Buying a first pony for my 10yr old daughter

[Marchogaeth]

If the 13.2 was really what your looking for I'd go for that! A friend of mines brother is 16 and a good 5ft 7 and he still takes his 13.2 section C round 1m courses! There's nothing of him so it's not an issue, yes he looks big on Oscar but they have fun and ponies especially the native types are stronger than we think! I should think a 13.2 would last her until she's at least 13?
But maybe that's just me? If anything I'd compromise on hight, rather than level/standard of pony?
But if your not in any hurry I'd keep looking! There's bound to be your ideal pony out there somewhere! What with so many for sale at the minute!

 

[kassieg]

Ok I'm going to give my point here I dont have kids but worked for a dealer & we mainly sold connies but ponies from ireland in general
I would worry spending that little we used to sell for 4k plus for something I would want to put my child on.
I'm 5 foot 8 & 9 stone & competed anything 13.2 plus at work & didnt look terrible so I wouldn't worry so much about height
There are good ponies out there for cheaper but you will most likely have to compromise on something
I say all this but as a child I got what we could afford my 1st was a 19 year old ex ja 128 & it chucked me at every possible opportunity but I also learnt a lot from her & was gutted when had to give her up
My next was a 14hh arab x welsh who was 6 & barely done much so a complete baptism of fire. We were at a yard with no winter turnout & he regularly would just stand on his back legs, moved yards & a year later he was the most perfect alrounder everyone wanted him
so yeh there are fab ponies out there for cheap but you do sometimes have to see past the original picture with a small budget. Do you have an instructor or someone could school on something a little green for her ?

 

[windand rain]

Personally I dont think your budget is too small There are lots of lovely ponies out there that are not an arm and a leg just because it is expensive doesnt make it safe in fact the very expensive ones are usually quirky talented and competing
Having said that I was offered £25,000 for my safe as houses highland pony 10 years ago.
She is wonderful and has taught just about every riding kid in the county to ride bless her and she still win at Novice dressage, jump a meter course and go flat out round a cross country She is a pocket rocket at 13.1hh and the most versatile pony I have ever met.
If you have lots of backup I would prefer a youngster every time they havent been spoiled and generally speaking havent learned a lot of naughty and nasty tricks.
Natives are the way to go as even the small ones are tough enough to be ridden by a light adult and can be schooled and sorted out by a bigger rider Oh and youngsters are often cheaper than even badly made horses
I know many wont agree but I am sick to death of trying to fix problem ponies that have come with hang ups and wicked ways because they are badly started.
Hope you find what you are looking for and your daughter has many many years of fun with her pony

 

[AnyChance]

Ok I'm going to give my point here I dont have kids but worked for a dealer & we mainly sold connies but ponies from ireland in general
I would worry spending that little we used to sell for 4k plus for something I would want to put my child on.
I'm 5 foot 8 & 9 stone & competed anything 13.2 plus at work & didnt look terrible so I wouldn't worry so much about height
There are good ponies out there for cheaper but you will most likely have to compromise on something
I say all this but as a child I got what we could afford my 1st was a 19 year old ex ja 128 & it chucked me at every possible opportunity but I also learnt a lot from her & was gutted when had to give her up
My next was a 14hh arab x welsh who was 6 & barely done much so a complete baptism of fire. We were at a yard with no winter turnout & he regularly would just stand on his back legs, moved yards & a year later he was the most perfect alrounder everyone wanted him
so yeh there are fab ponies out there for cheap but you do sometimes have to see past the original picture with a small budget. Do you have an instructor or someone could school on something a little green for her ?

Hi, thanks for sharing your experience good to know even a smaller pony can still take a bit of height and weight

love the account of what you had to ride as a child

I have very experienced people (yard owner/instructor and also a very experienced small rider) who are willing to help give advice and ride/school the pony we get if needed I would do it myself but I am too big and heavy!! I am looking forward to when we can share a horse if she is still keen when she is older!!

My daughter is the size of a 12 yr old even though she is 10 she is nearly as big as my 13yr old son!

 

[AnyChance]

Personally I dont think your budget is too small There are lots of lovely ponies out there that are not an arm and a leg just because it is expensive doesnt make it safe in fact the very expensive ones are usually quirky talented and competing
Having said that I was offered £25,000 for my safe as houses highland pony 10 years ago.
She is wonderful and has taught just about every riding kid in the county to ride bless her and she still win at Novice dressage, jump a meter course and go flat out round a cross country She is a pocket rocket at 13.1hh and the most versatile pony I have ever met.
If you have lots of backup I would prefer a youngster every time they havent been spoiled and generally speaking havent learned a lot of naughty and nasty tricks.
Natives are the way to go as even the small ones are tough enough to be ridden by a light adult and can be schooled and sorted out by a bigger rider Oh and youngsters are often cheaper than even badly made horses
I know many wont agree but I am sick to death of trying to fix problem ponies that have come with hang ups and wicked ways because they are badly started.
Hope you find what you are looking for and your daughter has many many years of fun with her pony

Thanks it is really good to hear your point of view and one that is shared by others too

 

[AnyChance]

If the 13.2 was really what your looking for I'd go for that! A friend of mines brother is 16 and a good 5ft 7 and he still takes his 13.2 section C round 1m courses! There's nothing of him so it's not an issue, yes he looks big on Oscar but they have fun and ponies especially the native types are stronger than we think! I should think a 13.2 would last her until she's at least 13?
But maybe that's just me? If anything I'd compromise on hight, rather than level/standard of pony?
But if your not in any hurry I'd keep looking! There's bound to be your ideal pony out there somewhere! What with so many for sale at the minute!

It is at the front of my mind I just dont want to go through the whole buying/selling in 6 to 12 months we need some time to settle into things, but it is a lovely pony and perhaps may last longer ...there are so many out there aren't there it is just finding the right one

 

[kassieg]

Hi, thanks for sharing your experience good to know even a smaller pony can still take a bit of height and weight

love the account of what you had to ride as a child

I have very experienced people (yard owner/instructor and also a very experienced small rider) who are willing to help give advice and ride/school the pony we get if needed I would do it myself but I am too big and heavy!! I am looking forward to when we can share a horse if she is still keen when she is older!!

My daughter is the size of a 12 yr old even though she is 10 she is nearly as big as my 13yr old son!

We had this dilemma when I was 13 & outgrew my 14 hh & bought a horse I was 5'7, turns out I didnt grow much & could have got a 14.2 after all!
Think girls grown more when younger & boys when older.
good luck with the hunt sounds like you have a lot of support which is great! You will have to keep us updated

 

[AnyChance]

It's a difficult time of year for buying and selling Don't worry though, you will get there, probably will be the last one you expect! Whereabouts are you? I can recommend a very good dealer if you want a 'does what it says on the tin' pony.

For a first pony, I would err on the side of slightly small/slightly lazy over slightly too big/slightly too fizzy.

I agree, native ponies are the way to go - can't beat a good Newforest for a first pony who will turn his hoof to anything.

As others have said, definitely consider a loan if you come across one, I know it's not quite the same as owning, but it takes away all the stress of having to sell when it's outgrown, and also means you could consider something older.

Hi Pigeon, We are Cheshire

 

[AnyChance]

Personally I dont think your budget is too small There are lots of lovely ponies out there that are not an arm and a leg just because it is expensive doesnt make it safe in fact the very expensive ones are usually quirky talented and competing
Having said that I was offered £25,000 for my safe as houses highland pony 10 years ago.
She is wonderful and has taught just about every riding kid in the county to ride bless her and she still win at Novice dressage, jump a meter course and go flat out round a cross country She is a pocket rocket at 13.1hh and the most versatile pony I have ever met.
If you have lots of backup I would prefer a youngster every time they havent been spoiled and generally speaking havent learned a lot of naughty and nasty tricks.
Natives are the way to go as even the small ones are tough enough to be ridden by a light adult and can be schooled and sorted out by a bigger rider Oh and youngsters are often cheaper than even badly made horses
I know many wont agree but I am sick to death of trying to fix problem ponies that have come with hang ups and wicked ways because they are badly started.
Hope you find what you are looking for and your daughter has many many years of fun with her pony

That is encouraging I am looking at ones that are slightly over budget too incase they are open to offers due to time of year or other reasons
Thanks for your point of view

 

[Sam_J]

I'm in Cheshire too

Speaking as the mother of a 10 year old daughter who is growing like a weed, I would strongly advise a loan pony. My daughter's first pony (5 years ago - eek, how time flies!) was loaned. We bought the one after and had 3 fabulous years with a wonderful pony, but selling her was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, although we were lucky to (eventually!) find her a great home.

Current pony is on loan to us. He is 21 and still going strong, having been there, bought the t-shirt and worn it out! I do think that at this age children grow so quickly, and their expectations change so fast (daughter is now jumping much bigger fences and going much faster than she was 18 months ago) that it's very hard to find the right pony. Moving on to the next pony is always hard, but at least with a loan pony there isn't the same pressure to find a new home. If it's your daughter's first pony I would aim to loan a 'steady eddie' for the first 12 - 18 months and once she's really confident you could then look at buying something that might last her a bit longer.

Hope this helps, good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[Adopter]

If you are Cheshire, def ask around pony club, certainly when my children were young good family ponies went by word of mouth in our Cheshire branch, they never needed to be advertised.

Blue Cross at Rolleston-on-Dove, is not far away, check out with them what might be available, they are very supportive to people who loan from them, and they have a Home to Home scheme for ponies who are outgrown etc.

 

[Horse*]

How frustrating for you. Might be worth putting a wanted card up in your local tack shop and as others have said speaking to your DC. I have too much time on my hands so had a little look online and seems there are lots of suitable types advertised. Don't know where you are but here are a few I like the look of.
http://www.adhorse.co.uk/horseforsale_57768.html
http://www.adhorse.co.uk/horseforsale_57673.html

http://classified.pcuk.org/details/fantastic-pony-clubevent-pony/
http://classified.pcuk.org/details/mother-childs-dream-pony/
http://classified.pcuk.org/details/fabulous-huntingpony-club-school-master/
http://classified.pcuk.org/details/...tails/handsome-new-forest-all-rounder/y-pony/

 

[Dubsie]

I'd definitely ask about for an older loan pony, so many folk don't want to sell on their oldies, but they still need exercise. This type of pony is often out there but the owners are reluctant to sell them on, and do want them only to go to a very good loan home - hence not actually advertising them so as to not have to deal with the riff raff who can't really ride/won't look after their beloved pony! Certainly why I've only mentioned within Pony Club that our saint of a 23 year old is now riderless and daughter won't be doing mounted games on him again this year. Thus I'd definitely ask within your Pony Club as mostly these ponies get moved about only on word of mouth. Our 13.2 pony came from the niece of an ex colleague of my husband who had outgrown him.

 

[AnyChance]

Thanks Horse* for having a look, very kind of you, I have sent a message to one of

I found this one but it is almost sold
http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/109729687/14hh-liver-chestnut-6yr-old-mare-for-sale.html

 

[AnyChance]

This looks nice but is over 5 hours away!
http://classified.pcuk.org/details/three-fantastic-pc-ponies/

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

My first thought is.. do you really need to buy, or would a loan suit? She could grow out of her first pony, if not in size but in what she wants to do, reasonably quickly. That happened to us, with hindsight a loan would have made more sense. I now have a pony I can't bear to part with, who neither of my children ride... ! Just a thought. Good luck

ETS there are lovely ponies out there available for loan, whose families can't bear to sell them. So you could strike lucky and end up with one that woudl be above your budget, but is available for loan. Pony Club might be a good starting point, as others have suggested.

I totally agree with a loan, there are lots of people with much loved ponies who want to find then something to do, but not lose control over them, because they are so loved.
Any pony you buy might not be suitable, or it could be suitable, it is difficult to tell.

 

[cheeryplatypus]

Thanks Horse* for having a look, very kind of you, I have sent a message to one of

I found this one but it is almost sold
http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/109729687/14hh-liver-chestnut-6yr-old-mare-for-sale.html

You probably want someone older. A loan of a tried and tested older pony who's looked after a few children in his/her time would be a good start.

 

[AnyChance]

There are not that many full loans available but may have a look

 

[paulineh]

Have sent you a PM with a pony that may be worth looking at .

It maybe too far for you to travel but sometimes you need to do that

 

[Colivet]

is this the sort of pony you need? I know it is in Ireland but think of the currency exchange rate, and transportation is not as expensive as you would think. Looks a little cracker to me, but no idea if it is sold already

http://www.donedeal.ie/horses-for-sale/13-2-13-3-allrounder-bombproof-new/6092784

 

[Gloi]

I doubt if you need to travel very far to get a suitable pony, you just have to get to know the right people. As suggested before, go to the local pony club and also go to places where there are winter shows and have a talk to people there. There will be a suitable pony around in your area , you just have to hear about it.

 

[kirstyfk]

I grew up riding ancient loan ponies, it was great getting a new one each year which matched by height and ability. A 16 year old seemed like a youngster and good ponies get passed round the Pony Club like nobodies business. When I was 10 I was still on my 12.2hh (unknown age!) but my sister had her 13.2hh from the age of 8 until 14, so a 13.2hh really is a versatile height.

 

[sodapop]

I bought my 6 year old daughter a 13.2hh native pony last year. She isn't very experienced but she likes an easy life so she has been quite happy to plod while my daughter transitioned from riding school to the real world of riding. I am 5'6" and ride her regularly to school her and iron out problems that my daughter creates through not knowing what she is doing. As my daughter progresses the pony seems to have adapted and gone up the gears. Unless your daughter is going to compete seriously I am not sure if she would ever truly outgrow a 13.2hh native as I love riding my daughter's pony and I am in my 40s

 

[AnyChance]

Potentially good news We have a pony coming for a trial before buying

 

[measles]

Good news! We have just bought a pony we had on trial for our 10yo. What is s/he like?

 

[AnyChance]

Hi measles, it is a 15 yr old 14hh been there, done it, won it so fingers crossed they gel

 

[AnyChance]

What did you get for your daughter and how are they getting on?

 

[AnyChance]

I bought my 6 year old daughter a 13.2hh native pony last year. She isn't very experienced but she likes an easy life so she has been quite happy to plod while my daughter transitioned from riding school to the real world of riding. I am 5'6" and ride her regularly to school her and iron out problems that my daughter creates through not knowing what she is doing. As my daughter progresses the pony seems to have adapted and gone up the gears. Unless your daughter is going to compete seriously I am not sure if she would ever truly outgrow a 13.2hh native as I love riding my daughter's pony and I am in my 40s

Isn't it great that some ponies adapt to their rider, sounds like you have great fun I wish I was smaller and lighter

 

[measles]

What did you get for your daughter and how are they getting on?

Our son -) ) has a 13.1hh jumping pony who has also done PC and just knows what to do in the ring - he just has to point and go. I am of the opinion that children need schoolmasters as they develop as riders and that experience can then be transferred to helping educate a younger pony or horse when they are older. His first lead rein pony was 20, his first off the lead rein pony was 13 and his first jumping pony 12. He now has this new chap and his brother's outgrown jumping pony who is rising 24yo and won a class with 17 in the jump off last weekend, so as game as ever.

 

[Adopter]

Potentially good news We have a pony coming for a trial before buying

Hope it all goes well, do let us know. The right pony to build confidence and teach the child is so important. You seem to have really tried to find the right one, hope it all works out. At least with a couple of weeks hols there is more time for your daughter to bond with pony.