'Every parent wants their child to be safe...so they're not going to buy an unbroken three-year old for them' - we did!

M

maya2008

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 August 2018
Messages
4,322
Visit site
Reading the above in a Horse and Hound article on 'Expensive horses and Facebook trolls' made me giggle. We did just that - bought an unbroken three year old from a stud that breeds for temperament and gives the ponies a fantastic upbringing. My six year old son backed her, I did some bits in the middle (bareback, don't yet have a saddle for her that fits me!) and she hacked out on-lead, in the school off it with a small child, from the beginning. He's only fallen off once and she was so mortified by her mistake that she nuzzled him endlessly and sniffed him from head to toe to check for injuries. Her first show she loaded like a pro, tied to the lorry like she'd done it all her life, and figured out what gymkhana games were well enough to win some rosettes. Today, at four years and two weeks old, she took my son hacking off the lead for the first time (her first time, he has hacked plenty off-lead before!). She was 'Little Miss Slowcoach' at the back and he was so chuffed with her.

And the thing is...I bought her because I DID want my son to be safe. I haven't got the ready cash to buy an older pony with her temperament, but I could afford a 3 year old. So that's what we did.
 
Congratulations. Nothing wrong with getting a youngster and bringing it on slowly.

We have had four foals from the New Forest sales over the years. They have been backed and brought on by the children, who have learned how to correct their mistakes (ponies never make mistakes), and what it takes to 'make' a pony.

Don't be surprised though, if your very slow, quiet 4 year old develops a bit more 'va va voom' over the next couple of years - if you've done it right, they're relaxed at first and can't see why they should go any faster, but that can change.
 
scruffyponies said:
Don't be surprised though, if your very slow, quiet 4 year old develops a bit more 'va va voom' over the next couple of years - if you've done it right, they're relaxed at first and can't see why they should go any faster, but that can change.
Click to expand...

I'm kind of hoping she will! She's a little too steady atm for our future plans, but then my mare was as easy as pie to back, an angel at 4, a terror at 5 (if pony does that I'll be riding it off the lead that year!), and an angel with speed at the touch of a button thereafter. My son's other ride is a naughty shetland whose favourite speed is flat out gallop!
 
My first pony (the NF) was from Beaulieu road sales; I was the first person to ever sit on her, when she was 7 and I was 6.
Same with Diva - though we only found out she was unbroken AFTER I'd ridden her a handful of times(!) as the advert stated 'lightly backed', but then the old owner later said she was never backed and had only ever had a saddle on a few times. But hey, we wanted cheap but safe too and I suppose that shows we got it, to look on the bright side!
 
Last edited:
There is nothing wrong with buying a pony and doing it yourself, most of us who have little money have to do that. The problem is when people who have little knowledge try and do that and it goes badly wrong.
To the inexperienced looking after horses is easy, because a lot about horse management is pre planing so you never have a problem.
I agree that your compliant three year old may become pony with its own mind at four. A small child is no way physically or mentally mature where as ponies busy brains start working out what they can get away with. We have a Welsh A that 3/4 hunted, it did PC camp with a six year old when it was four, but mental development and experience now mean he has a sense of humour and a mind of his own.
 
I totally agree that a pony can be born with an old head on young shoulders.
I've just bought a very sensible 6 year old for my youngest (novice) daughter.
However while she might be safe on him she has no ability to further his education which at 6 years old he deserves. So I will ensure that he is regularly schooled by a capable rider so that he fulfills his potential and is not only a safe ride but a well schooled and responsive ride too.
 
Horsey parents who buy youngsters for their kids are surely in a different situation than someone with no horse experience whatsoever buying an unbroken three-year old for their child. The former are in a position to educate the horse (and the kid), so it is safe, and choose a youngster with the right sort of temperament. They're not the audience for these admonitions. The latter might get lucky and end up with a young horse who can cope with inexperienced handlers. Many don't.
 
I bought my daughter a 14hh 5 yr old connie when when was 7 and a full up 5yr old 14,2 connie xtb when she was ten. Both were proper competition ponies with loads of talent but really nice temperaments. We were pretty novicey but I had lots of help, daughter was pretty brave and committed. It wouldn't have worked for everyone but it worked for us and i have never for one moment regretted it, we had two fantastic ponies and daughter loved every minute of riding them (well not every minute perhaps as 14.2 spent the first day of his first PC camp on 2 legs, daughter just smiled her way through it) TBH I wouldn't recommend it unless you are really prepared to sort out problems with professional help if you can't do it yourself
 
Caol Ila said:
Horsey parents who buy youngsters for their kids are surely in a different situation than someone with no horse experience whatsoever buying an unbroken three-year old for their child. The former are in a position to educate the horse (and the kid), so it is safe, and choose a youngster with the right sort of temperament. They're not the audience for these admonitions. The latter might get lucky and end up with a young horse who can cope with inexperienced handlers. Many don't.
Click to expand...

The 2yr old welsh d at my yard double barreled its owner the other day, it regularly kicks and bites them and is being slowly ruined. they have no money to send it away to be broken so are doing it themselves. So far this has involved loose jumping him and lunging him by wacking him a lot with carrot sticks. I did offer my help but it wasnt wanted so I stay well out of it now. Its a serious accident waiting to happen.
 
IMO there's nothing like a nice youngster that's been nicely raised and brought on sensitively; it doesn't always have to be a nightmare or a pitched battle, and if the horse is "right" and is just a good genuine sort from the word go then the whole things is easy-peazy.

My little girly (profile picture) was a genuine gypsy pony; was raised by gypsies (proper ones not the "other" type) and I bought her as a just-backed-and-riding-on 4yo. She was backed at my trainer's yard and I know the job was done well, and I kept her at that yard for a few months after I'd bought her so we could be brought on together.

I'm an "older rider" and this is my first youngster; and she's been a really sweet genuine little pony in every respect. She actually came up to me in the field and made it obvious that I was "the chosen one"!! I've never actually been "Chosen" by a pony before, it was quite an amazing moment to realise that this little-one had expressed her preference, for some reason, to be with me.......

When I was looking for something a few years back, I went to see stuff at seriously stoopid price (around the £3000 for something pretty unremarkable TBH) which were just happy hackers, which is what I wanted, and there was very little out there that actually did what it said on the tin; and those that were any good and around the 9-10yrs old mark, were unable to pass vetting.

A youngster was something I said I didn't want! I wasn't sure I had the confidence or the experience; but being closely mentored in the early stages and being able to nip things in the bud gave me the assurance to see the thing through.

We did our first pleasure ride in the Spring and hope to do more in the future (when I get transport sorted.... ).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top