Help please !! i want a horse/pony !!

C

Cookie876

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Hi,

I really want a horse/pony but my mum and dad say it is too expensive can anyone help me out by giving me any ideas of how i might be able to get my own horse/pony.
I have already tried saying "i feel like a really deserve one" it didnt work :(:(:(:(:(:(:(
 
You could try "If you really loved me you'd buy me one" OR "How am I going to become a famous polo player and marry Prince Harry without one".
 
Cookie876 said:
Hi,

I really want a horse/pony but my mum and dad say it is too expensive can anyone help me out by giving me any ideas of how i might be able to get my own horse/pony.
I have already tried saying "i feel like a really deserve one" it didnt work :(:(:(:(:(:(:(
Click to expand...

1. Are you serious?

2, If you are serious, how old are you?

3. Try getting a job to prove your responsibility and saving up so you can pay for some of the keep of the horse yourself. That's how I did it.
 
Rather than buy one, why not let people with horses locally, know that you are wanting to share. It'll give you an idea of the work that is involved, and whether ownership if for you or not. It's a lot of time and commitment. Or if you haven't already done it, try asking a local riding school if you can help out at weekends.
 
I think there are only very few people who really 'deserve' or is owed a pony by their parents. They are expensive, can be a few thousand a year, and most parents just dont have that kind of money to spend on a hobby.

Get a job - prove yourself.
Find a share - prove your committment, and find out what its like and if you really want one 24/7, all year round.
If you cant find a share, offer work for rides. If you cant ride well enough for people to let you ride their horses, then get some lessons (if you cant afford group lessons from your own pocket money, you probably cant afford a horse) If your not experienced enough for people to let you care for their horses unsupervised, your probably not ready for a pony anyway

Its hard, I know, when you have no money but love horses. I get by because I have some experience and know enough people, but if I didnt, I would be having riding school lessons when I could afford.
It can feel really unfair, but thats how society is, rich and poor - unequal opportunities etc. Many people on here will have been in your position, and worked hard for a long time and now have their dream horse..others work hard but still cant afford it. Others will have been given horses by parents or others, livery gets paid by someone else, and hopefully they appriciate that they are very lucky.
 
xspiralx said:
1. Are you serious?

2, If you are serious, how old are you?

3. Try getting a job to prove your responsibility and saving up so you can pay for some of the keep of the horse yourself. That's how I did it.
Click to expand...

I am a serious rider but pleasurous to
am 11
So i cant get a proper job
 
I worked for rides when I was younger then had shares and good friends that let me ride, it was tough when all I wanted was my own now years later I have my own I work hard go without lots to have him but wouldn't change a thing. There is a lot of good advice here, chin up loving horses and ponies can be hard at times
 
My RI told my parents not to buy me a horse when I was 11. She told them I had to prove my commitment and then I should only have a loan pony (so if I lost interest parents didn't have to worry about selling ponio). First I had to:

- Save pocket money
- Help out at RS - muck out, poo pick, feed, bring in/out, tack up, basic first aid and leadrein ponies in lessons etc - RI then said I was capable of looking after pony!
- Help out relatives to earn extra money - clean their houses etc
- Loan an RS pony- to further prove commitment
- Share a non RS pony- Prove I could handle non RS pony and that I was still committed
- Full loan of horse/pony- Help pay upkeep (used all pocket money etc).


I'm now trusted to buy my own horse with my own money (with help from experienced horsey friend) safe in the knowledge that I'm capable of looking after one. Currently 21 and Uni commitments mean I have no money/time for a horse :(
 
Help out at riding school, be an angelic child and help out around the house, work really hard at school, show you're really serious but don't nag! The worst thing (IMO) you can do is nag or worse, make you parents feel bad for not being able to afford it. I'm sure if they could, they would, but remember times are tough for everybody at the moment and it may just be the wrong time.

Have patience, if you want it badly enough you'll get there! In the meantime read magazines and books and learn as much as you possibly can, there's a lot to be learnt on here too! It will stand you in good stead for when you do get your own pony.

Good luck.

J&C
 
Oh yes, and do you have riding lessons at the moment? When I was younger I had weekly lessons and we managed to find a share, it worked out cheaper to ride my share horse 3 or 4 times a week and do a few chores than to have one riding lesson a week :D

J&C
 
I'm sure if you look and are persistant you'll find someone who'll appreciate your help around their equines. I don't know where you are, but i'd love to have someone keen and willing to help,ride and join us. I'm not the only one, i'm sure!
The more you can learn now, when you don't have the worry,stress and responsibility of your own, the more it will hold you in good stead when you do. Become a 'textbook expert', get all the info in your head, then you can be useful to others as well as your own horse in due time.
Horse ownership looks fantastic if you don't have one, but look through forums like this one and you'll see it's not a bed of roses, and things can easily turn sour. Keep the faith, and one day it'll turn out right, i'm sure.
 
I would try to show a little maturity about the issue aswell and you won't help your argument by nagging your parents and saying that you feel you deserve a pony. I don't think many 11 year olds have often done anything to warrant deserving a pony so it can be something to work for for the future. I don't mean any offence and please take this as it was meant as helpful advice.

As others have said, try and get work helping at riding schools or if you have pets at home take care of them or offer to walk dogs, anything you can do to show you are responsible and are dedicated. It will be much more evidence that you are serious and more mature if you don't ask for a pony and don't demand one.

It is hard for any 11 year old to suddenly take on the responsibility of a pony even with the support of their parents so it would be much better to learn how to take care of a pony before you jump in. Riding lessons may not be an option for your parents financially either so offer to work for rides, then in future you can progress to helping/loaning but you may have to work a long time for this. Just be patient and always have that final goal at the end good things come to those who wait.
 
Join the pony club you don't need to have a pony & can do all the unmounted rallies & help at mounted ones & maybe find a 'ride' from another club member / ask for riding lessons as birthday & Christmas presents / offer to do jobs you can do for people you know - eg weed garden/wash car/dust & vac house. Helping in a riding school I think is a no no because of insurance/child protection/health&safety issues. Your parents are being sensible & I take my hat off to them. What have you done to deserve a pony? Why do you want a pony? Many of us on here give up lots of things you probably take for granted so that we can have a pony. What are you prepared to give up?
 
i was exactly the same as you for 7 years till i got my pony. try telling them about loan, then if you really get into it and they see how much you love it they may buy you one.
i was very lucky coming across my pony and my mam loved the way he stood and his cheeky face :)
 
My daughters got jobs as helpers at a local riding school. After being there & working through a couple of bad winters & their enthusiam wasn't dented it was then we decided that they may be ready to have a pony.

The financial commitment is really heavy on most families when they take on a pony, even more so in these terrible economic times. Really you need to prove that you wanting a pony isn't a five minute wonder & also that you know how to look after one. This is even more important if your parents are not horsey at all. We actually had quite a good knowledge as we had had ponies many years before so we understood what we were taking on.

You may also have to realise that some families don't have the spare money to keep a pony, it's extremely expensive. It's said that if you can afford to buy & run another car then you may be able to afford to keep a horse/pony.
 
I take it you already have regular riding lessons - definitely try to be as helpful as you can around the riding school, loads of kids at the RS where I work will be at the yard all weekend poo-picking, squaring the muckheap, leading ponies in lessons, catching and tacking up the ponies, and it's all brilliant practise for having a pony of their own; they definitely learn about the tough side of having a pony as well as all the fun bits! A lot of riding schools do loan schemes where you pay a bit of money each month and get to have one of the ponies on loan, which means you can ride it whenever you like (obviously except when it's needed for lessons), spend lots of time with it and look after it as if it's your own pony. Maybe if your parents can't afford to buy you one at the moment, this could be a compromise?

I was desperate for a pony when I was your age too, but I didn't get my first pony until I was 18 - I had to wait until I had a job to pay for it myself. I think it's a good thing that I didn't get one before though, because when I was 11 I wasn't nearly experienced or knowledgeable enough to have looked after a pony of my own, and in the mean time while I was ponyless I got to spend time with loads of different horses and ponies - every time I met someone who had horses I immediately offered to help them out whenever they needed any work doing, so I ended up getting loads of experience. I helped out at one place where they bred foals which I got to play with to help get them used to people, another place that did a lot of showing and I got to go with them in their huge lorry to national shows all over the country, and I got free lessons in return for helping at riding schools. I had loads of fun, and I probably wouldn't have done any of that if I'd got a pony as soon as I asked for one instead of having to work for it. Having a pony of your own isn't the only way to enjoy being around horses, and when you do finally get one you will appreciate it even more because of all the hard work you've done. :)
 
Be patient!!!!!
I'm 21 and I have been riding since I was 8 and still haven't got my own. I have, however, been part loaning (and now more or less loan) the horse of a lifetime for nearly 5 years (and the cheekiest, most fun pony EVER for 3 years previous) and will have her till the end - I know I'm never going to meet another horse like her again. I'm aware I am extremely lucky as owner is brilliant with me and lets me see Kel every day and I help out with her other horse when she has to work etc and allows me to ride her (Kelly has been poorly and not rideable currently) when I am home from uni.
My parents could have afforded it but knew I was going to have to move away for uni, and being non-horsey decided part loaning was the best option; but I paid my way! I did everything myself (unless parents WANTED to help) earned money with chores etc, saved what I could for said pony then when I could work, I paid everything.

Help out at riding schools.
If you don't already, earn money by washing your parents car(s), walking the dog, doing the dishes whatever, to get lessons.
Read books.
Ask any friends/family with horses and beg for rides.

To deserve one isn't unfortunately a valid reason for many families - its far too expensive!
K x
 
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xspiralx said:
1. Are you serious?
Click to expand...

Cookie876 said:
I am a serious rider but pleasurous to
Click to expand...

:) :)

Try doing what I did cookie - every time your mum writes a shopping list add the word 'pony' to the bottom, didn't work for me, but you may wear her down :)

I'm 35 and about to get my first horse, so hang in there, if you want something enough it'll happen one day :)
 
Well, my 10 year old and 6 year old both want a pony each!!! They have no chance at the moment, until they prove that they are genuinely interested and are willing to muck out, feed, do all the things involved in having a pony. They have weekly lessons, and do pony camps etc, and they do love it, but until my ten year old rides through the winter, wheter its raining or freezing or not, then it's not going to happen for him, and I think my 6 year old is too young to have her own pony, as she wouldn't be able to do most things for the pony.
How long have you been riding?? How often do you ride? I dont know your parents circumstances, but maybe they just cant afford to buy you a pony, in which case, just be happy that you get to ride, and wait until you can afford to buy one yourself!!
It is tough when you really want one, but you will appreciate it so much more if you have to wait for it.
A girl that helps out at our local riding school just got her first pony last week, she has been waiting 6 years for her pony, and, at 14, is so delighted to finally have her own.
Hope it all works out for you, and that you eventually get the pony of your dreams.
 
I had my first pony at 11.....sold him at the age of 15 and didnt have another until i was 24, I didnt even ride much in that time...why??? because even thought I`d been riding since I was 4 and helped out at my riding school etc it did not fully prepare me for having my own horse, it`s hard work, it`s tiring and if you dont get the right pony (nappy, evil lol) it can put you off for a good few years.
It`s all very well going to lessons out on treks, but when your up at 5.30am every morning in the winter it`s a totally different story.
Are your parents horsey? At 11 it is a lot harder if they`re not.

I know a girl same age as you, she had her first pony a few months ago, her parents figured she`d been riding long enough and so they bought her a horse...worst thing they could have done, daughter is now scared of horses and her confidence is shattered, parents weren`t experienced enough to see the "9" year old bomb proof pony was infact a very young 5 year old which hadn`t even been backed properly.

Yes it`s nice to have a pony blah blah but the grass isnt always greener on the other side....
 
I agree with everything thing that's been said, especially helping out at a local riding school. Although be careful with this, as you are fairly young, and there are some riding schools out there that will take advantage of you.
 
Cookie876 said:
Hi,

I really want a horse/pony but my mum and dad say it is too expensive can anyone help me out by giving me any ideas of how i might be able to get my own horse/pony.
I have already tried saying "i feel like a really deserve one" it didnt work :(:(:(:(:(:(:(
Click to expand...

Would be great if you lived in NZ - I need a young person to help me with mine.
 
Wait a few years, working at whatever stables/yard/horsey place you can, save as much as you can, work hard and then see what happens. No guarantee but has worked for me anyway. And even if you don't get your own at the end, you have bucket loads of experience, had fun and may even pick up a share/loan or horse to ride along the way. Plus, this way it will show you what horse owning is really like - blooming hard work, not always the funnest and easiest thing, tiring.. wait why do we do this again?! :D xx
 
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I haven't had one yet i'm 19 years old, but rode since I was 4 years old, and am now looking for a loan horse now I am ready to do it myself, I can afford it and have the time, so I am more happy with that. It feels a lot better.

Although on the downside, I've found a horse for loan (or sale) but would need to buy it as its so far away and Im so tempted, even though I shouldn't. I only said loan. :confused:
 
hm... parents are hard work to get around... do you have a doting grandfather you could tackle with this issue?

that's what worked for me. my grandad basically told my dad he had to buy me a pony, and since my dad had to listen to his dad, it worked.
 
You really need to prove your commitment - I worked every Saturday (for free!) at a RS for 2 years, and then at another private yard, still unpaid for another 3 or so. I don't have my own now, but I do have the most wonderful little share pony. Yes the work will be hard, but you will learn so much that will prepare you for when you do get one, plus, you may get free rides out of it, which is always a bonus. Save as you go, and then eventually your parents may consider it, particularly if you can help with fees when you're old enough to get a job. And the other bonus of working at horsey places is that if you are good word will get around, and word of mouth is everything when you can't afford your own. The horsey world is a surprisingly small one.

It's a massive and long term commitment though, and it's not going to happen overnight.
 
Ayla84 said:
I had my first pony at 11.....sold him at the age of 15 and didnt have another until i was 24, I didnt even ride much in that time...why??? because even thought I`d been riding since I was 4 and helped out at my riding school etc it did not fully prepare me for having my own horse, it`s hard work, it`s tiring and if you dont get the right pony (nappy, evil lol) it can put you off for a good few years.
It`s all very well going to lessons out on treks, but when your up at 5.30am every morning in the winter it`s a totally different story.
Are your parents horsey? At 11 it is a lot harder if they`re not.

I know a girl same age as you, she had her first pony a few months ago, her parents figured she`d been riding long enough and so they bought her a horse...worst thing they could have done, daughter is now scared of horses and her confidence is shattered, parents weren`t experienced enough to see the "9" year old bomb proof pony was infact a very young 5 year old which hadn`t even been backed properly.

Yes it`s nice to have a pony blah blah but the grass isnt always greener on the other side....
Click to expand...

My Parents are horsey and i go and help out so i back horses propaly and i have been riding for a good 6 years.
 
be patient it is a massive move for your parents im lucky enough that mine pay half of my boy and i am so greatful for it but it is a lot of work and especially if your parent arent horsey )like mine) it is a big commitment, I worked at a riding school in return for free rides for 8 years, it was right to wait that long as proved it wasnt a phase of a waste of money, get some experience and work for it, you can... even at 11 x
 
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