Buying kids' pony - should I really let them decide?!

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diddy

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Hi all,

We're just in the process of getting a pony. It's mainly to be a companion for my own horse but since we've started looking kids have got more into their riding & are now starting to have a real opinion about what they want - which is great but is creating a dilemma for me :) Bear with me here..!

Out of the few we've seen, there are 2 we really like. The 1st - let's call him grey pony because he is - is young, fairly green but well-bred, pretty & already making good progress on & off lead. I think he'd be perfect for us. The 2nd - let's call him Fugly because he is - is a bit older, ex-riding school & seems ok off the lead but wasn't enamoured being on LR although did shift with a bit of encouragement. Needless to say, kids have decided he's the one for us :roll eyes:

Obviously, the last thing I want to do is put them off when they're (finally!) starting to get into what is clearly my hobby. But at the same time, I'm realistic enough to think that they could lose interest in a month or two, & I will be left to deal with whichever pony we end up with. And while I hope we'd hold onto whichever we get long-term (I want a companion after all), in the event I ever needed to sell, Fugly will be much harder to shift (I think...)

Has anyone else been in this position. Should I let them choose or should I try & talk them round..? Even as I type this I know what the answer is but thought I'd ask you wise people :)

Thank you for bearing with me. Last night's prawn crackers to anyone with an opinion :D

D. x

P.S. I'm sure I'll end up loving whichever one we go with, so don't want to sound like a spoilt brat btw :)
 
I think your children are very sensible. The 2nd pony is by far the most suitable for beginners and, I would have thought pretty easy to sell on if you need to to a sensible parent who wants to keep her children safe.
 
I agree. From the sounds of it the kids felt safe with 'fugly'. He obviously knows the ropes and ex-riding school ponies can be fantastic as they have been there, done that and hence make for great, safe kids ponies. Plus, I don't think there is such a thing as an ugly horse, they all have their own qualities and I much prefer 'quirky' looking and sensible to stunning but not safe!
 
Fugly, you want a companion, the kids want some fun. Are your children prepared to put in the work to bring on a youngster? You're happy they're taking some interest, so give them some fun, not too serious work as it would be with the youngster.

You'll always be able to sell a safe, amenable children's pony.
 
Hi guys,

I knew you would be the voice of reason! And thought I should respond to my own post as I was being horrid - he's not ugly at all. He has a very cute face he's just a bit overweight & has short legs but I guess that goes for a lot of us too :)

And I'm delighted you think the riding school thing is an advantage. Tbh I assumed that would mean he might have some weird quirks that we might only become aware of once we get him home!

His age is putting me off (he's 10) because in my limited experience of small ponies, by that age they can have learnt all kinds of tricks & you might actually be better getting something that hasn't learnt to tank off, refuse to move or anything in between :) I have a couple of friends that have bought v young ponies for their children & it's actually worked out really well. Or maybe they've just been lucky.

Thanks again, lovely people :)
 
Riding school ponies can have their issues. My sister bought a 12 year old for my niece and the pony was a bit 'institutionalised' having been on a lead rein for yonks but, with a bit of freedom, she's become a fantastic games and jumping pony.

Good luck with whatever you choose.
 
Fugly :) He sounds like a very sensible choice and at 10 years old it's going to be a lot of years before he'll be difficult to shift IF he proves to be the perfect childs pony that he sounds like.
 
Another vote for Fugly here. He sounds a real little catch, and if he's a bit overweight its fairly simple to remedy. plus most kids ponies have short legs, as they dont tend to be that tall - my 14.3hh has short legs! He's a perfect age and yes maybe he may have some bad habits, but he wont be so set in his ways that you cant resolve it.

I am sure most people will try and steer you away from a younger pony for children - as the old saying goes 'Green and green equals black and blue'.

If its any consolation, my daughters first pony was a 14hh chestnut arab cross with a wonky blaze and he was about 24, but he was a sweetie, totally safe and really,really wise. He was on loan though and his owner retired him, but I reckon he would have loved to have taught another kid to ride.
 
Fugly sounds great, when I bought my daughters pony I didn't look at anything very young and got our boy who is 12, as I had a four year old in my early teens and I didn't want to go down that route again lol. That's not to say all youngsters are unsuitable for children of course not, but it's nice to have something that's been there done that and he has actually taught my daughter a lot.
 
The very quickest way to put kids off and loose interest is to over horse them and frighten them. They NEED something safe, sensible and fun. They're not interested in how good the pony will be in a years time, they want to ride NOW. They also don't want to have to put lots of boring schooling in either, they wantnto gallop about and jump straight away. A pony that can't or won't do what they ask is very off putting, esp if they're learning. Get the been there, done that pony, even if he is fugly.
 
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Kallibear said:
The very quickest way to put kids off and loose interest is to over horse them and frighten them. They NEED something safe, sensible and fun. They're not interested in how good the pony will be in a years time, they want to ride NOW. They also don't want to have to put lots of boring schooling in either, they wantnto gallop about and jump straight away. A pony that can't or won't do what they ask is very off putting, esp if they're learning. Get the been there, done that pony, even if he is fugly.
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Totally agree, couldn't have put it better myself!

Another vote for fugly (who I bet once has lost weight will be pretty cute!) :)
 
Fugly. Children obviously felt safe on him and he seems better. Older horses always the best first ponies IMO. Dont know why first ponies all seem to be spindly pure bred highly strung minature tb types, first ponies should be solid safe and dependable, able to look after their riders and put up with bridles being put on back to front and other things like this. I think that if he is an ex-riding school pony he will know the ropes and be used to different children, but may end up a bit stiff as he gets older. Good luck x
 
I think the young green pony has more chance of being taught the wrong things from inexperienced riders than an older pony who knows better. Vote for fugly.
 
Fugly is much better than a green pony, One mistake from the little grey pony could scare the life out of your kids and you'll be starting from square one. Fugly knowns everything if he's ex-riding school pony ;)
 
I definitely agree with everyone here saying go with the ex RS pony - if your children feel safe they will progress far quicker than on a young pony they may grow to be wary of if it has a few green moments. The only thing you should bear in mind though is that he will be used to working 1-2 hours a day day in day out. When you change that routine and perhaps he is only ridden for 30 minutes 3-4 times a week he may become a different pony. That isn't to say he's had the spirit drummed out of him in the RS, just that there is a very regimented routine and the ponies know their boundaries. Good luck!
 
This is all so helpful - thank you!

Just one other thing... As probably often happens with these things, the whole story of how the seller came by Mr. F is a bit longwinded. So on the one hand, he has done a few years in a riding school, but on the other she says he's a bit green. I think what she means is he hasn't been to many PC-type things & shows but he's been ridden a lot before she had him although less since as he's been largely parked in the field.

He also hasn't hacked out since she's had him but she seemed to think he was on a busy main road before & had been hacked a lot.

Not at all trying to make out there's anything fishy as the lady was very honest & didn't try & big him up at all. It's just that obviously the traffic/showing/loading thing is something that I'm taking on trust he's hopefully done before but I don't really know for sure.

I should add he's a bargain price so I'm not worried I'm paying over the odds, just didn't want to go too far overstating his qualities as I try to overcompensate for being so rude about him in my opening post :)

In other words, I think he's the perfect been-there/done-that option but don't have conclusive evidence! Think she may be open to a trial in which case I can stop yapping on & just get him home :D
 
Another vote for fugly for the reason that your kids seam to have felt safe with him and he will be an easier pony for you to own as he will already know his job. I looked for an older pony when i was looking for my daughter but i ended up buying a saint of a pony that was only 3 years old, a rarity i know. He knew very little and i have had to teach him quite a bit on the longreins, once i got him used to them, and my daughter has done really well on him and came off the lead rein on him.
 
I wouldnt trial him for the simple reasons that any new horse or pony going somewhere different is going to try it on, and at the back of your mind you are still going to be thinking pretty grey vs fugly, young vs old, but fugly can still go back if doesnt work, so i would load him in and out at her yard, i would walk him down the road in hand or with a rider on, i would do all those things where he is safe and happy, otherwise you might not see the true him whilst he is still settling in.
 
Never take anyone's word for anything, take him down the road. It doesn't matter what the seller says test out for yourself.
 
Can we give Fugly a new name :(

What about schoolmaster! Bet that would have got him a bigger asking price!!!

So........is he home yet?

And did you really think you were going to overrule the children in this case hahahaha :D

:D
 
Do not take her word for it! Make sure you try him on the roads and also take him a couple of places (i.e for a lesson or a SJ schooling session. You want to make sure he's ok away from home too!
 
Another vote for fugly. I do actually have a young pony for my daughter, but it wasn't a first pony. She isn't overhorsed, but if it had been the only pony she had to ride, she would have missed out on a lot of fun. And her riding would have suffered, as would ponies schooling, if she hadn't had access to one she can learn from. And ditto others, don't believe anything unless you see it.
 
Thanks for the additional comments - really helpful.

Hopefully if the seller suggested a trial she'd be happy for us to trailer him out somewhere so we can see him with cars etc.

And yes, happy to come up with new temporary name - Potential Superstar perhaps as that'll do him as a show name as well :)

Thanks peeps! x
 
diddy said:
Thanks for the additional comments - really helpful.

Hopefully if the seller suggested a trial she'd be happy for us to trailer him out somewhere so we can see him with cars etc.

And yes, happy to come up with new temporary name - Potential Superstar perhaps as that'll do him as a show name as well :)

Thanks peeps! x
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Awww hope it works out for you! Personally, I'd definately take the trial.

:D
 
I let my daughter decide when she was 12.

She tried the pony - I though he was ugly, fat & unfit. She felt safe on him but also felt he had some potential. I trusted her as after all, it would be her doing the riding.

Within 6 months she had gone from jumping 75cm to jumping national 1m classes & over the 5yrs we've owned him, she's had so much fun & experiance & I've never doubted her judgment!

Good luck! xx
 
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