Buying a pony for a small child. Lots of questions!!

mystiandsunny

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My son is 4 and is trotting round the woods happily off lead on a friend's pony. Cantering on the lunge also and steering independently in walk and trot in the school (on lead-rein pony who likes to go the wrong way ad ignore the rider if possible!) and field (on my saintly 13.2hh who listens nicely to his weight/leg/hand but is too big to do much on as falling off would be very bad!!). He has been riding for a year now and rides 3 times a week. I need to start looking for something to buy but I can't seem to find what I am looking for. Need a small pony who listens to the rider well in an enclosed space, but will ride-and-lead for hacking etc as needed.

Is it possible to find a tiny pony that is a good first ridden? Are they advertised somewhere special? I don't want a lead rein pony that hates being ridden off lead. I also don't want a 12hh! Would like my son to be able to have fun and play while being relatively near to the ground if he does something silly and loses his balance. Obviously I am hoping that won't happen (and his balance is very good) but better safe than sorry!

Also, there are lots of young ponies advertised as being very good, looking after their riders etc. Really? Or are tiny ponies bred to be more placid than the average? Our perfect pony was so naughty as a 5 year old - maturity did wonderful things for her!

Really don't want to make a mistake and get something unsuitable. Long ago I decided to always buy unbacked babies for myself as it is far easier and more pleasant than trying to fix other people's mistakes! Can't really do that for a child's pony though :(.
 

doodle

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Ponys like that tend to be passed on word of mouth. You could contact your local pony clubs and see if they know of anything of put up a wanted ad if they have a classifieds.
 

stencilface

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Ask around at PC, or ask some of the big horse charities? Some of the big charities will likely have good little ridden ponies that get passed through their doors, as they have to be rehomed through the charity not through being sold on etc.

I rehomed a 2yo pony from WHW as a companion 2 years ago, now 4 he's been backed (sort of, by mini SF who's 3, but not had a proper size rider on him yet - he's now 12.3!) and seems to be a sweet steady pony. Mini SF won't be off the lead for at least a year or so I imagine, so I've got time to figure out if he's going to be ok for that or not! Realise this option won't work for you now though
 

Fraggle2

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Try equine market watch. I'm sure Elaine recently had a small older pony returned that would be perfect. Pony club pony etc.
 

lrw0250

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It is possible and in our case we found one quite by accident though word of mouth while looking for a Shetland! I took a 14 year old 11.2 section a mare with a sad past on loan from her owner when my daughter was just over 1 year old. She had been out of work for a while but had apparently been a lead rein pony for the owners son who had lost interest so they were looking for a loan home.

Fast forward 2 years and we sent her away for 3 weeks schooling to get her ready for doing more than 5 minute kiddie rides on the lead rein - the re-backers loved her and said she was brilliant off the lead rein too. So she is now being ridden by my daughter mostly on, but off lead rein in walk and also by a novice wee boy who rides her off the lead rein under the instruction of his big sister and they are having a great time together, to the extent that if I do put her on the lead rein with my daughter I get 5 minutes of grumpiness as she wants to be off it! There are still moments of pony cheekiness but it is nearly always directed at an adult on the ground and not the child riding as she does look after them and puts up with a lot! I cannot wait for my daughter to be off the lead rein a bit more as I can see that they are going to have so much fun.

I would say we have a similar pony who belongs to another livery retired at our yard having previously been on loan to various homes since being outgrown by the owners kids and it was pretty much always through word of mouth, normally through local Pony Club so that might be a good starting place. Good luck pony hunting!
 

Mongoose11

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I know of a pony who would be absolutely right for the job and she has just come up for sale! This one is an absolute treasure and I've seen her being trained so well. I'd snap her up for my own child but she isn't actually due until January 😂

Seller is entirely genuine and her ponies have a great start. The sellers daughter has done all of those things on your list and has been going great with her.

Have a look - there are loads of videos and pictures. https://www.facebook.com/LLPRponies/videos/1837062123192659/
 
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be positive

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I know of a pony who would be absolutely right for the job and she has just come up for sale! This one is an absolute treasure and I've seen her being trained so well. What a cracking pony she is, I'd snap her up for my own child but she isn't actually due until January ��

Seller is entirely genuine and her ponies have a great start.

Have a look - there are loads of videos and pictures. https://www.facebook.com/LLPRponies/videos/1837062123192659/

I was just about to recommend the same pony, she seems to be a rare type, steady but forward, rather a long way to go but they are so hard to find.
 

mystiandsunny

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I know of a pony who would be absolutely right for the job and she has just come up for sale! This one is an absolute treasure and I've seen her being trained so well. I'd snap her up for my own child but she isn't actually due until January ��

Seller is entirely genuine and her ponies have a great start. The sellers daughter has done all of those things on your list and has been going great with her.

Have a look - there are loads of videos and pictures. https://www.facebook.com/LLPRponies/videos/1837062123192659/

Such a shame they are the other end of the country from us!!
 

sollimum

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I would put up a wanted ad on horsequest. Keep an eye out on the pony club classifieds and look up your local branches of the pony club, as they sometimes have ads on their branch pages. It is also worth contacting Kellys Ponies in Essex who often have first ponies for sale - you can find them on facebook . There is a registered shetland for sale on NFED at the moment bred at the Coppice Stud:


http://www.nfed.co.uk/cgi-bin/class...lay_db_button=on&db_id=135153&query=retrieval
 
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PorkChop

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They are like rocking horse poo!

I would definitely be prepared to travel far and wide to get the right pony.

I would be looking for an older pony and I wouldn't discount a slightly bigger pony, often their trots are a lot easier to rise to.

ETA I really like the pony in the ad that was posted :)
 

HorseMad91

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Hiya have a look at the forlan pony stud, Elizabeth breeds Welsh section A and they are amazing I'm lucky enough to own one and they are brilliant first ponies. I've spoken to many people who own one and they all say the same.
 

YorksG

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given how hard they are to find, would it be worth thinking along different lines a bit? A solid small ride and drive mare might be just what you need, steady and well trained to the voice, with a penchant for looking after children. Probably would not be "good looking" (flashy) enough for showing but could be excellent for the day to day job.
 

Limbo1

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Have you looked at the first ridden Facebook group? Also nfed is good. We
Found our saintly pony for my daughter, she is 8 but was at a similar stage. She was advertised as a companion/lead rein.
 

LinzyD

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Browse Lead rein and first ridden ponies for sale on Facebook, and also put a wanted ad on there. I put a wanted ad on there yesterday and have had LOTS of response, among which a couple tick all the boxes for me. One or two of these are too small for my requirements but might be ideal for you. Make sure you check 'message requests' as well as your post; I found several messages hiding in there this morning.
 

Orangehorse

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I keep getting ads from my Facebook pages, and most of them include a video of the pony being a saint, so I guess they are around, but I agree with the others that an eagle eye and word of mouth is good. Remember that a real pony saint will be much loved and you will face a three page questionnaire as a potential owner.

Good luck I must say that your son seems to be making very good progress, well done.
 

FfionWinnie

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I know of a pony who would be absolutely right for the job and she has just come up for sale! This one is an absolute treasure and I've seen her being trained so well. I'd snap her up for my own child but she isn't actually due until January 😂

Seller is entirely genuine and her ponies have a great start. The sellers daughter has done all of those things on your list and has been going great with her.

Have a look - there are loads of videos and pictures. https://www.facebook.com/LLPRponies/videos/1837062123192659/

I was just about to recommend the same pony, she seems to be a rare type, steady but forward, rather a long way to go but they are so hard to find.

Thank you ladies. Very kind of you to mention.

Op it is possible to get or make ponies into what you require. We are on our 4th small pony who is exactly what you describe. No 1 is out on loan, No 2 is now with a little girl who was ready to move on from her LR Shetland and 3 and 4 are Winnie and Ted. We've only had Ted about three months so he needs his training cemented with a winter of competitions but daughter can do pretty much anything with both of them. Winnie is only available because daughter has started riding Ffion the 13.2 (clue's in the username ;) ) which is a moment I've been waiting 4 years for having been bringing her on myself for her AND my friend has offered her their grown out of schoolmaster pony. Of course daughter thinks 4 ponies to be competing come the spring is a good idea! The haggard old groom and financial backer (me) thinks Winnie is ready to move on to another family who will appreciate her as their number 1 :). Daughter is 7 and was like yours bombing around on her mini Shetland at a very young age.
 

tootsietoo

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you have just discovered the endlessly entertaining game which will keep your mind occupied for at least the next 12 years - Where Is The Next Pony? :D. I started out at the same stage as you, children are 8 and 10 now, and I have had 7 ponies now over the past 7 years! Some more suitable than others, and I have learned a lot about which qualities are important and which aren't! It sounds as if you are a bit more clued up than I was. As a previous poster said, these saintly first ridden ponies are like rocking horse poo. They mostly don't come on the market and I now find my ponies by asking round and spotting ponies I like and buttering up the owner! One thing I have never done though is travel a long way, apart from for the first one, a doddery old shetland, who came from 3 hours away! mostly if you keep your ears and eyes open you can spot the local ones and grab them. Being in pony club helps as the ponies get passed around friends. Although younger ponies can be ok, I would always say to look for an older one as they are so much wiser in general. they often need careful management though, so whilst they may be cheap or free, you would need to factor in cost of drugs/vets bills/supplements etc. I would also say that, whilst a small child can ride a bigger, sensible pony, life is much easier if you get the right size, as they can jump on and off, learn to tack up and rug up etc. Good luck, hope you find one and have fun!
 

mystiandsunny

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Thank you very much for all the replies! I have read and re-read all the advice and it has all been very useful. I have put up a wanted ad and we'll see what happens with that. Perth is just too far for that gorgeous pony advertised - 15 hour round trip!

If we have no luck by Christmas I think I might look at the breeder mentioned (and look around for others who are similar) and get something with a fantastic temperament to back and bring on. A friend's daughter has offered to ride for me at first if we do that, and I've had plenty of experience backing and bringing on for myself - it would just be on long reins rather than riding. My son could manage with the current share pony and some time on my 13.2hh for a bit longer, it's just not ideal! One of my current mares was pretty perfect from the beginning, hacking out within a week of being backed, never batted an eyelid at anything, always responsive to the aids, quiet at shows etc. She's still fantastic aged 10! If I found a young pony with a temperament like that, he could be riding it in six months or so. Of course, it would be much easier to find a ready made one!!
 

pennyturner

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given how hard they are to find, would it be worth thinking along different lines a bit? A solid small ride and drive mare might be just what you need, steady and well trained to the voice, with a penchant for looking after children. Probably would not be "good looking" (flashy) enough for showing but could be excellent for the day to day job.

I second this. It's lovely being able to back up a child's iffy aids with voice commands from the horse behind :D
 

EmmasMummy

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Good luck to you! We have been through a few ponies now, From our sec A, to a shetland, a Welsh cross and then back to our Sec A again. We found that they were either too cheeky, too lazy or too stubborn. But then I decided that daughter needs to learn to ride the pony issues and all.

There was a lady up here (Aberdeenshire) selling a FR/LR pony. He is a wee cracker. 12hh. Seems to be a total saint. Her daughter was riding him off the lead rein and he never put a foot wrong that I saw.


https://www.gumtree.com/p/horses-ponies/cosford-perkins-12hh-10year-old-black-gelding-/1194743364
 

pennyturner

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For an easy life with a small child, I would avoid Welsh (cute, but cheeky), Shetland (too much 'horse'), and Exmoor (too independent), and try a nice Dartmoor or New Forest, which tend to be affectionate and biddable.
 

PorkChop

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For an easy life with a small child, I would avoid Welsh (cute, but cheeky), Shetland (too much 'horse'), and Exmoor (too independent), and try a nice Dartmoor or New Forest, which tend to be affectionate and biddable.

Nooooo :D all my daughters ponies were Welshies or Welsh x, adorable :D
 

pennyturner

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Where did I say they weren't adorable? My first pony was a Welsh x - he was beyond lovely, but easy? nah. On the plus side, I have laughed at everything that has tried to buck me off since :D
 

EmmasMummy

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Where did I say they weren't adorable? My first pony was a Welsh x - he was beyond lovely, but easy? nah. On the plus side, I have laughed at everything that has tried to buck me off since :D

This is sort of what I have told my daughter...if she can master this one then a plod along will be a sinch!
 

FfionWinnie

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There's a 38" ride and drive 14yr old mare on FB Pony club ponies for sale and wanted in Herefordshire. Under a grand with tack and rugs. Worth a look at the advert (have screen shot it if you can't find it and want it pm me!).
 

minesadouble

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I bought a l/r f/r schoolmaster from the depths of Inverness, didn't go to see him just had him vetted and put on a transporter. He's an absolute star so if the pony in Perth ticks all of your boxes why not go for it?
 
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