Do you think kids and pony's 'bond'?

WoopsiiD

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Less than 2 weeks ago we bought bubs her first pony. He was not what I would have called the 'ideal' pony. He is 6, very head shy, skitty and not one to be caught.
I wanted been there done that older chappie.
Bubs fell in love with this pony as soon as she saw him. We have spent the whole of this year looking for her first friend and she has never been as animated as she was when we saw this chap-he was actually on the yard where my friend keeps her lot and we found out he was for sale.
He was a ridiculously cheap price as several older kids 12+years had been thrown off. (bubs is 5)
In the fortnight we have had him he has changed from the yard monster to a superstar! When he sees her coming to the gate he canters to it whinnying at her! He bends his head so as she can put the head collar on. He rests his head on her shoulder as she leads him and he constantly wants her to stroke him! She sits in his stable and brushes him and talks to him and I swear he talks back!!!
Now, when an adult goes near him he suddenly becomes nervy again, only calming when bubs whispers to him.
I'm not saying she is a horse whisperer.....far from it-she is too loud-but has anyone else had this happen???
 
I had a massive bond with my share pony when I was about 12. Although a lot of it came from me nursing him when he had laminitus.
He got very jelous when I got my own horse, when he et her and saw me in the box with her he got very grumpy and our bond was broken after this
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Good luck in the future to Bubs and her new best friend!
 
yes, my daughter started riding the little arab mare i rescued when she was nine years old and the bond was amazing.There were plenty of adults that would not get on the mare!She had lots of issues caused by neglect and mis-treatment but my daughter could get her to do anything, they had a telepathic link!
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My daughter was distraught when she could no longer ride her when she became to big.
 
Definetely. Our pony can be a little bit of a pain to catch especially on a nice sunny day( he believes it is his right to stay out eating instead of work). But if my daughter goes to catch him he just walks straight up to her. When she falls off he stands next to her or nudges her as if to say what are you doing down there, and when he sees her on our very busy yard he always calls out to her
 
Maybe its because kids have less hidden agendas? There's not as much to pick up on- wariness, trying too hard to be 'passive' or 'confident etc i think kids can be more natural and some ponies seem to pick up on this. Just my thoughts.
 
yes 100%
my parents bought me my mare when i was 11yrs old and we bonded quickly, and that bond is still there over 16yrs later, i love her to pieces and she knows i am her mummy and that i love her dearly too, and i think she loves me in a way, as much as a horsey can
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Most definately, we took in a shetland mare and filly foal 3 weeks ago who were pretty unhandled and scared of everything and anything, but my 4 year old plays in the field with the filly shetland who seems to trust her and plays chase, gives her kisses, hasnt bitten or kicked her despite my daughter creeping up on her and being all over her in general whereas an adult would think twice as they are unhandled...we have been made an offer for them which now is causing me a great deal of regret due to the close bond between my daughter and the filly.
 
Aww that sounds lovely, i am guessing too the pony has had bad experiances with adults?

I (15)had a very strong bond with my shetland calypso, who i broke to drive and we were completly in sync with eachother, but then shes the most laid back pony ive ever met.
I do think ponies know to be gentler around children though, crystal whos 14'1 and we had on loan until this morning, could be a very tricky ride, but with a child on her she never put a foot wrong and the shetlands know to be gentle around kids.

On the other hand my section B is quite anti child, bless him
 
i think they can quite easily. agree with what previous poster said about fewer agenda's etc

i met Shadow when i was 10 (she about the same age, maybe a little older). i fell in love with her literally the second i saw her. she was the sort of riding school pony that everyone falls in love with, she was beautiful and had a lovely character. despite being surrounded by possibly hundreds of people on a regular basis, we still bonded. i would spend hours with her, grooming, playing and generally fussing. where she would regularly drag fully grown adults going to and from the field, she would trundle along next to me with my arm looped over her neck and generally act a like a little angel
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it only got stronger, and having the chance to buy her increased it ten fold when it was just me and her. i could tell what she was feeling (ill, etc) and thinking, and i always felt that way, but she became so much more inquisitive and cheeky. she would canter across the field to see me, call out to me when i arrived at the yard and would generally be all over me until she was satisfied i was ok (and probably relieved of polos!!) - a bit like an over protected mummy
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absolutely one in a billion
 
Very definitely!! We were given a small NF mare for my son, I was absolutely terrified of her!!!, I don't think I once brushed her back legs for fear of being kicked, she was so damned quick. Whenever I went to catch her in the field, her ears went back and she would strike out with her front feet at me.

My son however, at age 8 used to just walk straight up to her, saying lovely things to her, completely oblivious of her body language and they got on like a house on fire. She was the best hunting pony ever and I could never keep up with them!

Such a shame that at 15 now my son won't go near a horse
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Oh definately. We bought a little pony for our daughter. The previous owners were a bit wary of the pony, and gave me a long list of things it did 'wrong'. However, it has never ever done ANY of these things with my daughter. He spots her walk across the yard and he screams for her, she opens the stable door, wanders off to get something and he stands and waits for her. He takes her for miles and miles and I never really have to lead rein her (just walk close by) because he's such a saint for her.

However, with adults he is the devil pony, he pins his ears back and he bares his teeth... he's even double barrelled me once. With my son he's a little naughty, and will shove him or threaten to nip.

He really does have a soft spot for her, and she loves him to bits.. she's three and he's twenty three!
 
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