Moving on to horses...advice please.

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belly

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Hello to all ...its been a while since I've been about.
Basically we have sold our pony to a lovely girl and she is going on Friday ...sniff, sniff!!
My 13 year old daughter is currently about 5 ft 6 and has rapidly outgrown ponies over the last year. The original plan was to have a break over the winter before re-thinking our plans re a new horse next spring.
However ..having spent a week at pc camp and getting more invovlved over the holidays my daughter is devastated that her mate/pony is moving on.
We did look at a 16hh mare last spring (who turned out to be a fruitcake!) and to be honest she didnt look at all too big for my daughter.
Basically...what should I be looking for when moving up to horses, is it that big of a leap??
My daughter loves eventing and showjumping and has ridden for the pc teams for the last two years.
 
They are totally different to ponies from size to mentality! It's the ultimate step up. Without stating the obvious, everything is bigger. She may well miss the fun and quick-wittedness associated with ponies. Do you know anyone with a horse or two she can go and spend time with? Competition-wise, you have no option. She'll be amongst adults or older kids who have made the same move and the atmosphere is different (some might even say less intense!) in horses.

If her height and your attachment to ponies really doesn't allow, go buy a horse, but choose carefully as over-horsing isn't purely size. How sad, pony days are over for her
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, how lovely you have found a good home for her pony
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and good luck in the exciting search for a new ride.

Your washer will no longer have to cope with rugs as they'll all be too big to fit in
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Lol....pony actually was very long backed and wore 6ft rugs...so not been ablt to do that for a while!
It is such a shame to be moving on as she is only 13 but has legs like a foal....they could almost meet underneath...bless!
 
Omitted to mention that I do have a slightly devious reason for her moving on to horses.....I'll be able to ride it too...yay! Have struggled to find a ride for myself since I sold my mare 2 years ago to finance pony. Funds unfortunately dont stretch to 2 at livery!
 
It can be a very big change, it depends an awful lot on the horse, the rider and the facilities. I normally sell a 15.2-ish every year, so I see several teens looking to "make the move" and you can spot the ones who're used to horses, who are ready to make the move, etc. !!
Is it worth seeing if she can loan/share one for the summer, so you get more of an idea what would suit you?
If she's not used to riding anything bigger than a pony, I would strongly recommend not buying a horse until she's had quite a bit more experience in riding them if you can arrange that. It could save you a fortune - in money, time and heartbreak.
I went easily from 14.2 to 16.2 at 15, BUT I had been riding big horses for years so was well prepared. It can be a good idea to aim for the 15.2 mark for a year or two, & go bigger if needed once the rider knows if they want to specialise in a particular affiliated discipline etc.
Oh, and a share - excellent plan!
 
Some horses are alot more "Pony like" than others. Best thing to do is try and beg borrow steal rides on horses to get used to the size change, and see how she feels on different types. Some will just click and feel right. My horse rides very pony like, yet he's 16.2hh, yet other 16.2hh feel alot bigger and more "horse" like!
 
I was 15 and 5 foot 6 when I got my first horse, and she was 16hh. I didn't find it that major a change but I'd been having occasional lessons on a horse, and I think my horse had a bit of pony in her anyway, she was very cheeky. I prefer horses to ponies, but if your daughter's had success with ponies then she may find it bit of a steep learning curve. I think lessons beforehand on something big are a good idea to help bridge the gap. She'll then be in a better position to know what sort of "feel" she wants from her horse when she goes out to buy one.
 
Thanks for all your advice.
The 16 hh she tried back in spring had a big stride and she didnt seem to bat an eyelid.At the livery yard where she is the girls are always swapping horses/ponies so she has ridden a few different types.Have got holidays for the next four weeks (not all with me...I'm not that well off..lol!) so will give us some thinking space.
 
I went from a 13.2 to a 16.2 at a local point to point yard (the quietest horse they had). I was very nervous for a while as they are completly different to ride - the stride and whole feel is "wrong" but it didn't take long to settle into it. I agree with the others that it would be a good idea to see if she can ride other people's horse for a bit so she gets used to the different feel then she will be able to concentrate more on the horse when she is trying one.

Good luck
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The physical size takes some adapting to but I'd disagree with the idea that horses and ponies are totally different - they tend to behave differently because they are treated and ridden differently.

She can still have just as much 'fun' with a horse. The last livery yard I was at had everything - teenagers on horses, teenagers on ponies, adults on horses, adults on ponies. What they did and how they acted depended on the rider more than what they were riding. some of the adults on ponies were very serious. some of the teenagers (and adults) on horses were still doing the whole gymkhana/picnic rides/silly stuff with the people on ponies.
 
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