Help me choose the best option for this pony?

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maya2008

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Previous thread about her and my 12 year old son concluded with me schooling her on for a few weeks.

Well…I have two others to ride as well and I’m right on her weight limit (she’s 300kg) so I’ve stuck to 15 min or so for schooling and 40min or so for hacking. She schools relatively politely in walk and trot and we have a ‘not on the forehand’ canter which now basically needs to get stronger and more consistent. Canter needs another couple of weeks really to be polite and relatively easy. Out hacking she will maintain a polite walk, trot and canter with the odd whoosh spook in canter (getting less frequent). With artic lorries she is completely fine with another pony to shield her and sort of dithers on the spot if in front without a shield. All other traffic is fine.

So I popped my son back on today to see what he thought. He said…no. So we have an answer. I’m just not sure if I should:
1) Give it another month, get the schooling really sweet and do a few arena hires. Cost of about £200 in extra livery at the yard with the arena and bedding before I can advertise.
2) Advertise her as she is in a week or 10 days when the canter is reasonable but not perfect.
3) Bring her home at the end of February and work on her for a bit longer, given that the home yard is paid for no matter how many ponies are there (and is currently very under used), bedding is straw so cheap. Less traffic so hacking is easier.

I’m very conscious of my weight on her - but also of the fact that finding someone who wants a narrow, sporty build of 13hh pony with 5yo mare attitude that likes you to ride correctly and won’t tolerate anything else…isn’t going to be easy! So perhaps more schooling first?
 
I’d crack on with her youself for another couple of months and aim to get her out there by word of mouth by going to the arena hires (aim to go when pc activities are happening) perhaps have a few different riders on her to see if they can get a tune out of her. There will be a rider eventually but I’d be weary of sticking a for sale add up incase you get a lot of “my kid has been at riding school for 3 months she/he CAN ride!”
 
I’d keep going with what you're doing at the moment - get her going nicely then advertise in a month or two provided everything goes smoothly
 
Thanks all, I’m going to ask for videos of prospective purchasers riding and am going to be very honest however long we end up waiting. She’s so sweet and so keen to have one person to love and to be loved in return.

If she was a hand bigger I’d probably keep her longer. I just think once we are beyond the basics it would be kinder to her to find someone lighter and smaller. I’m only 5ft4 and slim but she’s a very narrow 13hh!
 
I would do a bit more then have a chat with the local pony club DC - I once sold a very pokey small cob (12,2 and very very sharp but jumped like a nudist over a barbed wire fence!) this way
 
When your son said ‘no’ what had he done? Ridden her? Walk, trot, more?

Or was it a flat refusal to do anything ?

Is he still keen to ride?

Yeh I’d go on for a month. If you end up selling it’ll be an easier time when the weather is nicer. In theory!
 
Parrotperson said:
When your son said ‘no’ what had he done? Ridden her? Walk, trot, more?

Or was it a flat refusal to do anything ?

Is he still keen to ride?

Yeh I’d go on for a month. If you end up selling it’ll be an easier time when the weather is nicer. In theory!
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Walk and trot. I'd done a bit, then he got on. Her reaction was, 'Ugh, you again.' His was, 'Ugh, you again.' With some pointers they began to look better, but it was very much 'grin and bear it' on both their parts. He has agreed he'll help if she's my project, but that's about it. He has his Welsh D who he adores, and schools his sister's ponies (plus being asked to ride others on the yard when people run out of time) so isn't short of ponies to ride.
 
Sounds like it might be tricky to find the right person for this pony 😬 I think you’ll need to screen prospective buyers very carefully before agreeing to viewings. I would definitely continue her education to give her the best chance of finding her perfect person.
 
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