***Daughter and Dolly....feeling a little sad.....***

Don't be sad, I'm 20 and have no intention of getting anything bigger than 14/14.2! I agree about waiting until she really really wants the next one, she might prefer to keep Dolly than compete, but if she doesn't at least she'll be ready to move on. Looking at your photos, I wouldn't say she is anywhere near too big for Dolly!

And anyway... I'll join the queue of people who'll have Dolly :D
 
If daughter isn't knocking poles down with her feet then she's fine ;)

I stayed on my 12hh (on tipitoes) first pony, Pip, until I was thirteen and I was a leggy thirteen year old! I was knocking poles down with my feet before I admitted reluctant defeat! But honestly, even though all my friends were on 14.2hh +. I had more fun, I had no worries - I'd done the hard work - learning to ride her, ironing out problems and those last two years were a ball even if it meant I was a little "left behind".

I went straight from her onto my 14.3hh Connemara, who was a four year old at the time. I've still got him and mum's taking over the ride on him now. Never did manage to sell ponies. We kept Pippy pony until we lost her about three years ago and I wouldn't have had it any other way. She taught a lot of people to ride and her memory is treasured by many.

Don't even think about daughter and Dolly's time nearing an end. She's just reaching the best bit, she's learnt to ride her and now comes the fun stuff! And besides, we need our Daughter and Dolly updates! ;)
 
Hmm why has nobody mentioned your poor husband? If he is ill and scarring his lungs, maybe it be better to give up for a bit? Seeing someone die from lung trouble, I certainly wouldn't keep exposing them to things that were affecting them.
 
My daughter is 15 now and up until last year competed her 12.2hh, admittedly they went from showing etc to gymkhana, ran champion 3yrs running, she is now only on a 13.3hh and doesn't intend moving anywhere soon, she's same height 5ft 3 and nearly same weight as me (the mare was mine) all her friends at PC are all on 14.2hh upwards, it bothers her sometimes but not enough to sell them both to fund another, the 12.2 has a sharer now and i have another pony 14.1hh but she isn't that interested in taking him on to be fair although doesn't mind popping a jump or two on him.

Up until just a month ago she was still hacking out the 12.2 occasionally but really she is now too tall and heavy so it has to stop somewhere otherwise she'd be on him until his last days.

Kids grow up far too fast and move on far too quick IMO, my daughter has immense pressure at PC to go up height wise and ability wise but as said above she knows the only way she would get another is to sell the two she has and i just can't see that happening.......

Let mini RM carry on as she is and stop worrying about peer pressure and stop looking at adverts!
 
zigzag said:
Hmm why has nobody mentioned your poor husband? If he is ill and scarring his lungs, maybe it be better to give up for a bit? Seeing someone die from lung trouble, I certainly wouldn't keep exposing them to things that were affecting them.
Click to expand...

I think about it a lot. His DAILY medication is:

Salbutamol, qvar, montelucast, predisonel (if bad), anti hists, donperidone, omneprezone and he also has 4 weekly injections of xolair.

Please excuse the spelling.

I think about it an awful lot. BUT he won't have it any other way (he's actually "found" a pony he likes for daughter and actively encourages me to ride!) He is a fantastic bloke. The best there is.

We try to keep his allergies under control, as best we can. I let it all be his choice.

I've personally had a pulmonary embolism, pneumonia and broken ribs.

I've also lost someone to lung cancer.

Honestly, it never leaves my mind. But ultimately I've learnt to accept that its his life and his decision. Strange but we spent tonight discussing just this after his x3 injections he had to have.

It puts me in an even harder place to make decisions.

X
 
Nof read all replies as is not as easy on the phone. However, last pics I saw your daughter was nowhere near grown out of her! Don't fall in to the trap of getting ideas about what your daughter 'should' be doing because do and son's doing x, y & z. Let her enjoy dolly, they can have fun together and if and when your daughter feels she wants to do more and maybe dolly can't then maybe consider a step up. Honestly, there are no hard and fast rules and best they get the confidence on a pony they know and trust.
 
redmone said:
Do you really think so? Does she still look OK?

Daughter isnt even mentioning it. Its just me, listening to others and looking too closely at the photos....
Click to expand...
Yes! I think she looks fine, I ride a pony dolly size still and he's the biggest little one I ride. I'm bigger and heavier than daughter and am absolutley certain that dolly would be fine with daughter at my size on her. Ignore the muppets, if daughter is happy that's all that matters, blimey some muppets still dare to ask when I'm moving on to a proper horse ;).

I'd just say to her that at some point she might feel like she wants to move on to more than what dolly can do and it will be hard for her to come to terms with but it doesn't mean she can't still have fun with dolly or that she's being unfaithful to dolly (sounds silly but that's what she will most likely feel) just that maybe she is ready for a new challenge. But I don't think you have reached the end of dolly's scope yet and I think they still have a way to go together.
 
Keep her, I've had coblet for over 4 years now, I'm never going to sell him, I'm 17 and I still spend my days bombing around on him enjoying ourselves. If I sold him I would fear he would revert back to his old ways, new owners wouldn't cope, then the spiral starts all over again. He's only 13.3 but the little ones are the best and I still don't have my dream 16.2 eventer because that would mean getting rid of gypsy and that's not going to happen :) I think D and D will at least have another couple of years, the more confident daughter gets then the better they will both be, I'm competing coblet most weekends or doing something on him!
 
redmone said:
I think about it a lot. His DAILY medication is:

Salbutamol, qvar, montelucast, predisonel (if bad), anti hists, donperidone, omneprezone and he also has 4 weekly injections of xolair.

Please excuse the spelling.

I think about it an awful lot. BUT he won't have it any other way (he's actually "found" a pony he likes for daughter and actively encourages me to ride!) He is a fantastic bloke. The best there is.

We try to keep his allergies under control, as best we can. I let it all be his choice.

I've personally had a pulmonary embolism, pneumonia and broken ribs.

I've also lost someone to lung cancer.

Honestly, it never leaves my mind. But ultimately I've learnt to accept that its his life and his decision. Strange but we spent tonight discussing just this after his x3 injections he had to have.

It puts me in an even harder place to make decisions.

X
Click to expand...
Aww bless him, what a nice bloke, best of luck to you all, BTW I don't think your daughter is too big, there is a girl at the yard I'm at now, just sold her 12.2 as she now wanted something to bring on, the 12.2 was a total school master, the new 15.2 (supposed to be a mare for life) has totally unnerved her, let her have fun on Dolly and do what she wants
 
Just a little word about other horsey parents:
Some of them will be really lovely, will want the best for your daughter & be thrilled to see her getting on well.
Some of them will be jealous & quite happy to a see a successful partnership split up.
Some of them will be horrifyingly over ambitious & assume you feel the same way.
Some will be big headed know alls.
One or 2 will be eyeing you up as a potential buyer of something they want to sell.
Some are just plain horrid.
Make sure the ones you listen to are the first group & ignore the rest.
 
I feel we sold my daughters first pony too soon....she had a massive loss of confidence and its all my fault.
She loves her pony and is doing fine now but I blame myself for the time she was scared to ride.
In retrospect I should have kept poppy until daughters feet were dragging on the floor but at the time we were on livery and we were not able to keep her plus a new pony....
I know you'll do what is right for your daughter but please don't rush into anything:)
 
I cried buckets when my first pony went out on loan but he now has the most amazing home! We vowed never to sell him and he had a wonderful loan home for 3 years but when they outgrew him we realised that he wasnt getting any younger and realistically we didnt have anywhere to retire him to so he'd have to go in livery so made the very hard decision to sell. This was the best decision for him as he is now 20 and has mild cataracts but has a forever home with a lovely vet with youngish children so he's going out pony clubbing and having fun :)
Make sure youre ready to potentially go down a couple of levels when the new pony arrives though. I was jumping 80cm with my 12hh and moved onto a 13.3 who would be eliminated at the first fence in a 50cm when we first got him which was fairly hard for me at 13 but after a lot of work he turned into a lovely pony
We were once told it takes a year to get to know your pony and another year to learn to ride them which is so true, but so depressing considering when you're growing youre not going to have them much longer than 2 years
 
Sorry to hear your feeling this way:(

To be honest, your daughter isnt too big for dolly at all yet. Why not let daughter make a list of all the things she wants to do with dolly.. And do them! Just let her enjoy it and have fun, get her loads of memories!:D
Then, in a while you could suggest she gets a second, bigger pony. Keep dolly alongside her so she doesnt need to just let go and risk loosing her confidence. She can carry on competing her and then she can take both out! Then you can get a sharer or two for dolly.
Maybe that will make her feel better.. Besides, who doesnt want two ponies!;)
 
Sorry for the slow reply everyone, I'm really struggling to get hho working on my tablet, and when it does it freezes and loses my posts!!!

And why didn't my photos show up???!!! **sigh**!!

Anyway thank you all for your kind words. I've had a good chat with daughter today who is being very mature about everything and plans to just go at dollys pace when the time comes to slow down.

I appreciate everyone's comments about letting some other child benefit from her, but I just cant see any of us letting her go. We're extremely fond of the little madam!

I think we'll make the most of this year and just see what life brings us.

My problem is that I'm such a control freak, I like my plans!!!! I need to go with the flow more.

Its lovely to hear the general consensus being that daughter isn't too big for dolly.

They're off our jumping tomorrow, fingers crossed for them!

Xxxxx
 
Good Luck tomorrow :)
My daughter is 12 and still on her 11.2hh sec a mare Poppy (also jumping tomorrow). I have a 14.2 4yo that will hopefully suit her as and when he is ready but she is still fine at the moment. Luckily I also have a 4 yo daughter so Poppy will remain with us for a few years yet.
Nevertheless I completely understand how you feel and have recently had to deal with some overwhelming emotions coming to terms with her and my 14 yo son growing up and losing that child we had. Last month she went to France on a school trip for a few days..... I was in floods of tears, not because she went away with the school as she had many times before but because she looked like a young lady and she was doing it alone rather than our fabulous holidays we have had over the years in France. I found myself looking back over photo's of when she was 4 and my son 6 whilst on holiday. Well it was really hard. Lord only knows what I will be like when or if they go off to Uni :( Its something you can't really explain.
Anyway your daughter certainly doesn't look too big for Dolly so let them enjoy each other a while longer :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top