Decisions Decisions - HELP!

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PeggyPatch

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OK I'm really struggling with making any decisions right now so would like some advice.

I'm thinking about getting a pony of my own again (had one all my life, been sharing since I moved, now thinking of taking the plunge again).
I am possibly considering getting a 2 year old. The yard I'm looking into moving to is fine but it doesn't have a school. There are some fields for schooling in, which are a good school size and can borrow 2 schools locally.

Do you think this is do able with a 2 year old who I would be just starting off? or is a school a must have?

At the moment she has had nothing done with her so will be a case of getting her used to doing everything and spook busting, ground work, walking her out on the roads etc.

I enjoy schooling a lot and in the future will probably need to move but I know if I have a 2 year old it will be a case of bringing her on slowly for the time being and over the winter I can let her have some time off (i.e. turn her away).

As I have been sharing at a place with a school on a horse I can ride I think I might be being over worried about paying out for facilities I don't really need. However, I don't want to jump in and find i'm struggling.
 
Don't think you need a school for a two year old. But will benefit from having one when you start them at three or four, for sure.
 
It depends what you want to do. A 2 year old won't need an arena for a good few years. My 2 year old does beggar all apart from day to day handling and ground manners. When the time comes for long reining and geting used to tack I'm sure that an area of field would be fine. Just make sure you have the basic commands in place first.
 
slave 2 magic - that was also my tought that at the moment I wouldn't need anything other than a school size area to start doing lunging, long reining, putting tack on etc. If I plan to back it next year the majority of the work I would plan to do would be hacking (although obviously breaks and go buttons would have to be put in place first :) )
 
I've just broken in my 16.2 WB pretty much entirely out of the school (been in there a couple of time just when the ground was really hard) First time sitting on her, trotting, cantering and jumping were all done out the school, so I think as long as there are hacks off the road (?) which you can long rein on and then do your first hacks on, then you should be fine. It seems to have kept mine forward going and not bored of circles yet! So I'd say go for it, especially as you can borrow schools :)
 
There is off road hacking around fields on the yard and more off road hacking off quiet country roads. Which was my main thought in taking up a place there. Where I currently ride is brilliant for schooling but has very little hacking unless you want to cross a very busy A road.
 
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