Highland pony experts

[twiggy2]

I am looking for my next partner in exploring the outside world.
I am very taken by highland ponies and living where I do with the acess to the ground I do seems like a perfect fit.
If the pony shows an aptitude for it I would possibly train for stag pony work in the future.
Anyhoo I digress. I have seen one I have enquired about but was wondering if there are any special things to look out for or traits in lines I may be well advised to be aware of.
I have also enquired about another but no one has got back to me so may be handy to know more about that.
Also any idea in price tags for for different ages, greeness etc. Mares appeal more than geldings .
Happy to take unbacked but over 2 yrs.

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

Loved my Highlands but some lines ( including the ones I had ! ) can be very .... erm ...... ' quirky ' !

 

[twiggy2]

Loved my Highlands but some lines ( including the ones I had ! ) can be very .... erm ...... ' quirky ' !

Can I pm you details?

 

[TPO]

I only know of (some of) the "dene" breeding but am as far from an expert as you can get.

I do have a friend who used to show Highlands and also had Highlands for shoots/stags. If you had any specific questions I could relay them to her.

 

[rabatsa]

We got given one for the RDA group. Lovely pony but the ex owner could not get him to canter, even out hunting. He needed more work than our group could ask of him, we broke him to drive but still he needed more work. He went to a very busy RDA centre where he was a much loved pony until the end of his days.

 

[twiggy2]

I only know of (some of) the "dene" breeding but am as far from an expert as you can get.

I do have a friend who used to show Highlands and also had Highlands for shoots/stags. If you had any specific questions I could relay them to her.

Yes please, I would love to use a highland for stags and it will be used on the hill for gathering and checking the sheep.
I will pm you.

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

Can I pm you details?

Feel free !

 

[Horseysheepy]

I have ridden a few, some are like massive cosy sofas that will take you for a steady hack with a feeling of safe, but very willing.

I rode one, sharp as nails. Now I can do sharp on a TB, but sharp and one heck of a powerful beastie with a neck like a bull was somewhat breathtaking!. I was quite surprised I sat that one out. I remember spending most of the ride just seeing flickering flashes of grey mane and I think I managed to get it's hair in my mouth too, possibly flipped it's head up and socked me. It was quite eventful actually.

Check bloodlines carefully, but they are charming ponies.

 

[Laurac13]

There’s a new advert on Preloved for a 14.2 hh smart 2 year old highland gelding £3950

 

[twiggy2]

There’s a new advert on Preloved for a 14.2 hh smart 2 year old highland gelding £3950

Thanks just had a look.
Great photos!
They dont say his breeding either, I will message then though and see if they have more photos.

 

[Moobli]

I’ve only had one but adored her. She was kind, forgiving and very easy to keep. Look forward to seeing yours when you get him/her. You should have a chat with Dryrot (I can introduce you on FB if you’d like).

 

[Smitty]

Didn't JFTDS (?) on here have them? I think hers were quite "sporty" and not the type the late Queen used to ride.

Not sure if poster is still here but worth a try. Dry Rot who was on here a long time ago also bred them. Might be worth having a bit of a 'search' for the best lines for you.

 

[sarcasm_queen]

Loved mine, turned his hoof to anything. But just be aware that they can be very strong.

 

[palo1]

Yes please, I would love to use a highland for stags and it will be used on the hill for gathering and checking the sheep.
I will pm you.

I hope you can find a lovely highland to do these jobs I find huge satisfaction in having a native pony to do some shepherding tasks here. I hope you can join the very small club lol!!

 

[Moobli]

Also speak to Sally at Lurgan. Extremely knowledgeable on the breed.

 

[Greylegs]

I wouldn't call myself an expert by any means, but I've owned a highland for some years now and I adore him. Now sadly retired and I have to admit I really miss riding him, although I now have a younger horse to ride (not another highland). He's sensible but cheeky, a very comfortable ride and would happily have a go at pretty much anything I asked of him. For a chunky boy he had a decent go at dressage and would hack for ever over any kind of ground. I didn't get another Highland when the old one retired because I decided he was such a special little horse I didn't want the new horse to have to live up to him in any way, but I would say definitely get one if you can find one.

 

[teach]

I have 2 highlands, firstly, don’t do it, they are addictive! Secondly join ‘the friendly highland pony group’ on Facebook..lots of very helpful knowledgeable people on there who will help and advise you!

 

[J&S]

We had some pretty opinionated Highland ponies at our RDA branch, they did a good job but one had to be on top of them! I also rode a client's pony, she was an absolute angel, smaller and very kind, I would have happily cloned her. When I visited Balmoral my friend and I rode the ponies there, I was lucky enough to be given the pony that The Queen used to ride when she was there. I feel they are ponies that need a "job"!

 

[atropa]

Mine is not for the faint of heart and I certainly wouldn't put my granny(or the queen!) on her. I've found keeping her busy both in body and brain is very necessary

 

[twiggy2]

Mine is not for the faint of heart and I certainly wouldn't put my granny(or the queen!) on her. I've found keeping her busy both in body and brain is very necessary

Can I ask what lines she is from please?

 

[Goldie's mum]

I love them but they are intelligent and very strong! You want them inside the tent p*shing out, so that intelligent and strong becomes a good thing!

Sorry can't help with bloodlines but I'd be interested to know what other people say about that, rather than it going on pm (when we discuss other breeds, temperament of bloodlines is discussed openly & not considered confidential).

I would say that I know there are studs that are breeding for colour ("Rum" bloodlines). I don't know what their ponies' health, work ability, temperament etc are like - maybe good but they are not selecting for those things & you can't breed for a lot of characteristics at once. You will know which I mean by the prices !

If you aren't buying a youngster, bear in mind what work it has done. I looked at a couple that wouldn't hack alone because they had been in trekking centres all their lives.

 

[Goldie's mum]

I hope you can find a lovely highland to do these jobs I find huge satisfaction in having a native pony to do some shepherding tasks here. I hope you can join the very small club lol!!

I have two 2y.o. fillies here. Neither belongs to me. One is just staying away from a semi-feral herd until she is old enough to breed. Her companion, though, is destined for herding work. The owner is just out of agricultural college and doesn't want to rely on quad bikes for climate reasons. Maybe shepherding by pony will become a bigger club?

 

[TPO]

I know nothing about them or breeding.

The friend that I've relayed questions to on behalf of Twiggy is very experienced.

When I first met her she andnhernfriend both have highlands. Her was super hot and sharp and her friends (it was a "dene" horse) was as chilled and easy as they come.

So I don't think a one size fits all applies and you're right to get advice from people who really know bloodlines.

 

[palo1]

I have two 2y.o. fillies here. Neither belong to me. One is just staying away from a semi-feral herd until she is old enough to breed. Her companion, though, is destined for herding work. The owner is just out of agricultural college and doesn't want to rely on quad bikes for climate reasons. Maybe shepherding by pony will become a bigger club?

That would be brilliant! We use our horses both because they are 'free' (as in live here anyway lol) and because it is better in some ways than using a quad. We actually don't always need dogs either if there are 2 horses but that is partly out of necessity as our best dog is getting on now and doesn't need to do tons of work on the open hill and we have a pup for whom the hill work is currently too much. Our other adult dog was trained by my FIL and isn't always on the same page with hill work but she does come with us. When our pup can come along too it will be lovely and is a fantastic use of horse power lol.

 

[Orangehorse]

A friend used to breed them. Had a riding school, so through the winter the staff would break them in and school them, go out and about a bit and then they would be sold as 4 year.

She told buyers that they would be begging her to take them back, but if they persevered they would turn out to be the best pony they ever had. I don't know exactly what the pony did to warrant this, but other people have said that they can be quirky, or stubborn.

I had one as an unridden companion once, he was the perfect companion, having worked out that napping, going backwards even in company was a perfect way to get out of work!

 

[suestowford]

I've ridden quite a few Highlands over the years, mostly I liked them very much but there was one who I wasn't so keen on. He was one of a set of twins, they had both ponies at the stables. One twin was lovely, the nicest pony you could ask for, but the other had a twisty nature and couldn't be entirely trusted not to do something wicked. So it's not entirely down to bloodlines, although that's a good place to start.
There was another I rode for a while who was the ploddiest of plods, until he got on to the beach. That was his happy place and he would go into turbo mode and easily keep up with the big horses. I think that's one of the fun things about them, you never quite know what they will love but if you team the pony up with the right job they will give you their all.

 

[twiggy2]

That would be brilliant! We use our horses both because they are 'free' (as in live here anyway lol) and because it is better in some ways than using a quad. We actually don't always need dogs either if there are 2 horses but that is partly out of necessity as our best dog is getting on now and doesn't need to do tons of work on the open hill and we have a pup for whom the hill work is currently too much. Our other adult dog was trained by my FIL and isn't always on the same page with hill work but she does come with us. When our pup can come along too it will be lovely and is a fantastic use of horse power lol.

The owners here have said I can ride the pony on the made tracks as 'the damage they do will inevitably mean more maintainance needed on the track' honestly the land-rover, Toyota, mule, quads, tractor and argo use the track but a pony will damage it!
I have permission all around although by law permission is not needed here.

 

[Caol Ila]

Pretty sure you can ride a pony wherever you want on a Highland estate, as per 2003 Land Reform law, which you probably know anyway.

I love them but they are intelligent and very strong! You want them inside the tent p*shing out, so that intelligent and strong becomes a good thing!

Sorry can't help with bloodlines but I'd be interested to know what other people say about that, rather than it going on pm (when we discuss other breeds, temperament of bloodlines is discussed openly & not considered confidential).

I would say that I know there are studs that are breeding for colour ("Rum" bloodlines). I don't know what their ponies' health, work ability, temperament etc are like - maybe good but they are not selecting for those things & you can't breed for a lot of characteristics at once. You will know which I mean by the prices !

If you aren't buying a youngster, bear in mind what work it has done. I looked at a couple that wouldn't hack alone because they had been in trekking centres all their lives.

I'm also interested in bloodlines. There's not much discussion of that on the Highland pony FB group, not in the way you get with sport horse breeding, where people are always very frank about which lines produce extremely hot, professional horses, and which ones can produce more chilled out, ammy-friendly ones.

My Highland can be very tricky. When he's good, he's great and will trundle down the trail at a good, even pace, and can go over any type of ground. When he's having a bad day, he's extremely sharp and spooky and no fun at all. But he doesn't have a normal background since he was one of the Dallas ferals and not backed or handled until he was 8-ish.

 

[Borderreiver]

I’ve had quite a few Highlands and bred two. They are intelligent, wonderful ponies but some can be sharp. They get fat very easily so need to keep busy. My gorgeous boy was perfect for me, very easy to train and handle, whereas his full brother, also gorgeous, has a few quirks.

 

[gallopingby]

Like many of the bigger native breeds some lines are much sharper than others. They range from trekking types to dressage / trec / performance at a good standard. One regularly qualifies for HOYs in the 143 class and previously theyve been in the 148. A few are out competing in BD and a few years ago one won the NPS dressage champs. There’s quite a bit of chat on some of the more breed specific Facebook pages or it’s worth looking at the consistency in ridden and in hand classes at the breed show or the Royal Highland show although sadly these days the entries are nothing like they were 20r 30 years ago when there were usually three rows of ponies in many of the classes.