Help !! when your heart takes over the head????

[showley1]

Please any comment welcome, went to view a 16 year old pony this week who was lacking front teeth, had a notch in her back (seemed un painful) severely underweight for little money, she was not a nasty pont but totally unhappy, pls someone tell me i would be doin the right thing to take her on, it is killing me to leave her where she is when the 12 year old who showed me her was too scared to touch her but told me she had watched his 6 month old foal drown!!!! pls someone tell me i am right for wanting to help her.

 

[thehorsephotographer]

I would want to help her but you have to realise what you would be taking on if you did - it won't be an easy path to take.

My daughter has taken on two ponies which were in a bad way when she went to see them, one much worse than the other. She decided she couldn't leave them where they were. Both have turned out fantastically well but it's taken a good two years to make anything of either of them. It's as if they know all their Christmases came at once when she bought them though they are incredibly loyal and loving to her and those of us in the family who have had regular involvement in their rehabilitation are rewarded by their affection and trust. Looking back I am very proud of what she has achieved with them.

 

[showley1]

My other half thinks i am stupid, i just cant forget the look of misery on a 16 yr old pony who had been entrusted to a 12 year old who has lost interest

 

[showley1]

Thanks i am v sure vet wise it would be a costly plan, but if i don't help her who will?,to begin with all she had was her ears pinned to her head, by the time we left, maybe 1/2 hour after she was ridden she was v timidly comin to say hello, she does crib and windsuck, i am battling with my conciseness leaving her with a 12 year old boy who knows nothing, surely she deserves a happy retirement???

 

[thehorsephotographer]

That was what did it for my daughter with the first one she took on. He was a youngster (he's only 4 now and only just recently broken in and backed by her). He was in a stable stood in several feet of his own muck, head tied so high that he couldn't move it and not enough room to turn around. Three shoes off, one shoe on and riddled with lice. His expression was what did it for her - he just looked so sad and dejected. His owner had fallen out with his wife and claimed he belonged to the wife but she had lost interest and he didn't want him - just wanted him gone.

It took months and months to gain any kind of trust from him. When my daughter became pregnant he was soooo protective over her though. His whole demeanour changed towards her and he was very, very careful and loving towards her. It was as if the pregnancy changed something about his attitude with her.

He was a proper sweetie to break in and back and out of our four horses/ponies he is the most bombproof and reliable. When my daughter gets married I'd love him to pull a carriage with her to the village chapel. He was broken to drive and she saw him driven around Leeds when she bought him so it's not out of the question. We have a cart just need to learn how to drive and harness him up - need some lessons with him on that score.

Good luck with your decision but it won't be an easy road and I'm sure there will be many times ahead if you take her on when you will wonder why you even considered it let alone what possessed you to pay to be put in the position of owining her! It's surprising what can be achieved by a lot of tlc and basic kindness though.

 

[thehorsephotographer]

The windsucking is a difficult one. Does she have any company where she is and regular turnout? We took on a loan horse who cribbed at our wodden fences and set all the others off doing it now it's a bit of an issue and we have to keep painting them with stuff (the fences not the horses lol) in an attempt to prevent it happening. Sounds to me like you could make a real difference to her.

 

[WelshD]

Some sellers are very clever at making people feel sorry for their animal and trot out all kinds of stories

In saying that there are genuine cases out there but I'd offer super low money

I took on a pony from a very lovely home but beyond their control their field was very midgey which made the pony's sweet itch very bad indeed

It's cost me literally hundreds in the last four months to get him sorted but he is a nice pony and I am so pleased I bought him

 

[showley1]

she has equine company in the stable , but looked purely miserable, even the owned of the yard believes she is 1000% miserable and needs a good home, my daughter rode her and bless in what ended up a heavy downpour she was as good as gold, but he would not lead her from the arena?

 

[showley1]

They are only asking £300 now for her, she just had a glint in her eye, i have now messaged and asked them to consider her as apparently 2 months ago they were offering her free to good home? now v confused?

 

[showley1]

come on guys am in hell with my heart do i walk away?????

 

[thehorsephotographer]

If they were offering her free to a good home then make them an offer or ask them about it.

This also happened to us with the second one but we didn't find out until after we bought her (only paid £150 for her anyway) that she had previously been advertised as "free to anyone who wanted to come and catch her and take her away" apparantely one bloke had tried and failed to do this.

 

[WelshD]

Do you already have horses?

If so I think I'd go in to this thinking that at best the pony would be a companion

If you desperately want a riding pony for your daughter you may have to accept that the pony may not be suitable for one reason or another - it may be very fizzy once fed correctly and given some tlc or the dip in it's back could be an indication of something serious

Of course things may work out well, it's a heck of a gamble but if you expect no more than a companion out of it anything else is a bonus

 

[thehorsephotographer]

Totally agree with this ^^^^^^

I'm a bit of a sucker for wanting to "make a difference" to a sob story type pony and would not, if I were you, be able to get this little one out of my mind.

It does depend what you are thinking of doing with her though. The second one we bought was with the intention of being a companion pony but now she's rapidly becoming the favourite for the grand children to ride.

 

[showley1]

over the years i have owned a few for myself so am not being niaeve in thinking she may be nothing but a retirement pony/ something in her just screamed help and i am struggling to ignore

 

[showley1]

Think i want someone to agree with me and think this pony is worth saving feom her current position( my other 1/2 is scared of horses.

 

[thehorsephotographer]

Well I can do that. I would rescue her in a heartbeat if I had the facilities (we have all the horses and ponies we can manage at the moment). So if you have the room, time and possible resources go for it.

 

[stephaniekate]

showley1.i havnt read past your story...buy that pony, how would you live with yourself if you didnt...i will now read the rest of the thread..

 

[showley1]

Thanks i think i just needed someone else to confirm what my heart has been screaming,i cant leave her though, my other half will hit the roof but hey such is life!!!!!!

 

[showley1]

cheers!! but you are only talking to my inner sellf, been struggling since i met her, but also trying to do right by my girls x

 

[stephaniekate]

did i see that she was free to a good home?..

 

[WelshD]

If you really do have low expectations of her then do it

Just bear in mind it could go very belly up if you expect this to be a diamond in the rough ideal child's pony

Good luck with your decision!

 

[showley1]

Thanks peeps i neither really have the time or the space but i cant walk away from this pony it would break my heart, have emailed her current owner with an offer and will post before and after pics as long as she lets me purchase

 

[showley1]

no since i enquired i have een told 6 weeks before she was offered free to good home, now they want £300

 

[stephaniekate]

do what your heart says, i understand totally about your husband not liking it..my husband hates animals(wonder why i married him)...i have a rescue donkey at my house ,called eugene and two rescue dogs..i think i will have to divorce my husband soi can have more rescue animals..really





ene,

 

[showley1]

thanks stephine, he is not anti animal but we have 3 great danes abd certainly was not banking on 3 ponies either, but have wrestled with myself all night pls just keep your fingers xed she agrees to let her go, then its 1 more pony in a loving home xxx

 

[daisydoo]

I just wanted to say, 'go for it'! But i see you are. I'd snap this poor mare up to in your position to, I'm a great believer in going with your gut! A great thing you are doing, thank god she found you! Would be great to see some pics and updates!

 

[merlin12]

I recently took on a 16 yr old pony who had ,had a hard life. He was v underweight and looked so miserable . He was quiet to ride. I had him with the view that he would be a lovely companion, if nothing else. He has turned out to be a lovely hack with the sweetest nature. Think carefully about the cribbing and windsucking some yards don't like it. Let us know the outcome . Offer them less and collect same day ,they may be releived just to get a home.

 

[Skippys Mum]

Good luck and let us know how you get on

 

[**Vanner**]

If it is haunting you that much it is meant to be!

I got my little man in a similar way 2 yrs ago. We're breaking him to drive now at 17. We just couldn't let him stay in the situation he was in.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Say you will take her for nothing as she needs vet treatment. Spend the 300 on the vet. Have her pts if she is suffering/will need thousands spent you can't afford.