Buying a pony/horse is an absolute nightmare

I'm having the EXACT same issue at the moment. Some make you feel like a timewaster even when your not. Its such a time consuming job too, I saw 1 last Saturday that was a 4 hr round trip. In the end it was a whole day trip! By the time we stopped for lunch and paid foe petrol, it was a very expensive day out. Especially when I'm pretty sure the horse we viewed was NOT the one in the advert. Yet I'M the time waster? !?!?
 
You have to try before you buy and there's no rule to say how many you will go see before you find the right one!

Also, a seller who gets stroppy when you are honest and say the pony's not for you would just set alarm bells ringing to me anyway! If you are polite and honest about reasons why then i don't see why a seller should have an issue. There's a big difference between a timewaster/weekend 'joyrider' and someone who is just making sur ethey get the right horse.

We had some funny people come lok at my sister's 13.2hh we sold years ago. He was about 13 or 15 or something and was a 'working pony' as it were - ie did a lot of showjumping, XC PC stuff etc etc. Never been lame or sick. However, some people who clearly thought they knew everything came, felt all his legs, said he had puffy tendons, windgalls etc (well to be honest you'd expect that on a pony who'd truly done a lot of competing) and, on that basis they didn't want him.

This pony did not have any tendon swellings or windgalls either but clearly they thought differently! He was a fab pony and we struggled to sell him as didn't have many calls (very odd). We eventually sold him through word of mouth to a local PC girl who had a fab few years on him before he was loaned to other PC members. So, quite often the best ponies do get passed via word of mouth. Oddly, we sold my mum's sweet-itch-ridden, scared of anything larger than a van welsh cob really quickly! Most odd! :D
 
billylula said:
Thanks all this thread is so interesting and helpful. I am going to see something on Monday and taking a friend with me - bit worried he might be a bit much for my daughter but I know my daughter would disagree - she wants to start flying whereas I think she's still walking!
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Please, please, please don't get anything that might be too much for your daughter. Losing her confidence will be just as easy on a fizzy pony which consistently tanks at jumps as on the one you have which stops at them! Something quieter can always be pushed on a bit. I've seen so many kids get really forward going ponies and just not have the fun on them that they could with a schoolmaster. Also it's really a horse that your looking at if it is to be over 14.2hh, and that can be a big difference in ride for a teenager. Since it's for you to ride too then I presume you want to be able to have a nice calm hack which you can enjoy rather than racing about the countryside :)
 
billylula said:
:D:D:D

so funny.

I have asked the hunt plus everyone I know at PC, they are sick of me asking I think! i don't mind not winning at SJ but I would like a clear round occasionally. Our current loan pony refuses - a lot - which I thought for 6 months was my daughter's crappy riding :D but since then I have seen her ride a few other ponies and she has absolutely no problems. Because his refusing is quite 'dirty' she has lost her confidence on him and yet put her on a more whizzy pony and she flies round. He's a lovely hunter though - he likes to follow the herd, hence being very unsure SJ.
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Have you had a very experienced rider or instructor jump him, and what is he like then? Quite often the rider will anticipate a refusal from that particular pony, so it dose refuse. Swapping riders makes a huge difference, try someone on him who isn't worried about a refusal and see what happens, then once your daughter has seen him jump with someone else she will feel more confident and not let him get away with it.
The fact he follows the herd when hunting suggest to me he will follow the confident rider and jump what he is put to with confidence - have you watched a video of your daughter and seen the fatal 'pause without leg' on the way to the jump where you can tell the horse will refuse ? Does she have a showjumping instructor who should be able to spot this and yell 'Leg, leg' at the appropriate moment to get them both safely over!?
 
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I would never get hung up on size unless you are thinking of teams. My youngest daughter was very nervous after two summers of falling off and breaking her arm of her 11.2. A friend had decided to sell her 14.2 schoolmaster, I bought it for my 12 year old daughter but her 9 year old sister picnhed the ride, and rode him till she was sixteen.
I would also look on Facebook pages, I have seen a couple of crackers recently one a 15.1 ridden by a 12 year old and a nice NF thats done teams for £2300. Also horsegossip.co.uk and nfed.co.uk
I would also never rule out a young pony if you have someone to d the grunt work, I always bought them and made them myself for less than £600, the schoolmaster was the most expensive at £2000 inc tack
 
of course you have to try horse and see if it feels right.

Stupid owner saying you are a timewaster!


A lot of it is gut feeling.
but do lots of checks and lots of tests. Plus a vetting!

Good luck!
 
billylula said:
Which is a shame because I've basically been looking forward to this for the last 40 years :D

Looking for a 14.2+ for my oldest daughter, pref something I can hack in the week.

How do you KNOW that the sellers are telling the truth - you don't and it makes the whole thing fraught with worry. I am fairly novice too which doesn't help. I've been to see four and every time they've not been right - its like looking round someones house and then not buying it - one owner was really cross and unpleasant when I said we were not interested. I don't want to be a 'timewaster' but you do have to go and see these ponies and then if they aren't right surely you have to move on? I am trusting my instinct and am convinced that I will 'know' when I see the right pony but rapidly losing confidence. One seemed great but was a LOT of pony (big welsh) and daughter felt not right on him, one put in a couple of BIG bucks, one was lovely but very spooky in traffic (no good for us as we hack out a lot) despite being sold as excellent in traffic, one ticked all boxes but is really fast and rushy in the SJ ring (still in two minds over him as he was lovely otherwise). AND we have a good budget to spend! I want to employ someone to do it for me :p
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Welcome to my world! It can be a nighmare.... lots of wasted miles and phone calls!
I know a few people in the past that have employed "agents" but more for competition horses.
Have you looked at these ones for sale?

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/clas...ndhound.co.uk/classifieds/142hh $h13121.xhtml

https://www.horseradar.co.uk/classifieds/ponies/pls3egn6sc
 
When I was riding as a young teenager the thought of a pony put me right off riding. Far too close to the ground and couldnt get along with the trot at all. I ended up mostly riding an 18.1 gentle giant and a 15.2 nippier girl.

So don't necessarily rule out the right horse (im not saying go out and buy a giant but a 14.3/15 isn't the biggest scariest step in the world).
The horses around me at that age were far saner!

While agreeing with the fact that overhorsing may put off, don't forget the other end of the scale. One of my worst rides was on an overweight pony who struggled in a walk. While I'd work with it now, it was the most frustrating thing at that age and ended up not helping me at all.

(I now ride ponies and horses so no bias!)

I agree 100% in bringing an instructor or experienced friend along. And don't worry about time-wasting. Far worse to end up with a totally unsuitable pony for you and daughter than ignore silly comments :) I've been to viewings where the horse wasn't sat on as wasnt happy with behaviour when owner riding. You'd waste far more time stringing someone along and can't possibly know if a pony is definitely suitable before seeing and riding. It's a huge decision so don't be pushed into making it lightly - you'll find a keeper I'm sure, but it's rarely the first seen :)
 
Second the poster who said try a recommended dealer, they should have several you can look at. If you are Southern, Victri Sporthorses have a good name.
 
billylula said:
Thanks ffion. You know you see on all adverts 'no timewasters' - I am so paranoid about not being one :D

Almost feel like taking an ad out myself saying I wont be a Timewaster if you will be completely honest in your ad!

The ones that get me are the ones that say "6 year old Irish, 14.1, grey, has done PC and jumped 1.10 in schooling, easy to do a complete gent. NO TIMEWASTERS"

Like that's enough info to go on!
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You are not a time waster , you have finance in place and genuinely want the 'right pony', if sellers are rude i would question why they are in such a hurry surely they want to pair their pony with the right pony? maybe that's a perfect world but i have been looking ages and always visit at least twice to make sure pony is as described. Keep looking and hopefully your perfect pony will come along soon :)
 
I would just like a reply to my advert so selling can be just as hard. The one I have for sale isnt suitable for you she is to much a baby

However I agree a really nice pony should go by word of mouth the only thing in my case is the other pony will be sold later in the year and we dont go out and about very much to meet people who may be looking so I will have to advertise her She is a mothers dream but I cant sell her til later when her current rider is not at uni anymore. Her only thing is she can be a bit sensitive to change so dont know quite what to do about that. I love her to bits but I cant see her do nothing as it is such a shame She is currently jumping clear round 80cm courses and dressaging at prelim in the 60% she is about to go cross country. So maybe in time we will find a great young child for her but not for a while until she has done a bit of everything I am certain when she goes up she will be snapped up but in the mean time sh is getting miles on the clock
 
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