is there such a thing as a dressage pony?

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Firefly9410

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I am considering how life changes, sometimes people cannot keep a horse for life and how a horse with a job has a better chance of finding a good home. This is purely hypothetical speculation I do not have anything for sale. I was wondering if dressage would be a good job for a 14hh medium weight pony, for an adult or experienced teenager? With jumping at home but not jumping shows or sponsored rides because dressage shows have a calmer atmosphere which would be very necessary. Hacking would be out too, unless it was totally off road and with a confident leader horse. Would anyone who is not a young child buy a dressage pony or do people only want warmbloods? Just pondering. Any thoughts welcome.
 
I think a pure dressage pony would be desirable but the type of person wanting to buy one is likely to want to hack safely and have an easy pony to take out and about to shows, the most likely purchaser would be a small, possibly older, adult that has either done the big warmblood stage, is not that ambitious or just too sensible to go there!
Limiting them to just schooling would probably be incompatible with that type of person, unless they were lucky enough to have off road hacking and a buddy, your target market would be very small but at the right price if the pony was really nice you may find a buyer.

I agree that a horse with a "job" can usually be easier to sell but a horse that is a jack of all trades and hacks sensibly will be even easier, unless you are at the top end of the market when quirks will be less of an issue.
 
yes, there are even breeders who breed dressage ponies (they are generally small warmblood types). But if pony is quirky, he better be talented.
 
German owners [rich parents] pay up to and over £100,000 for a push button dressage pony, but they are a particular breed, not UK native type at all, really, small horses about 14.3+ with expressive paces.
 
Has he done well at dressage?
Honestly, it's a niche market and you may not get much for him unless he is mega talented (byrds/ fei potential) as most people do want to hack as well as the dressage but there will most likely be someone out there who is just after the type he is.

Reading between the lines it sounds like he won't do well at a buzzy competition so any festivals/ championships would be out of the question?
 
People do buy pure dressage ponies, but again I'd agree that they are of a particular type. It also sounds like such pony may be limited in dressage; if you're looking for competitions with a calm atmosphere that rules out regional and national championships.

Personally, with a pony meeting that description, I'd be approaching decent riding schools rather than trying to sell to a private buyer.
 
The problem is I am likely to be stuck with this one which is fine except what if life goes wrong? That is what got me thinking. This is not a child's pony unless it was one of those children who started riding at 2yrs old and made good progress all through the years and was an amazing rider by 10 but there are few like that and even if I found one what about if pony was outgrown? I would worry where they would end up.

The darn creature is sweet and pretty with good hooves and conformation plus a natural aptitude for schooling. That is about the end of the good points I think and the bad is bad, mainly centered around a naturally anxious temperament. Arrived with me just backed twice over at 2 1/2 and 3yrs having already gone through three homes and displaying every ridden vice you could name. With all the desensitising in the world the basic temperament will remain and I could not in all honesty pass this one on for hacking and general competing in a buzzy atmosphere would I believe be a disaster.

I moved yards at greater expense and distance from home and loss of hacking to accommodate this pony because it was that or shoot it. Luckily the new situation works and I always intend to keep for life with my horses, I was just pondering What If? and thinking this one might have to go to retirement livery or be PTS if I ever had to give up horses and thinking of ways to reduce the chances of that. I have no interest in lessons and competing but thought I should maybe take it up if it will give the pony a better chance in life but if it is unlikely to make much difference I think I will not bother because it is a lot of expense and time for something that I feel I can take it or leave it. Maybe I am thinking too much about the future anyway and should not worry :/ but it is a long weekend and I am a little bored :)
 
I have a very worried pony, too. His job of choice is Endurance, but there too, he needs to be with a buddy (which can be difficult at higher levels, though we may overcome this problem). He's not a child's pony, though he likes children and is very gentle with them. He's simply too spooky and sharp, and forgets his rider when he's worried. My other horse is a small horse who grew too tall to be a showing Riding Pony. She does hack (well), but is aimed at dressage. There are smaller riders and/or older riders who prefer ponies, or people like me, who don't much care about size and like being able to mount from the ground when out and about.

The mare could find a home anywhere for the right price (is only 15hh and grey and has a sarcoid, but is sweet and friendly and uncomplicated with bags of talent); the pony is very very complicated in his head, and would need to go to exactly the right person or be a companion---with the right person. It's not easy being in charge of these special souls of the equine world.

What is the problem with your pony when hacking? Mine was a spooky, spinny basket case at the beginning, and now gets serious game face on as soon as he hears the count-down.
 
As another posted said, in Germany some people will pay a hell of a lot for a top FEI-level dressage pony (usually Welsh Ds or Haffy types).
 
There is such a thing as a dressage pony but not for the reasons you state in your post. Pure dressage ponies are mega talented and are there to progress the child, even quirks need to be manageable and at top levels they need to be able to cope with a championship situation.

To be honest, I doubt an adult would buy a pony purely for dressage unless they were very talented, any adult wanting a pony for dressage is probably more likely looking for an allrounder.
 
The responses have been interesting, thanks everyone. Spookypony yes mine is complicated too with the basic sharp and anxious personality. Originally bought partly for riding and partly as a companion to my other. Luckily I like the daft thing :D and hopefully will never need to sell.
 
I had a dressage pony at livery with me for a long time. He was 13.3hh, didn't hack due to extreme fear of traffic, and didn't jump. He did however represent Great Britain on the pony dressage team several times. He then went on to teach several kids the finer points of dressage

These ponies exist, and there is a market for them, but it's small I'm afraid.
 
Firefly9410 said:
The responses have been interesting, thanks everyone. Spookypony yes mine is complicated too with the basic sharp and anxious personality. Originally bought partly for riding and partly as a companion to my other. Luckily I like the daft thing :D and hopefully will never need to sell.
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Ours is similar - he is a 13.3 NF and is spooky, sharp and anxious. My daughter rides him very well and knows his every move, but he is not suitable for a novice or child - he is too unpredictable. Daughter goes to Uni next year and he is not quite big enough for me so next year he will be a field ornament. Could you get him hacking out with others, and hacking at least an hour + each day, he may improve as time goes on.
 
Yes there is market for dressage ponies but they need to be able to cope with staying away at the big championship shows so if the pony can't cope with that it is never going to suitable for the upper ends of the dressage market.

However not everyone want to compete or hack out some people like riding in the school and if the pony is happy to jump and school at home then it might find a home with someone who does not like hacking or competing.

Alternately a RS would probably take him on if he is good in the school and hacking out fine in a group with a strong lead horse he would probably be good for a RS as he probably won't need to hack much if at all and not alone and probably on the same routes all the time so might build up confidence.

I think now it is harder to find homes for horses that don't hack out at all as hacking is becoming more popular and seen as beneficial for horses even many top competition riders have horses that hack out. If he is not good with traffic you may have an issue at shows as there is often a lot of traffic on site due to the horseboxes and trailers coming and going.
 
Definitely not suitable for a riding school. Fine with traffic most of the time and will happily spook in front of it, less extreme behaviour hacking with a confident lead horse but not fine for novices. The problem is not a hacking problem it is a general problem but the potential for disasterous consequences are greater whilst hacking, especially on the road. For example a vertical rear because a calm and quiet elderly lady walked past in the opposite direction on a 15ft wide track. Stopping dead from canter with a lowering of the head followed by a dropped shoulder and a swift dart off in another direction because a breeze sprung up and ruffled a patch of longer grass. Spinning on a bridleway, tanking off for home in a panic all because a horse cantered round the bend 20 meters ahead. And plenty more besides. An indoor arena is really the only safe relaxed space. There are other people who only ride in the arena but I think a lot of those who do not hack are the nervous lacking in confidence types. I think finding a suitable non hacking home would be very difficult if I was not looking for someone who competes.
 
Firefly9410 said:
Definitely not suitable for a riding school. Fine with traffic most of the time and will happily spook in front of it, less extreme behaviour hacking with a confident lead horse but not fine for novices. The problem is not a hacking problem it is a general problem but the potential for disasterous consequences are greater whilst hacking, especially on the road. For example a vertical rear because a calm and quiet elderly lady walked past in the opposite direction on a 15ft wide track. Stopping dead from canter with a lowering of the head followed by a dropped shoulder and a swift dart off in another direction because a breeze sprung up and ruffled a patch of longer grass. Spinning on a bridleway, tanking off for home in a panic all because a horse cantered round the bend 20 meters ahead. And plenty more besides. An indoor arena is really the only safe relaxed space. There are other people who only ride in the arena but I think a lot of those who do not hack are the nervous lacking in confidence types. I think finding a suitable non hacking home would be very difficult if I was not looking for someone who competes.
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He might be suitable for a "higher end" riding school where there are BHS students? The sort of behaviour you describe could improve with plenty of work ( probably more than one person could give)
 
I have one. Hes an older pony now, isnt good on roads and can be sharp. But with age has mellowed. Hes not a team pony but has been reasonably successful and been to a number of championships. Hes a pain on the ground but performs well at comps and in a buzzy atmosphere (he didnt at first!!) Hes never been for sale but over the years I have had plenty of interest in him as he can teach the tricks, always does well at comps and could be managed with an experienced family and confident teenager.

He was like your pony when he was younger. Complete nightmare and was regularly told to sell before he seriously hurt me. But with time and being given a 'job' really changed him.
 
I know someone who used to compete ponies they where usually welsh C or D types she did well with them but now rides horses .
However unless the pony was mega talented I can't see why anyone would buy one that can't hack ..
 
Unfortunatly o don't think yours is the dressage pony type and certainly not without it being at least advanced medium in its schooling!
I had a lovely but very quirky dressage pony. However he was competing at medium, schooled to advanced medium. Showed successfully at county level and whilst quirky and difficult to hack he was not dangerous. Jumping however he was quirky and dangerous!
I can't imagine there woul be much of a market for anything quirky that isn't out competing at a good level
 
However it sounds like this isn't a problem for now? And might never become a problem? I think there isn't much point worrying about what might be, and if the worst happens then cross that bridge when you come to it, there are worse things you can do than PTS to prevent a pony falling into the wrong hands.
 
That is hopeful if improvement might come with age.

Fuzzypuff you are right possibly it will never matter. I am not worrying as such more thinking What If, you know, like if I got run over or something. I would definitely PTS rather than risk ending up in the wrong hands but hopefully that will never happen.

I think I will school up as best as I can and teach to jump but not have endless dressage lessons that I do not really want because it sounds as if it would not make much difference to the chances of a suitable home being found if I ever did need to not have horses. I still want horses when I am 90 though! I will be sad if it does not turn out that way.
 
Sounds like the sort of pony I would like if I weren't too tall to ride ponies. There are lots of people who enjoy schooling, are happy to ride something quirky, can take or leave hacking and don't particularly want to jump.
 
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