How much

[FfionWinnie]

Its not my pony its one I'm possibly going to view.

14yr old, done PC for many years, not a fast games pony more the steady type. 11.3 welsh sec A. Not shod (I would have this bit investigated by the vet) as it "takes a reaction to the nails and goes lame, wears hoof boots on roads". Tack and rugs included. Owner reckons it might get a bit strong and excited if cantering over bigger jumps but trotting over cross poles should be fine for a tiny tot. I'm not sure what the bit is, looks like a snaffle but has internal small ring things. The footiness is a bit that worries me, I don't really want to be messing about with hoof boots on a native which should manage to be BF (like my others) but will need to find out about diet and management. We could potentially have her for about 6 years by which time she would be 20, do foot issues tend to get worse with age (I'm thinking cushings).

Oh and she looks like redmone's Dolly

 

[Clare85]

The footie bit would worry me too. Is the pony close enough so that you can ask your farrier to go and check out the situation before you make any decisions? Not sure on price really, sorry. I know that good PC ponies for for ££££s, but obviously this pony is a bit older and has potential issues so I'm sure you would be able to negotiate on the asking price. What is the reason for sale?

 

[be positive]

The bit sounds like a Wilkie or bevel bit fairly commonly in use on slightly strong ponies and would not worry me.
The feet would though, I have had many natives unshod and have never thought they may need boots to do a little roadwork, I would think it has had laminitis at some point, possibly not bad and unrecognised, untreated, if it is the pony for you with careful management you could improve things, it is hard to find a small pony that is not going to require care to keep laminitis at bay so I would not rule it out without trying it.
Price I have no idea as it is not in my area but around £1- !.5k if safe as a first ridden, down here it would be nearer £2k.

 

[WelshD]

I'm sorry to say that the feet would rule it out for me, I can understand the pony being unshod but I would worry about the need for hoof boots

The bit does sound like a Wilkie or bevel bit, these are supposed to encourage a good outline and exert a little poll pressure but they have become incredibly fashionable for small ponies even if they dont need them so you'll probably find the pony goes just fine in a normal snaffle

Value - I wouldnt pay over £1000 with the feet in mind, the pony is probably worth more though but to me the hassle wouldnt be worth it

 

[FfionWinnie]

That's kind of my thinking. Its quite local and they are happy for me to go to see her with no obligation. I was thinking I should get a test for cushings and get the farrier to look at the feet minimum.

I am set up quite well to manage feet/natives, and she is said to be a bit fat, so it wouldn't rule her out totally for me but it is making me cautious. I get the impression they don't think her feet are an issue at all incidentally and probably I wouldn't until I went down the barefoot path and knew what mine can do unshod...

She is for sale as totally (and I mean totally!) outgrown. I think the daughter got a new pony a couple of years ago but they couldn't bear to part with her but now she can't really ride her at all they think she should go on to a new active home. They definitely want a nice home for her and sound very nice folk so I suppose we will just go and see. I can get references from the local PC and also the previous owner who still visits her in this home.

 

[blitznbobs]

cheap 600 or less -- and id be worried about its feet. it doesnt sound like a first ridden either.

 

[trottingon]

My friend's Section A is unshod. When hacking he used to get little stones and grit stuck in his hooves which made him a bit footsore sometimes. Rather than go to the expense of shoeing she bought hoof boots and they are fantastic. The pony has never had any other issues with his feet and has never been lame or had lami. The boots have just been chosen over shoeing for convenience, so you don't necessarily have to read too much into this as a way of managing a pony's feet methinks.

 

[FfionWinnie]

They aren't selling her as a first ridden, we don't exactly need a first ridden as she is riding her quite speedy sometimes quirky mini Shetland off the lead rein quite well already, this pony would be transferred over to, over the next year. But yes, I don't want another pony I can't quite trust hence will be cautious. She says she is very steady and has done her nervous daughter well, but the daughter was older than mine when they bought her.

 

[trottingon]

...and it might have gone lame when shod because it was a rubbish farrier using nails too big for its tiny feet???

 

[FfionWinnie]

...and it might have gone lame when shod because it was a rubbish farrier using nails too big for its tiny feet???

Yes it could be but this combined with the hoof boots is surely something you would investigate before buying a middle aged not cheap pony. I will know more when we see her but I just wanted to mull it over beforehand so I know what sort of things I am going to ask/look for.

 

[zigzag]

I would be suspicious of the feet, but down here that pony could be got for less than £500

 

[FfionWinnie]

I would be suspicious of the feet, but down here that pony could be got for less than £500

This one is more than three times that much, but it is expensive up here! I don't mind buying from far away for myself but dragging a 4 year old miles to try ponies is probably not that feasible unless it was one I knew someone who knew someone if that makes sense.

 

[JFTDWS]

I wouldn't want to pay 1500 for a pony like that - it really isn't worth it. Particularly with a question mark over the feet...

 

[Sunshine]

My daughter has a 11.3/12hh welsh pc pony that she has outgrown (now riding 14.2), but taken to camp this week as it is a fun pony that takes everything in stride. It is barefoot, never had a day's illness or lameness and no other issues. We backed it when daughter was 6 and she has been able to do everything with it, grooming, hacking alone, LR & FR showing, WH, fun rides, xc, sj and BD. In fact it has just qualified for PC dressage champs.
To us it is priceless so we will only loan, but nobody wants such small ponies as they all seem to be going straight for 13 handers.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Do you want to loan to us sunshine

 

[Sunshine]

LOL! I will have to sort something out -its a shame you aren't closer as you could have happily come over to play. I's such a shame as she is only 8 so too young to be retired to a field, and has a lot more to give. That's the other thing -nobody seems to want a mare for a child's pony, even though she has never had any moodiness or mareish behaviour.

What are you looking for and how soon do you need to find one?

 

[ester]

At that price and potential foot issues I wouldn't buy - although I do agree it might depend on current management/weight but it is a risk and is suggesting she is at least a bit sugar sensitive if not managing bare on roads.

 

[micki]

If the pony is right for you then i would get the farrier to take a look and see what he thinks about the feet. My daughter's pony has to wear hoof boots sometimes on stony ground and he is a welsh section B. He copes without them most of the time but not all of the time and he has never had lammi or lameness. As for the price around where i live you would get the pony for between £500-£1000 unless it is a really good PC pony then it would be between £2000-£3000, looking at the prices for ponies for sale here.

 

[Lambkins]

If these people have kept the pony a few years longer than they needed to ..they must love the pony ..maybe they would loan or lwvtb .. I would got try the pony .. If pony ticks all the boxes ..explain u r worried about foot issues .. And go from there ..if u don't ask u will never know

 

[FfionWinnie]

Yes if I was buying a horse for me the foot potential problem would make me run for the hills. However, it is slightly different when you are looking for a pony to put your beloved child on without worry that it is going to try and murder your child

Titchy is brilliant, and I am sure in a years time when she has outgrown him, he will be a perfect first ridden, because we will have trained him. At the moment he is a typical green horse, mostly great but things can go wrong when he hasn't experienced them before. Its my child who is the crash test dummy for him. We have a section A to back next year, and I think she will be rather like Titchy ideal kids pony when she has outgrown her because we will have done it all. Meanwhile I am considering getting something between Titchy and Winnie, which has been crash tested by someone else's child not mine .

Sunshine my daughter is 4 and I'm not in a rush, I phoned about this one to find out more as she sounded nice, but its the first one I will have actually looked at. I will probably ask for a lwvtb because I could then make sure the pony was what we want, and take her into my vets for a check before we decided for sure.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I would go and view the pony. A safe pony for a small child is essential and I wonder if her hoof problems are manmade.

If the Farrier used too big nails (as mentioned), or just didn't place them perfectly you can easily make a pony footy due to nail bind or pricking.

Also if her diet can be improved, this might solve the footyness unbooted on roads.

It's worth finding out more about her before you decide.

 

[Dizzydancer]

Did the owner actually say pony needed hoof boots on roads or is it more they think it does?

 

[ester]

yup, I was thinking I'd be happy to loan or lwvtb though

 

[FfionWinnie]

Yes I think we have to go and view her. I don't know any more than I said in the op. I could hardly get a word in edge ways and it was one of those comments that you start mulling over once you've hung up. They are on holiday at the moment so will have to wait til they come back to progress.

Thanks for all the thoughts, it does help.