Finding a sharer/rider for 13.2hh pony - help!

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yahneddy

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Hi
Does anyone have any ideas as to how I can find a decent lightweight adult to help me ride or share my 13.2hh New Forest pony? I have been looking for someone to help me exercise her 2 days per week for months now and am having very little luck. I am not asking any money but just that on the days they ride they can help with poopicking or mucking out in the winter. I can offer them great off road hacking and a grass schooling area. She is a mannerly but fun hack and is good in traffic. Where am I going wrong?
I have tried advertising at local feed/tack shops, riding schools, Gumtree, Equine adverts (used to be ridemyhorse.co.uk), free ads, local RC newsletters, local uni RC and all to no avail. Any ideas most welcome! Thanks in advance.
 
Dont think you are doing anything wrong-just think people today have changed. We would have snapped your hands off years ago to have an opportunity like that.

I have an old pony who myself and my daughter go to every evening after school. All her friends want to come..UNTIL..its cold or raining and they dont want to know. When I was a kid you couldnt have kept me away.
 
Thing is most people expect to be paid for riding your horse these days where as years ago they'd have polished your tack with a ear bud just for a little ride.

I once advertised for help with my 13.2 in return for rides and dfree lessons in ridden and driving and that was with no money involved with either party and no mucking out as I prefer to do all that.
All I required was that the person should be able to ride in walk, trot and canter.

I got one young lass interested but she laid down on my ponies neck and wrapped the reins three times around both her arms when he trotted..

As you can guess I give up and decided to do more with him myself.
 
My old pony who is 13.2hh has a family sharer, the boy who owns him boards at school so the family, consists of lightweight mum, 12 year old daughter and 9 year old daughter ride him in the week. They found him through the pony just being out a lot and behaving perfectly and also through pony club and word of mouth,
You are better looking for a teenager type as there are a lot out there looking to ride! and will do a very good job as they would be so happy to be just riding, maybe try the pony club website to advertise, i am suprised you have had no interest though, maybe wrong time of year? although if someone was really keen they wouldn't turn an opportunity down.
The other thing is maybe wrong time of year? re schools, as a lot of exams etc. currently so the older ones wont have the time...
 
Shame your not near me Id gladly ride you horse
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Just keep trying theres nothing more you can do! Good Luck x
 
The problem is that a decent lightweight adult rider would probably already have plenty of opportunities to ride - when I needed help with my daughter's pony I paid a lightweight adult to ride him as that's what she did for a living.

However there are plenty of out of condition, not so good riders who would like to ride! As someone else has suggested, maybe look for a teenager, or try a different approach. 13.2 is quite small in terms of weight-carrying, as very few of my friends are light enough to ride a pony that size (not calling all my friends fat, just not lightweight
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) so that narrows down your options immediately.

Maybe advertise in your local supermarket, or a noticeboard outside a school where mums with small kids might see it and be tempted? The majority of people who go to feed shops and read horsey mags are those who already have access to horses so you need to find someone who has stopped riding for a while and who could be tempted to get back into it. I found several mums at my daughter's school who asked to ride with me, although sadly none of them were actually good and I had to find various excuses to stop them coming again.

But you might get lucky, so keep trying. Maybe a horsey mother with a keen child might be a good bet.
 
Any reason why its adults only? Your choice of course but there are many sensible older children/teenagers who are very competent riders and your pony may be more in their size range? Not many adults can ride a 13.2hh so you cut down your range of people hugely...
 
[ QUOTE ]
Any reason why its adults only? Your choice of course but there are many sensible older children/teenagers who are very competent riders and your pony may be more in their size range? Not many adults can ride a 13.2hh so you cut down your range of people hugely...

[/ QUOTE ]
Unfortunately she really isn't a childs pony as she can be wilful and fizzy at times if she knows she can get away with it (i.e with a small person on board), I also dont really want a child as I need someone to ride on the days I work so therefore I cannot be responsible for someone elses child if I am not there. We are on a small yard where there is only 1 other person who rides but they ride the same times as me so there would be no adult supervision. I would however consider an older teen 16+ but have never had any interest from anyone this age.
A good pony club kid would likely be competent enough, but they would probably want to ride the times I am free to ride i.e weekends and I wouldnt allow them to take her to rallies or jump her as she has a long history with jumping problems and I've put in so much work to get her right I wouldnt want anyone else jumping her really.
I know that her size limits her as I'm looking for someone 9st and under and not too many people are that size. :-( But I will keep trying as she loves to get out hacking and I'm sure someone could be having a lot of fun riding her out while I cant.
Thanks all for your replies and suggestions, they are much appreciated!
 
I also have a 13.1hh pony lookin for a rider and not havin much success. Either had kids that want babysittin or resemble barbie dolls and dont want to get mucky!! The pony is faultless, jumps, etc even offered transport to shows!!! Come to conclusion that this size is just a bit small for kids nowadays- they all really tall!!!!
 
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