broke myself. Brought on okay enough. Hacks alone and I company, jumps a course of jumps blah blah blah so I've obviously done something right! Had him from a foal.

I'm now thinking of getting another foal. But to exceed 16hh. I would send away for breaking. Is bringing on a newly broke ginormous horse much different to a relatively level headed pony?
 
Josephine Knowles wrote a book called the ABC of Breaking and Schooling and advised first timers to start with a pony.

Horses can be amazingly stupid and get themselves in all sorts of situations and problems that ponies never would. With a horse you have to be at least 3 steps ahead and forsee problems so they don't occur. This is what an experienced breaking person would do, but it doesn't mean that you couldn't do it. Partly depends on the breed and temperament of said horse. I had mine from a 2 year old and never had the slightest problem, temperament wise.
 
A lot depends on how they, horse or pony, were handled and reared from foal to breaking. If the manners are in and they have had the correct rearing you should have no problems at all. The native breeds of pony tend to be intelligent and willing, but if not reared properly they could use their intelligence against you rather than with you.

Big young Irish horses in the main are kind and biddable, some will be a bit slow to pick things up but nowhere near as slow as a dumb blood. The main thing to remember with bringing a big horse on is they take more time to mature in their joints and to strengthen physically. So where your 4 year native pony will be able to pop a small course in reasonable balance, a big 4 or 5 year old might not. My big horse couldn't trot a large circle as a 4 year old, thought he could aged 5 and finally can now at nearly 6.

It is very rewarding to bring one up and watch the progress, good luck.
 
Gross generalisation coming up...

Unless you go for an Arab or a pre, horses are notoriously stupid. This means that they are in someways easier to break in, they like to follow your lead, and generally do as they're told but this also makes them very unforgiving... if you get it wrong, they get it wrong. Ponies on the whole look after themselves , which makes them slightly less obedient but they are more forgiving to mistakes (they know you are stupid and will get themselves out of trouble) PRE I understand (but have v limited experience of) are incredibly quick to learn but will learn bad as quickly as good and don't suffer fools...
 
Totally agree with all the above. I think you would want something that has been well brought up - i.e. can already lead, tie up, been groomed, had feet done, used to being caught up from the field, etc. etc. not some wayward thing that has run wild all its life.

Although there are exceptions in every breed, they do have their own distinctive temperament and you want something that will say "Oh, what are we doing today?" not something that wants to try to out at every turn. Alice's suggestion of something Irish is a good one. I think professional breeders have to do a good job with the youngstock to get them sold.
Private breeders - approach with care, not to say that they wouldn't do a good job, but some are better than others.
 
What I would also add is that native ponies are very different to warmblood sports ponies.

My warmblood ponies are determined self harmers, with a wonderful mix of stupidity, intelligence, sure footedness and clumsiness.

Mine are also not quite as easy to keep as many natives!
 
Years ago a very popular and successful cross was large native x TB, ideally with the dam as the native. but I bet you would struggle to find that cross today.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Years ago a very popular and successful cross was large native x TB, ideally with the dam as the native. but I bet you would struggle to find that cross today.
Click to expand...

Oh I don't know. I'm sure I've seem a few Connie x TB around (and it seems like a nice cross too). We also have a highland x TB on the yard....though I don't know where the highland bits are, it looks 99% TB to me!
 
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