can't believe how many 3 and 4 years are advertised as beginner ponies!!

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rafty

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Just looking through some horse ads and am just amazed at how many 3 and 4 year olds there are for sale, ready backed, driven and suitable for beginners!!! Not only is it bad enough at such a young age they are backed plus driven but suitable for beginners my a**e!!!

I went to view a 6 year old the other day, again told it was for beginners (although it had only been backed in October, previously a brood mare). Got ready to get on and the lady said 'oh no first watch one of my riders on him to see how lovely he is' then she started to shout 'ask for canter' to which the poney responded by bucking around the school until the girl fell off. I said I didn't think it was what I was looking for! 'oh its never done that before'!! No of course not!!!!!
 
littlelegs said:
Short answer- the horse world contains just as many fools as any other group of people!
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Agree! 100%

Though I think it's wrong when someone wrongly advertises their horse, I also think it's in the buyer's best interest to really do their homework, and if they are a first time buyer, definitely take an instructor or another horsey friend. We still take horsey friends when we view for a second time, just because they might spot something we don't after we've already fallen in love with the horse, and we've owned horses for 16 years, so not as experienced as some, but experienced enough to know what we're looking for :)
 
Unfortunately I think there are a lot of sellers out there trying to cut corners and off load horses as soon as possible. I guess novice/beginner riders are the most likely group to not know what they're doing (generalising here obviously :) ) so an easy target for dodgy sellers!
 
Amy567 said:
Agree! 100%

Though I think it's wrong when someone wrongly advertises their horse, I also think it's in the buyer's best interest to really do their homework, and if they are a first time buyer, definitely take an instructor or another horsey friend. We still take horsey friends when we view for a second time, just because they might spot something we don't after we've already fallen in love with the horse, and we've owned horses for 16 years, so not as experienced as some, but experienced enough to know what we're looking for :)
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I took my instructor with me. I don't think she wants me to buy what I want to buy though. She still wanted me to ride this horse, and get it as a project. I don't want a project now, I have had a 5 year old and am selling him now his 8. As he is not suitable for my children to ride. Now I really now want something I can just whizz around on having fun and that I can put my kids on. My instructor is obviously struggling with my decision!!
 
rafty said:
I took my instructor with me. I don't think she wants me to buy what I want to buy though. She still wanted me to ride this horse, and get it as a project. I don't want a project now, I have had a 5 year old and am selling him now his 8. As he is not suitable for my children to ride. Now I really now want something I can just whizz around on having fun and that I can put my kids on. My instructor is obviously struggling with my decision!!
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If you're looking for that, why did you look at a just backed 6 year old? It sounds to me like you want something that's been there done that etc. so probably something more like 7 or 8 if you're looking at the younger scale of things, but would be safer if it were 9ish as it's had more of a chance to grow up etc and get out of it's 'teenage years' :).

Also sounds like your instructor just wants the money :p it's your horse, not hers, go with your gut instinct :)
 
I agree a 3 or 4 yr old isn't for begginners BUT as I have been told and am begining to see for myself it's all about temprement.

I am not a begginer but am teaching my son to ride on a 5yr old Forrester whom I have backed and ridden away myself. He has been out walking on the roads since a 2 yr old and met a lot more traffic than most of his early stage in training.

He is calm and well mannered and I would never sell him to a begginner for fear they would ruin him..............Now I run and await the explosion !!! BTW he is NOT for sale but if I was to sell I mean.
 
I think that is great, and I know of lots of horses/ponies younger than my own that are far more sensible.

Would I buy one of these youngsters? Yes?

Would I buy a strange youngster for my daughter. No :)

Your pony sounds fab :)
 
Beatrice5 think your situation is different, & nothing wrong with advertising a 3yr old as potential lr or potential first pony, but stating it is a first pony is wrong. ( off topic but Fwiw my daughters 7 & has a rising 5 yr old. Although I've done the work & been there every step she's the only one been on its back. But hey, shortage of adults under 6 stone in my area!)
 
Amy567 said:
If you're looking for that, why did you look at a just backed 6 year old? It sounds to me like you want something that's been there done that etc. so probably something more like 7 or 8 if you're looking at the younger scale of things, but would be safer if it were 9ish as it's had more of a chance to grow up etc and get out of it's 'teenage years' :).

Also sounds like your instructor just wants the money :p it's your horse, not hers, go with your gut instinct :)
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Curiosity I guess, also had it of had a years schooling behind it I may have thought about it. However, I did also look at a 15 year old been there done that from somewhere else. Loved her, she would be great for what I want. Although worried she may be too old!!!! My instructor couldn't even believe I was considering it!
 
My son's first pony was a 4yr old! We got her as a companion for my horse that he would be able to do lead rein work on. She was a section A - part livewire part angel! She turned out to be wonderful. She was quite forward going so hard work when walking with him on the leadrein, but would easily keep up with my event mare on ride and lead. I taught her to jump by setting up jumping lanes on the way in from the field - I'd lead her down them, jumping them myself! I always wondered how the heck I'd ever get him off the leadrein on her, but I did, and as she was forward going she was great - my friend's children struggled to master trot and canter on their lazy ponies, but stepson learned easily on this pony. He was soon doing well in all classes at local shows. She was a lively pony but honest - she would never try to get a child off like a lot of ponies! We sold her four years later when she was outgrown, and there were tears all round. She also taught him to ride and not be frightened of something that wasn't a plod.

Sometimes younger ponies are suitable for first ponies.. With a lot of children's ponies it depends on how they are with the handler. If the pony leads and lunges well you can get the child riding well before they have to come off the leadrein.
 
Havent read the whole posting(s) but I think this is why some horses etc get ruined as inexperience think by buying a youngster it will give them more years service. And then they run into trouble as they think they can train it(like a dog).

Its hard to find an experienced horse.(& riders sometime)!
 
rafty said:
Curiosity I guess, also had it of had a years schooling behind it I may have thought about it. However, I did also look at a 15 year old been there done that from somewhere else. Loved her, she would be great for what I want. Although worried she may be too old!!!! My instructor couldn't even believe I was considering it!
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IMO, age doesn't matter as long as they've been looked after nicely and had a yearly MOT etc :p My sister's mare is 15, and although she was neglected before we bought her, and so hasn't had the best life, she's still got years left, given her feet hold up! :) Still jumps 1.15m (would jump higher but my sister doesn't like to) and she loves her jumping, literally naps towards the fence! haha, doing a circle with a jump in the middle, it seems to become smaller and smaller until, woops! We're heading for the fence :p rarely let her get to that stage, but thought I'd let her and see what actually happened haha.

And if you think, Headly Brittania is 19 and she was in the running for the Olympics before they pulled her out for a quieter life. But then, you don't always know all of their history once they're getting on a bit :/

I always tend to go for younger horses, but Kiki (she was mine before I went to uni) just jumped out at us, and we bought her there and then :) never looked back, apart from when we found out she's prone to tying up and she went lame for a while :rolleyes: but she's a lovely mare :D
 
My YO has a 4 year old for sale. His lovely. Infact he has had to nanny my 6YO along on hacks because shes spooked at something. I've put my novice 10 YO on him twice off lead rein as I trust him to behave. He didn't put a foot out of line.
 
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