I bought a problem pony . . .

*hic*

*hic*

village idiot :D
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difficult nappy little blighter apparently.

He's gone straight out on loan to a very experienced mum for her daughter whose elderly saint of a pony died recently and whose replacement loan pony has been a little git and ruined her nerve such that she goes grey and drawn if she thinks about riding.

I dropped him off on Sunday, that evening the child rode him at walk and trot on the lunge - and fell in love. Monday morning she and her cousin rode him at walk and trot under saddle, bareback and two up bareback, on the lunge or with 10yo leading 6yo (who can't do rising trot yet!), Monday evening five children were swarming all over him and everyone rode him (only one can manage rising trot:)). Tuesday morning two unhorsey boys went to catch him and lead him in and a selection of children tacked him up and rode him on the lunge and lead, Tuesday evening child he's intended for cantered him on the lunge and walked and trotted him off the lunge, he's proving to be a real kick on type - just what was needed after the last pony. Wednesday morning child walked, trotted, cantered and jumped him off the lunge, loose in a biggish field.

He's now her "prince of ponies" and instead of looking worried and going quiet if you ask her about riding she has a huge grin and starts bouncing up and down. Suddenly she's back to what riding for children should be about - FUN.

As for the pony, he'd been labelled as difficult and nappy and was priced accordingly, quite possibly the start of a dangerous downward spiral as no-one was interested in him. With an experienced handler to keep him on the straight and narrow he has done the odd little thing - trying to snatch grass when ridden, refusing to pick up a leg, won't open mouth for bit - but as soon as he's been told firmly to get on with it (even by a 10 year old child) he's just buckled down and got on with behaving properly.

I'm aware it's early days but to see this child's confidence restored is just delightful - and the pony seems to be having fun too:D
 
Yup, that's exactly what I thought when I went to see him. He's exactly the pony I suspected he'd be:D
 
That's fab!! I bought my daughter a problem pony a few years ago. It was actually going to be destroyed as it was "unhandlable". Turns out it was just super nervous & needed a very quiet calm home. My daughter loved her to bits, & they competed at 3 national showjumping finals & won every local show they did (the previous owners weren't happy that we got her going so well!!) Sold her after 3 years for more that 10 times what we bought her for, but were always proud that we had saved her! I hope things continue to go well xx
 
Funnily enough I looked at the ad because the pony looks like my bigger Welsh who we bought as a last chance before he went off for meat. He'd had a dozen people go to see him and he'd dumped them all, when we went he dumped his owner. He's never dropped either me or my daughter off deliberately - he is a true bolter and I came off when we first discovered it, the only other time I've come off him was a disagreement on line during a jump off, he was going for the faster line inside the jump and I was going to go around the outside. For us he has been a bit quirky but the sweetest pony to have around and has given us years of fun and will be with us for the rest of his life.

This new one was bought with my friend's daughter in mind because he looked such a kind pony and I'm hoping she'll have a year's fun with him before moving up to the next pony, which is currently in my yard waiting to foal.

I'm so pleased for them both that it keeps making me smile:)
 
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