Can anyone help me catch & load a v timid pony near Horsham?

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I am nowhere near Horsham so can't help but I would take both ponies back, save yourself another journey in a few weeks' time when they have decided that they don't need/can't handle her. I am sure you will be able to find a child near to your home who would like to ride a well-schooled pony. PC/RC will probably be able to help with that.

 

[Scotsbadboy]

Take them both back. If the four little girls are upset then its a life lesson that their parents are morons and have let them down. Not your problem and save yourself on the journey by taking both back, it sounds inevitable its going to go sour with the shetland!

 

[MissTyc]

Another transport recommendation "Mates Rates Horse Transport" from Brighton. Caroline does national trips all the time, fab safe and inviting Bloomfields stallion box and can load anything in my experience! It sounds like you might have enough help on the ground for catching now? Good luck!

 

[catembi]

Thank you to everyone who responded! I am now feeling a little calmer and am following up on leads ?

 

[maya2008]

I also agree take them both. Could you find a little lead rein sharer for each at home? They could spend the summer going on lovely walks just as you imagined, but with you able to keep an eye on them and supervise care. That is our plan for when our Shetland is grown out of!

 

[catembi]

Pony is probably going to be picked up by a competent person on Wednesday morning. Thank you, everyone! Whew! Still having a think about the Shetland.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

If they can't be asked to use electric fence to make a pen to catch her in they won't be restricting grazing for the Shetland either. You will probably get a call telling you to take the pony back because it won't move. My sister once loaned her little welsh to a family who were going to keep him with the local PC woman in their village. Luckily only a few miles away. They had him for a while and all going well then we got a call, he has laminitis. Went to see him and had never seen so much weight on him. Took him home and got him sorted, they didn't get him back. Those were sensible people putting trust in a professional. In this case with them being so far away I wouldn't take the risk of leaving such a nice pony with them.

Hope all goes well picking up the other pony.

 

[Jayzee]

Glad you have the pony being picked up. My friend owns Mates Rates (same person MissTyc mentioned), sure there would be people to help, I'd be willing to lend a hand. Sounds like you might be sorted though!

 

[catembi]

Aaarrrggghhh, a massive chunk out of my new saddle fund though! Thanks to these wretched people. Or maybe I'm the stupid one for expecting anything better from them. They are both nice little ponies and I wanted them to have a lovely summer doing fun stuff. Cost of retrieval plus adding in my diesel cost for taking them but ignoring the value of my driving time (close to 6 hours) and adding in the new grooming kit & ignoring the value of all the time that I spent schooling the Shetland, we are not far off £450. An expensive lesson.

 

[millikins]

Aaarrrggghhh, a massive chunk out of my new saddle fund though! Thanks to these wretched people. Or maybe I'm the stupid one for expecting anything better from them. They are both nice little ponies and I wanted them to have a lovely summer doing fun stuff. Cost of retrieval plus adding in my diesel cost for taking them but ignoring the value of my driving time (close to 6 hours) and adding in the new grooming kit & ignoring the value of all the time that I spent schooling the Shetland, we are not far off £450. An expensive lesson.

Pick up the Shetland too, if they mess you about over her as well it will be more expense

 

[TPO]

Glad you have the pony being picked up. My friend owns Mates Rates (same person MissTyc mentioned), sure there would be people to help, I'd be willing to lend a hand. Sounds like you might be sorted though!

Off Topic- I saw Mates Rates on Instagram because they moved a horse belonging to the hairdresser bloke from Gogglebox ?

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I would absolutely pick up both of them. You also might be able to find someone more local for the Shetland and I wouldn't want to leave any of my ponies with these people since odds are you'll be back to collect the other one shortly. I'd just get them both at once and be done with it. I it would give me more peace of mind, personally.

 

[cauda equina]

Would the Shetland have any equine company if you left her there?
I bet she'd rather come home with her chum
Our idea of fun stuff is probably very different from a pony's, and a summer spent loafing around flicking flies off the Dartmoor might well be preferable to whatever the family would do with/to her

 

[Tiddlypom]

Echo the call to pick up the shetland at the same time.

Doubtless you'll get the usual lies that they love her and want to keep her, blah blah, but you'll be back in a few weeks to pick her up too if you don't get her now.

They've shown their true colours, don't be fooled by crocodile tears and false assurances.

 

[throwawayaccount]

if they aren't willing to look after one pony correctly, why would they look after the shetland once first pony has been collected?

i would personally get both of them.

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

Take the shetland back too at the same Cat or you will be picking up a crippled lami shetland in a few weeks. Find a local little girl/boy or two that will come to yours and fuss over both and ride of you want them too. Do not fall for emotional blackmail from mum and weepy kiddies, they arent your responsibility the ponies welfare is. I once took my horse back from a loaner I had throughly vetted because her dad decided 3 days before I was leaving the country for a year, that, instead of full loan, they would look after horse 3 days a week, pay £15 or so pounds as 'that's what we paid the riding school' towards its keep and I would have to pay the rest and I should be grateful as 'we are doing you a favour' needless to say I went straight to their house and picked up the yard keys. Did I feel awful seeing the girl sobbing in the living room, yes, did she learn an important lesson about her parents, also yes. Did I regret it, no. I went down the pub that night and chatting to the barmaid who knew was vaguely horsey arranged for her to have full loan and she did a fantastic job, far better than the girl would have done.

Things often work out and you've had a warning as mentioned above that if they CBA to make a pen to catch dartmoor they will not be restricting the shetland.

 

[ester]

agreed that you would be bonkers to leave the shettie there, you'll be forking out another £300 in a months time to collect her too.

 

[Jayzee]

Off Topic- I saw Mates Rates on Instagram because they moved a horse belonging to the hairdresser bloke from Gogglebox ?

You could be right, the business has grown so much she employed a second driver; Justin. I don't know if he's from Gogglebox ?

 

[BaronSamedi]

You could be right, the business has grown so much she employed a second driver; Justin. I don't know if he's from Gogglebox ?

It was Stephen from Goooglebox’s horse that was being moved in the Insta post

 

[Jayzee]

It was Stephen from Goooglebox’s horse that was being moved in the Insta post

AH that's cool!!