British Riding Pony or TB Yearling for future showjumping?

[I'm Dun]

Do you know what? It’s actually very dull. I have three 2 year olds out in the field. They just need to live out with each other and kind of just amble round the field. It’s not really demanding or hard work and there also isn’t that much reward in it! I do it because I like to breed my own horses and I have 10 spare acres to run them on (they absolutely must be out 24/7 all year round, or in an appropriate group housing set up for the worst of the winter)

I was just about to say the same thing. Youngsters especially in the early years are boring. They just need very basic handling and then leaving alone to grow up. Its not going to be some lovely relationship where they grow together. Aiming for that is the easiest way to ruin a baby. They need to be out with other youngsters learning from other horses, and with the humans in their life establishing the basics but mainly just letting them grow. Very, very, very, very boring for a horsemad 12yr old.

Id be sitting down and asking her what she wants from the new pony. And "the experience" isn't enough. I'd want to drill down into it. I am absolutely certain her expectations will not match the reality in the slightest.

 

[ycbm]

If you must buy a baby, you'd be better off to buy a 2 year old which is a very unpopular and therefore cheaper age to buy at. And you will have reduced the risk of it not turning out to be a rideable 4 year old by a third. And saved a year's costs if you wait a year to buy.

I do understand what you want to do and I did the same myself to get the same experience. But I was 34 and had my own land.

I backed him myself, loved him to bits and he died under me out on a hack at 6 years old.

But before that, before he was even ready to back, I swore that I would never again buy a horse I had to do all that work for and pay all that money to keep that wasn't ready to start ridden work.
.

 

[SO1]

Bad idea 12 is the height of pony madness. I have been on yards before with lots of teenagers all obsessed with horses at 12 but very few still interested in horses by the age of 15 most of them at that age were doing less riding and more using the yard to socialise and gossip about boys. That included 2 home schooled teenagers. So don't think by home schooling because they don't mingle so much with other kids at school that they won't get influenced by other kids on the yard. Both the home schoolers ended up wanting to go to school in the end.

If you get a youngster get one you think you might enjoy and like riding because the liklihood is that you will find it ends up being your horse and that in three years time when your yearling is ready to be ridden and your daughter is 15 she may be less interested.

If you are going for a first youngster you want it too be easy so going from a schoolmaster native to something more hot blooded may not be the most sensible option when your daughter has less experience of those types.

Most over height connies will be capable of jumping 90cm or 1m so I would go for another one of those as that is what your daughter is familiar with handling. They are also very saleable so if your daughter did want a serious SJ in future then you could look at selling on the large connie to get one.

 

[Caol Ila]

In addition to everything everyone else has said, no matter how mature your 12-year old is, she is still 12. Kids that age live in the now. It's how their brains work. They don't process future problems that well (I'm not sure I do, either, but that's a different issue..I'm 40...yikes). A yearling needs to hang out with other horses in a field and learn how to horse. You can and should do a few things with it -- make sure it accepts the headcollar, leading, foot handling, that sort of thing -- but you'll not sit on it for another 3/4 years. Does any parent know what their 12-year old will want to do when they're 15? Oh, hell no.

I get the young horse thing. Wanting to bring it on yourself. I'd helped a few people with their young horses, then backed a youngster myself for the first time in 2006, and then forgot how shight it was, so I bought a 2-year old in 2021. There's been more good than bad, but I've been in this game for 30 years. I was smart enough to buy a horse with a good temperament. Still, I've done a lot of swearing.

If you think the experience of bringing on a youngster is genuinely what your daughter wants, and you/your trainer have the skills to back her if things go a bit south, then maybe look for a 3/4 year old? That will definitely give you that experience, but is a bit more in the now than a yearling will be. Plus, at that age, you have a much better sense of the height and conformation.

 

[Lina2023]

If you must buy a baby, you'd be better off to buy a 2 year old which is a very unpopular and therefore cheaper age to buy at. And you will have reduced the risk of it not turning out to be a rideable 4 year old by a third. And saved a year's costs if you wait a year to buy.

I do understand what you want to do and I did the same myself to get the same experience. But I was 34 and had my own land.

I backed him myself, loved him to bits and he died under me out on a hack at 6 years old.

But before that, before he was even ready to back, I swore that I would never again buy a horse I had to do all that work for and pay all that money to keep that wasn't ready to start ridden work.
.

Thanks for your advice and I’m so sorry for your tragic loss.

 

[Palindrome]

I would go for the British Riding Pony, particularly if your daughter is unlikely to outgrow him quickly and you can possibly ride him too. I think a BRP would be easier to sell if you decide it's not the right horse after backing. I would also think he has a good chance to make a good jumper.
I have bought mines as foals/youngsters as I wouldn't be able to afford them after backing, it's hard work but you get a nice horse in the end (I find from 7-8 they start being really nice). It can be a bit dangerous though as even a nice yearling/2 years old can try to bite or kick you. At the backing stage, they can rear and buck easily.

 

[splashgirl45]

I can only tell you of my experience, I bought a 15 month old filly when I was 30, and thoroughly enjoyed everything to do with looking after a youngster, I broke her myself and did riding club level competitions on her. I really wanted to do more dressage but she preferred jumping, so the opposite to your idea. Although I loved having a youngster, she was 5 before I actually competed on her and in those years I did some in hand showing for fun .. I would think you would be better to get something a little bit older so you can have a better idea of size and less time to wait to ride

 

[hottoddy]

I would go for the British Riding Pony, particularly if your daughter is unlikely to outgrow him quickly and you can possibly ride him too. I think a BRP would be easier to sell if you decide it's not the right horse after backing. I would also think he has a good chance to make a good jumper.
I have bought mines as foals/youngsters as I wouldn't be able to afford them after backing, it's hard work but you get a nice horse in the end (I find from 7-8 they start being really nice). It can be a bit dangerous though as even a nice yearling/2 years old can try to bite or kick you. At the backing stage, they can rear and buck easily.

And this is why novice owners should not try to produce young horses themselves, a correctly handled youngster should not try to bite or kick you, and if started correctly will not rear and buck

 

[Palindrome]

And this is why novice owners should not try to produce young horses themselves, a correctly handled youngster should not try to bite or kick you, and if started correctly will not rear and buck

I would argue that the most novice person is the one who thinks that horses never bite, kick, rear or buck.

But good for you if you have perfect horses, in the real world young horses will try/test or just react to something and that's why I have warned OP.

I was on a yard with a pro rider who does a lot of backing and yes the horses did rear or buck sometimes. Not all of them, not all of the time but some of them did.
It's OK, they aren't machines and are learning something new, the most important part is how this is handled.

 

[SpeedyPony]

I'd agree with going for something closer to backing- even once backed a 3/4yo isn't going to be out showjumping at any great height/frequency, so before she gets to be competing at the level she wants you're looking at a couple of years down the road from that first ride (at least).
Will she be prepared to step down the levels while bringing the youngster on? If she can still jump the older pony that will make it easier for her, but it can be hard for a child to watch their friends moving up the classes and be left behind with the younger children as their pony is too green/young to compete or train at that level.

 

[canteron]

Just a thought on the horse choice …. I think horses and riders seem to work best when they have similar conformation (!). So if you are a tall lanky family then a tb if if you more of a chunky type then a chunkier horse!!

 

[splashgirl45]

Just a thought on the horse choice …. I think horses and riders seem to work best when they have similar conformation (!). So if you are a tall lanky family then a tb if if you more of a chunky type then a chunkier horse!!

I’m not tall and lanky or short and fat so I always went for a middleweight and they seemed to suit me. I’ve never thought about that before but it’s interesting that I’m drawn to a middleweight or a chunky TB

 

[Lina2023]

Just a thought on the horse choice …. I think horses and riders seem to work best when they have similar conformation (!). So if you are a tall lanky family then a tb if if you more of a chunky type then a chunkier horse!!

Again, interesting and makes sense!

 

[Lina2023]

Thanks everyone, after much thought we’ve gone ahead but we’ve bought a warmblood x ISH filly. Just awaiting her arrival now

 

[nagblagger]

Thanks everyone, after much thought we’ve gone ahead but we’ve bought a warmblood x ISH filly. Just awaiting her arrival now

You do realise you can't buy a horse without the mandatory photos on here.

 

[Lina2023]

You do realise you can't buy a horse without the mandatory photos on here.

No recent photos yet and she’s very fluffy at present but this was in the summer expected to make 16.2hh+. We can’t wait for her arrival now!