Dartmoor owner

[Sumur]

Hello everyone, I live in the U.S.A but I enjoy my British ponies. Here adults riding a pony are frowned upon. I also drive my ponies. I am presently getting ready to start my Darty under saddle. I am 5ft,4in and weigh 145lbs. not sure what that is in stones. He is 11.3+hands and weighs 635lbs. He is almost 3yrs. do you think I should wait till he is bigger? I am a dressage rider and instructor for 35yrs. and have started all my colts myself with success. I have had Shetland, New forrest, Connamera. This is my first Dartmoor and I love him. Look forward to your views. Thank you

 

[Lacuna]

Is it usual to start youngsters so early in the US?
I have a 12.3hh Cobby girl who I was planning to back and turn away this autumn at 3.5yrs. But weather and time haven't been kind so I'm not disappointed to start her in the spring instead when she'll be over 4yrs, be a bit more mature and hopefully grow another inch or two. I personally wouldn't be getting onto basically a 2yr old pony for at least another year, maybe doing plenty of in hand work to keep you both busy.

I have only ever had ponies and ride my boy regularly, he is a 14hh chunky cob and I'm 5'6'' and just under 11st. I'm not going to judge adults on ponies as long as they have the build/bone to support the rider.

 

[JackFrost]

I think you are much too big for him and he is much too young. He should grow up a bit and fill out, and once he is older you *may* be ok, but many of the dartmoors at full height are small and slight. For now, in my opinion, you should not be riding him.
Probably not what you wanted to hear, sorry, but his welfare must come first.

 

[Sumur]

Is it usual to start youngsters so early in the US?
I have a 12.3hh Cobby girl who I was planning to back and turn away this autumn at 3.5yrs. But weather and time haven't been kind so I'm not disappointed to start her in the spring instead when she'll be over 4yrs, be a bit more mature and hopefully grow another inch or two. I personally wouldn't be getting onto basically a 2yr old pony for at least another year, maybe doing plenty of in hand work to keep you both busy.

I have only ever had ponies and ride my boy regularly, he is a 14hh chunky cob and I'm 5'6'' and just under 11st. I'm not going to judge adults on ponies as long as they have the build/bone to support the rider.

 

[Sumur]

I appreciate your reply, Yes they start colts here too early. I am comfortable with waiting another year. He is a stout fellow, is still growing so waiting is a good idea. Thank you for your feed back.

 

[Sumur]

I think you are much too big for him and he is much too young. He should grow up a bit and fill out, and once he is older you *may* be ok, but many of the dartmoors at full height are small and slight. For now, in my opinion, you should not be riding him.
Probably not what you wanted to hear, sorry, but his welfare must come first.

 

[Sumur]

My Darty is neither slight nor light weight, He is still growing and I think you are right to let him grow more another Year. I agree his welfare comes first. He loves line driving on the trail so we will continue doing that. Thank you for your reply.

 

[Arzada]

I am 5ft,4in and weigh 145lbs. not sure what that is in stones. He is 11.3+hands and weighs 635lbs. He is almost 3yrs. do you think I should wait till he is bigger?

Google says that 145lbs is 10 stone 5 lbs. IMO this is too heavy for your 11.3hh 3yo pony.

 

[millikins]

I considered a Dartmoor gelding who seemed to have fallen on hard times. He was a full up 12.2hh and chunky and I weigh 9 stone which is 126 lbs. I called the secretary of the Dartmoor Society for her opinion, she knew the pony and thought he'd cope but considered I was about the maximum he could be expected to carry. He had sold before I called the seller, I suspect the secretary found a Dartie person for him.

 

[angel7]

As a fellow darty lover I like to see ponies work for a living but I'm afraid you are really too heavy and tall for your darty.
The 20% rule as a guidance for the maximum weight an equine should carry, for your darty works out at 127lbs or 9 stone. Your height is also about 6 inches too tall, you will tower above him, unbalance him and your feet will be brushing his knees or under his belly.
Start him to drive single next year for yourself and then get some very small kids to start him under saddle.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Hello from a fellow darty lover!

Give him time to mature. Native ponies take a while. And if all else fails you can drive him! How is he bred? Am I right in thinking Tulip Kings are American bred darty's? My lad is Shilstone Rocks.

I have had my darty for about 18 years or so now! I broke him and rode him away as a 4yo in the June of that year. The pics below - the one in the top was him as a 4yo. Still immature, I was 5ft4" and 9st2lb-ish, he is a full up 12.2hh chunky monkey.

The second pic was him as a 9yo with me no different. He has never had any issues carrying me what so ever but he isost certainly not a kids ride!

 

[Sumur]

Hello from a fellow darty lover!

Give him time to mature. Native ponies take a while. And if all else fails you can drive him! How is he bred? Am I right in thinking Tulip Kings are American bred darty's? My lad is Shilstone Rocks.

I have had my darty for about 18 years or so now! I broke him and rode him away as a 4yo in the June of that year. The pics below - the one in the top was him as a 4yo. Still immature, I was 5ft4" and 9st2lb-ish, he is a full up 12.2hh chunky monkey.

The second pic was him as a 9yo with me no different. He has never had any issues carrying me what so ever but he isost certainly not a kids ride!

My Dartmoor is also Shilstone Rocks breeding . I have decided to wait a year on the riding and keep long reining him on trails.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Hello from a fellow darty lover!

Give him time to mature. Native ponies take a while. And if all else fails you can drive him! How is he bred? Am I right in thinking Tulip Kings are American bred darty's? My lad is Shilstone Rocks.

I have had my darty for about 18 years or so now! I broke him and rode him away as a 4yo in the June of that year. The pics below - the one in the top was him as a 4yo. Still immature, I was 5ft4" and 9st2lb-ish, he is a full up 12.2hh chunky monkey.

The second pic was him as a 9yo with me no different. He has never had any issues carrying me what so ever but he isost certainly not a kids ride!

He looks like he has attitude ?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

He looks like he has attitude ?

He is the most pathetic pony I have ever come across ? honestly! He gets beaten up by yearling Shetlands and everything else! Shivers in a summer rain etc. Won't gallop either. Which given my background amuses people greatly as they expect him to fly!

He isn't a kids ride as he is cold backed. I "sold" him down south with a 3 month trial as a 5yo. They gave him a few days to settle in then went to ride him. Couldn't get a saddle on him, when they finally did he rodeoed riders off before their bums hit seats. They persevered for 2 months (because he truly is a cracking example of his breed) before sending him back. He came back with loading issues which he didn't leave with. I got a Mctimmony person out who said his body felt like it had been in a car crash. He was totally out of alignment from poll to tail. I found out a good 8 months or so later that he had spent 18 hours on the truck down before getting off for a few hours at a stop over. Then he wouldn't load so the trucker put a lunge line on him, looped it up through the partition in the truck and basically winched him in by his head collar whilst he was digging his heels in. This would explain why his body was in the condition it was it when I got him back and his new loading problems. I fixed him up but I believe it is remembered pain that causes him to be cold backed.

 

[Barton Bounty]

He is the most pathetic pony I have ever come across ? honestly! He gets beaten up by yearling Shetlands and everything else! Shivers in a summer rain etc. Won't gallop either. Which given my background amuses people greatly as they expect him to fly!

He isn't a kids ride as he is cold backed. I "sold" him down south with a 3 month trial as a 5yo. They gave him a few days to settle in then went to ride him. Couldn't get a saddle on him, when they finally did he rodeoed riders off before their bums hit seats. They persevered for 2 months (because he truly is a cracking example of his breed) before sending him back. He came back with loading issues which he didn't leave with. I got a Mctimmony person out who said his body felt like it had been in a car crash. He was totally out of alignment from poll to tail. I found out a good 8 months or so later that he had spent 18 hours on the truck down before getting off for a few hours at a stop over. Then he wouldn't load so the trucker put a lunge line on him, looped it up through the partition in the truck and basically winched him in by his head collar whilst he was digging his heels in. This would explain why his body was in the condition it was it when I got him back and his new loading problems. I fixed him up but I believe it is remembered pain that causes him to be cold backed.

Holy crap! Poor wee man