Honest opinions please.....

M

mangobiscuit

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Kids ponies: dilemma is, my daughter has been riding a little 12hh who she loves and is brilliant. Has given her loads of confidence etc.

Daughter is 9, fairly tall and looks perfect height wise on pony at the moment.

EVeryone has said pony is too small to purchase.....I'm inclined to agree BUT then again, maybe for the sake of having a fab pony for a few years and her legs being a little on the long side for the latter part of these few years would ir be worth it????

Honest opinions please and pic taken yesterday:

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Thanks in advance!
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How old is said pony? So long as the pony isn't old (so that in 2/3 years time when daughter has outgrown the pony you can sell it without much difficulty as older ponies are harder to sell than younger ones - generally!) then I would go for it.
 
She does! They seem to have just clicked - and they both have a bit of an attitude (in a funny way!)

So many people have said "Oh no - you want to get 13.2 - 14.2" but something is just telling me that she'd be good for my daughter......

Pony's 10 - so wouldn't be too old to sell or loan in a few years time.

Thanks for your reply
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ditto getting the pony, a confidence giving pony is a thing hard to find, and who said theres anything wrong with hoiking your stirrups up for a few years
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She's 9 and very leggy (god knows where she gets it from as both myself and her dad are 5'7!)

She doesn't often ride out with other kids unfortunately - just me......
 
Definitely get the pony!! You wouldn't buy your kids clothes or shoes that are too big 'because it's easier' so why on earth people think it is a good idea to buy them an animal that 'they will grow in to' is completely beyond me!
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If this is the pony that fills her with confidence - then it's the pony for her.

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Absolutely agree
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If she likes the pony, it is worth buying even if only lasts her 18 months - good ponies will always resell like hot cakes.

The most important thing at that stage/age is to have fun and build confidence!

The pony looks at lovely and she has a nice happy face!
 
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Buy the pony, buy the pony! She has loads of leg length to go yet! Fun ponies are worth their weight in gold!
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I agree. We have searched for ages for a "special first pony" for my daughter and had some disasters in that time. When we find that pony she will have it until she is knocking off poles with her feet!!
 
Thanks for your advice - she is a lovely little pony. By no means a plod!!! and certainly needs to be ridden properly BUT when it counts she is amazing.

She is also very pretty!
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Looks like a sweet pony and as long as they are not asking silly money then worth buying even if you only get a year or so out of it.

Glad to hear things are taken a turn for the better and you can afford two again now!
 
Thanks - well this is the next thing really J!!! Finances.....!!
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Budget is VERY modest - but not wanting a superstar show pony. Just something fun and fairly safe.

We'll have to sit down and think it through - I'm up and down between home and yard but am trying to move back out of London as I've realised we would be able to spend a lot more time on things like ponies etc! I'm glad I'm independant now though.

We'll see!

Another grey mare eh??? We have a thing for them now you know
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How is the most gorgeous of all grey ponies anyway??
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Just realised I really should've PMed all that to avoid boring everyone to tears - SORRY!!
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Love to the family - have you got any recent pics of M in her new home??
 
FWIW my daughter is 10 next week, she was over 5ft long before Easter and has grown lots since (wears 12-13 year old clothes for height), also very long legs but OH is 6ft3. She's been riding an 11.2 Welshie and has just started knocking down the odd pole here and there, never below 2ft3, if not absolutely straight at the jump. I don't think she'll be outgrown this summer but we'll have to see how it goes for jumping next summer, but have said if a suitable pony doesn't materialise she'll have to keep riding that one.
She looks much bigger on hers than your daughter does, her feet definitely dangle now, and a pony that gives confidence is wrth its weight in gold (ours isn't a novice ride and can be tricky, don't think I'd buy not that she'd be offered) so on that basis I would buy if I were you.
 
As long as the price is right I would buy the pony. Confidence is everything. My daughter was 11 when we bught the 13hh she had been riding for a year or so, pony was just too good to miss, daughter kept riding her until she was 14, when she was too tall but not too heavy. Caused a few problems at pony club when all the others of her ability were on horses, but only to those setting out courses, daughter loved the fact she could beat em all
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I'll be the voice against, she already looks big on the pony, it's not fair on pony or child, as her riding will be compromised by riding a pony that is too small for her, habits that will have to be unlearned.
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If your daughter is 100% happy on this pony, confidence is much better than overhorsing her, buy it. as long as it is saleable in a year or two when she has grown out of it.
But by the looks of it she will be out of the pony fairly soon, would it be worth holding off and looking for something bigger?
 
am not sure on this one, I don't agree with buying pones for kids to grow into (have seen too many petrified kids!) but I also think depending on the pony it can take the kid time to get a really good tune out of a pony aand sometimes I have seen it happen that they are then too big by the time they have done this.

Also there is a lot to be said for you knowing how this pony will behave. Could say buy and expect to sell in a year or so but if daughter then is very attached????

Sorry don't know!!
 
Pheww...tricky one this.

When daughter was at that stage on her first pony- long but not too heavy .....we sold the pony on as it was obvious that daughter would not really progress, although the pony was an absolute star.....

Her second pony is too big for her....so she has taken a backwards step in her riding BUT we wanted a pony we could keep for many years, if not for ever ( I can ride it...so a 'spare' one for me!) because she was so upset at selling her first pony and TBH so was I...I didn't want to have to do it again in a year or so.

Common sense does say yes buy it, its ideal 'for now' but how will your daughter feel next year when she is way to tall and you have to sell? ( I am assuming you dont have acres of land and your own yard where you could keep a string of outgrown ponies.....now that would be ideal
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Hmm, difficult one... I would say not to buy her as your daughter does look quite big on her already... however, have had someone interested in my (16.1hh) horse as a step up from her 13.2hh, she is 13 and 5'6/7!! Soooo... not impossible to get on with a pony a bit too small...
 
THanks for all the replies - it IS a difficult one and I fear there's not correct answer to it.....
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I have changed my mind on this daily and am confusing even myself
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I will consider is a little longer and update in due course!
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My take on it is that the pony is not an ideal size. I would not necessarily suggest getting one to grow into, or getting rid of a much-loved one that was slightly outgrown, but as you are actually now looking to buy, I would look for something that is larger. Not necessarily hugely taller, but maybe something that takes up her leg more. It would be heartbreaking to have to change again in a year's time, and I suspect the excitement (for her, nightmare for you!) of searching out the perfect pony will take her mind off parting with this one.
 
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