Hen's Teeth....

[Carlosmum]

There is a saying as rare as hens teeth. This could also be said of ponies for riding schools. How on earth do we find new ponies? We have a small but wonderful children's riding school and are desperate for a couple of new ponies. Sellers are immediately put off by the term 'riding school' and we cant justify spending £5K on a pony that is going to earn no more than £150 per week, before farrier costs and staff wages! Any idea where we should look? I know its a problem for many other schools too and the reason several are closing down

 

[Red-1]

On another thread there is a link to a riding school that is closing and 20 horses are for sale. Not the recent one where they were internet-auctioned, a new, different one.

I can't remember which thread it is.

 

[Glitter's fun]

On another thread there is a link to a riding school that is closing and 20 horses are for sale. Not the recent one where they were internet-auctioned, a new, different one.

I can't remember which thread it is.

Do you mean this one, but they pretty much all sold to regular riders, some for a King's ransom.

Auction for cobs/ponies

Can I post a link here? I don't want in trouble. A place fairly local has put all it's trekking ponies & cobs up for auction. I'm not sure why, I would imagine they've gone in to administration or had some difficulties like that. A lot of the horses are a bit older. My heart is weeping though...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

Also there was a trekking centre on a different thread that's selling the cobs to go "up-market".
Both in Scotland though, not near OP

 

[Noble]

View attachment 112484

North West 20 school horses for sale.

 

[asmp]

Our RDA group is looking for a horse too and are struggling. Ponies are going for insane amounts (not sure if they’re actually selling at the prices), often as much or more than horses.

 

[Red-1]

Do you mean this one, but they pretty much all sold to regular riders, some for a King's ransom.

Auction for cobs/ponies

Can I post a link here? I don't want in trouble. A place fairly local has put all it's trekking ponies & cobs up for auction. I'm not sure why, I would imagine they've gone in to administration or had some difficulties like that. A lot of the horses are a bit older. My heart is weeping though...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

Also there was a trekking centre on a different thread that's selling the cobs to go "up-market".
Both in Scotland though, not near OP

No, it was not the first link, as I said, not the internet auction one that has passed.

It was a colourful link. Not sure where. I mentioned it as it would be a good olace to see many horses suitable for schools.

The first one, I was amazed at the prices. The lame big grey, I would not have been given, let alone bought!

 

[Red-1]

North West 20 school horses for sale.

Yes, this is the one I saw.

This is their web page. There are also photos and videos on FB. Ponies/horses still giving lessons for the next month.

Witherslack Hall Equestrian Centre - Witherslack Riding School

Witherslack Hall Equestrian Centre It is with a heavy heart that I regret to inform you of the closing of Witherslack Hall Riding School.This has been one of the most difficult decisions I have

www.witherslackhallequestrian.co.uk

Witherslack Hall Equestrian Centre

Welcome to Witherslack Hall Equestrian Centre. A long established centre providing riding for... Witherslack Hall Farm, LA11 6SD Grange over sands

www.facebook.com

 

[Glitter's fun]

North West 20 school horses for sale.

Crikey, didn't know they were closing.

 

[maya2008]

Could you take on younger ponies and educate them yourselves? Can you show care so someone would loan to you or choose you as a good choice? I have a lovely little, ever so sweet Welsh A, but when it comes to selling I would be hesitant to choose a RS because I have seen too many where the tack does not fit, or the ponies are sore and still being pushed to work. A home for life looking after little kids with good care would be the perfect home, but too many riding schools do not offer that, so giving them a bad reputation as a whole.

 

[anguscat]

Crikey, didn't know they were closing.

I think they’re closing the riding school but will be having liveries and holiday guests. That’s my recollection anyway.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

When i worked at a riding school they often bought younger ponies and the staff rode them until they were good enough for the kids to ride.

I took most of the hacks out on green uneducated ponies they soon learn and most of them became useful for kids to ride.

 

[Palindrome]

have you tried dragondriving?

 

[Dexter]

There is a saying as rare as hens teeth. This could also be said of ponies for riding schools. How on earth do we find new ponies? We have a small but wonderful children's riding school and are desperate for a couple of new ponies. Sellers are immediately put off by the term 'riding school' and we cant justify spending £5K on a pony that is going to earn no more than £150 per week, before farrier costs and staff wages! Any idea where we should look? I know its a problem for many other schools too and the reason several are closing down

£150 is £7800 a year. Thats a fair amount of income for a pony compared to purchase price. And the going rate for a riding school type is going to be 5k unfortunately unless you buy young and make your own.

 

[toppedoff]

It's either super young or super old for something less than 5k nowadays I'm afraid

 

[stangs]

Most RS I know have a network of dealers that'll sell them horses, though admittedly even they're struggling to afford horses from said dealers (ponies seem to be going for more manageable prices). One place also used to get horses from the meat man, if you're willing to take a ethically and legally dubious punt.

Have you tried contacting your local pony club for ponies that could come on loan? I know of several yards that have outgrown kid's ponies or adult's pets on loan, both temporarily and permanently. Alternatively, with the current cost of living crisis, people might be interested in working livery.

But if you've got the staff for it, I don't see why you couldn't bring on ponies of your own so they've appreciated in value by the time you sell them on. Your bog standard 12-13 hander isn't going for that much at the minute.

 

[Melody Grey]

Riding schools I’ve been involved with have also produced ponies alongside the teaching- everything had a price on its head. I’m sure many were from bin end dealers that we brought on. Even the sharper ones generally settled with staff working them and if they had a bit of sparkle they tended to be snapped up by PC and mounted games homes. We certainly never had anything made come to us.

 

[Kaylum]

One near us buys cheap and brings them on and has working liveries. There are plenty of riders wanting to bring on ponies especially the pony club advanced riders.

 

[JackFrost]

RSPCA was doing a scheme of providing ponies to riding schools, though the ponies may need bringing on. Some other charities are also happy for horses to go to RSs (?blue cross).

 

[FlyingCircus]

The riding school I worked at as a teen bought from the bin end sales and stuck us teens on as test riders. The teens then bought on the ponies until they could be used in advanced lessons, then gradually they'd either end up in less advanced lessons or they would be sold on.

 

[millikins]

have you tried dragondriving?

I was going to suggest DD. Plenty of smaller cobby types if you are prepared to put some education into them. My daughter works PT in a riding school, most of theirs are on loan and yes a lot of people are reluctant to loan to a RS. This lot have a pretty good life, they all get hacked regularly and the little ones go as ride and lead.

 

[teapot]

There is a saying as rare as hens teeth. This could also be said of ponies for riding schools. How on earth do we find new ponies? We have a small but wonderful children's riding school and are desperate for a couple of new ponies. Sellers are immediately put off by the term 'riding school' and we cant justify spending £5K on a pony that is going to earn no more than £150 per week, before farrier costs and staff wages! Any idea where we should look? I know its a problem for many other schools too and the reason several are closing down

As I'm sure you know good RS ponies were made, not bought, unfortunately.

Have you ever considered Cavan or Goresbridge? Some may take some producing but if you've got small/light weight staff, or competent teens, you can easily bring them on to suit the exact circumstances the rs runs in.

 

[SO1]

I think the BSH has a welfare programme that rehomes rescues with BSH approved riding schools.

The riding school I am at gets its horses from dealers and has a lot of people training for their stages so they start off in the staff lessons and go from there and gradually go into the advanced groups and work their way down.

 

[EventingMum]

It is an absolute nightmare just now, I am in the same boat and finding anything below about £8k is very difficult. Unfortunately, I don't have enough land to buy to bring on. Following covid I have increased the number of liveries I have as at least it's guaranteed income whereas during covid the school horses were bringing nothing in although in normal times the school horses bring in more than liveries.

Finding safe and steady horses and ponies seems to be more and more difficult, I'm quite happy to put some schooling into any purchase but a steady temperament is essential. The days of riding school clients up for a challenge seem to have gone and clients and their parents want push-button ponies. As you say OP people hear the word riding school and imagine the worst whereas our horses have a lovely life with regular physio/tack/vet checks etc an easy workload and lots of TLC. Sellers are always welcome to keep in touch and visit too.

The dealer route can be very difficult, one big dealer showed me a clearly lame horse last year and told me a week on the walker in side reins would sort it out. Another supposedly reputable one sourced a pony for me who turned out to be 10 years older than stated and got extremely stressed in an arena, I returned it and it was sold as a happy hacker at a £2k loss to me as I insist on a 3 week quarantine period so by the time we had tried her properly it was over a month since purchase.

 

[Kunoichi73]

There are some RS riders still up for a challenge! Possibly not the younger ones though. I love riding horses that I get to school. I learn something and they learn something. Win, win!

 

[SO1]

I think this is such a good idea. There must be a lot of coloured cob types and small ponies that need rehoming with the right temperament who just need to 6-9 months of decent training to get them going.

A lot of them are probably good doers who could benefit from plenty of work to help control their weight so being in the riding school where they might get ridden more than one a day might be ideal.

Second Chance rehoming horses project | The British Horse Society

Our Second Chance rehoming project aims to deliver a brighter future for horses who have suffered an unhappy past.

www.bhs.org.uk

It is an absolute nightmare just now, I am in the same boat and finding anything below about £8k is very difficult. Unfortunately, I don't have enough land to buy to bring on. Following covid I have increased the number of liveries I have as at least it's guaranteed income whereas during covid the school horses were bringing nothing in although in normal times the school horses bring in more than liveries.

Finding safe and steady horses and ponies seems to be more and more difficult, I'm quite happy to put some schooling into any purchase but a steady temperament is essential. The days of riding school clients up for a challenge seem to have gone and clients and their parents want push-button ponies. As you say OP people hear the word riding school and imagine the worst whereas our horses have a lovely life with regular physio/tack/vet checks etc an easy workload and lots of TLC. Sellers are always welcome to keep in touch and visit too.

The dealer route can be very difficult, one big dealer showed me a clearly lame horse last year and told me a week on the walker in side reins would sort it out. Another supposedly reputable one sourced a pony for me who turned out to be 10 years older than stated and got extremely stressed in an arena, I returned it and it was sold as a happy hacker at a £2k loss to me as I insist on a 3 week quarantine period so by the time we had tried her properly it was over a month since purchase.

 

[SO1]

I don't know if they would rehome to a riding school but Bransby have some ridden cobs and a lead rein pony looking for homes.

This one looks nice https://bransbyhorses.co.uk/welfare/rehoming/horse/manchego/

 

[Mustard]

I don't know if they would rehome to a riding school but Bransby have some ridden cobs and a lead rein pony looking for homes.

This one looks nice https://bransbyhorses.co.uk/welfare/rehoming/horse/manchego/

Bransby I think rehome to a riding school near Doncaster, so might consider others.

 

[gallopingby]

There is a saying as rare as hens teeth. This could also be said of ponies for riding schools. How on earth do we find new ponies? We have a small but wonderful children's riding school and are desperate for a couple of new ponies. Sellers are immediately put off by the term 'riding school' and we cant justify spending £5K on a pony that is going to earn no more than £150 per week, before farrier costs and staff wages! Any idea where we should look? I know its a problem for many other schools too and the reason several are closing down

As already said l think you either have to bring on from a youngster or older late to break situation or pay the current price. It’s sad that riding schools are closing for various reasons, some due to retirement other to financial considerations and there are ponies coming up for rehoming from time to time because of this. Good riding school ponies are very rare and always have been especially the cobby types who are nicely schooled and forwards. 5k is a reasonable price for a safe sane well schooled pony who someone will have put a lot of work into. Maybe you need to consider developing a programme of bringing on ponies over a suitable period of time or else look at project ponies who require some investment in their education and may blossom given a chance in a caring environment with a consistent routine.

 

[Gamebird]

I don't know if they would rehome to a riding school but Bransby have some ridden cobs and a lead rein pony looking for homes.

This one looks nice https://bransbyhorses.co.uk/welfare/rehoming/horse/manchego/

They definitely do. I come across many Bransby ponies in riding schools

 

[Glitter's fun]

Maybe you need to consider developing a programme of bringing on ponies over a suitable period of time or else look at project ponies who require some investment in their education and may blossom given a chance in a caring environment with a consistent routine.

Would there be some way of involving the regular pupils in the projects? I'm just thinking that a lot of new horse owners seem to struggle with ground manners, lunging, long-reining, feeding etc because they've been only used to having a tacked up pony standing waiting for them. Some sort of 'young ponies club' might teach a lot of useful skills ,help bring the projects on and give the teenagers a feeling of being invested in the future of their riding school.