Nanny bought a pony!

I don't think anywhere has anyone said keeping a pony is akin to rocket science, or that they were born knowing everything. However there is a huge difference between a beginner child having a pony on a good yard with back up to hand, & beginner children supervised by an inexperienced nanny at home. My 'unhelpful' comments weren't just posted as an opportunity to be rude, its because I have unfortunately witnessed it when it all goes wrong in similar scenarios. And I'd rather express my concern for both pony & kids, even if it offends nanny mcphee & her fan club, than lie & tell her how lovely I think it is. Imo too anyone who is put off a source of help they desperately need, whether here or pc just because everyone doesn't congratulate them on their ridiculous situation, is the kind of person who's attitude will always hold them back in gaining experience.
Anyway, have a spoonful of sugar to help my post go down, in the most delightful way.
 
Booboos get a grip, its dangerous crossing the road but we all still do it! its a pony not a fire breathing man eating dragon

If you habitually cross dual carriageways with your eyes closed, then I can see why you would compare that risk to the risk of a person who knows nothing about horses/riding looking after a pony and supervising 3 children while they ride it.

I'll happily look for a grip if you would oblige me by looking for some manners.
 
I don't think anywhere has anyone said keeping a pony is akin to rocket science, or that they were born knowing everything. However there is a huge difference between a beginner child having a pony on a good yard with back up to hand, & beginner children supervised by an inexperienced nanny at home. My 'unhelpful' comments weren't just posted as an opportunity to be rude, its because I have unfortunately witnessed it when it all goes wrong in similar scenarios. And I'd rather express my concern for both pony & kids, even if it offends nanny mcphee & her fan club, than lie & tell her how lovely I think it is. Imo too anyone who is put off a source of help they desperately need, whether here or pc just because everyone doesn't congratulate them on their ridiculous situation, is the kind of person who's attitude will always hold them back in gaining experience.
Anyway, have a spoonful of sugar to help my post go down, in the most delightful way.


Littlelegs I find most of your posts/comments to the point, blunt but with some truth but if I was looking for help in a subject I knew very little about I don't think I would find it helpful. There have been one or two comments on here about looking after horses as if it were rocket science.

None of us totally know if the nanny post is true or made up but I take things at face value and if I can help I will offer whatever expertise I have. If the person turns out to be a "troll" I honestly feel I have lost nothing.

There have been some very unhelpful comments on here about 'nanny mcphee and spoonful of sugars'. Do you do it for your own amusement ? I think you have a lot to offer those with so much less experience and just wonder why everything on this particular post irritates someone like you.

I truly do not wish to be offensive but honestly would love to know why. In most posts as I have said you are direct and to the point but more times than not right except for trolls or who you believe are trolls. You are not the only one who does it.

I have gained so much from this website, perhaps offer very little back, but will never understand why troll hunters go on so much. Now I will take whatever comes my way but will only do so if You and others can answer me truthfully why threads like this true or not irk you so much. No offense meant :confused:
 
so the 'troll hunters' have put the OP off the one place where she could get lots of very useful advice. Well done!

except despite her claims about how horrible everyone's been to her on the last thread it hasnt stopped her posting almost a reapeat here has it?- Its practically a duplicate, so that kindof shoots down your argument. .No one's put her off. So i Do wonder, if its all bluff just to wind us up a little more?

i will say that since the Riley debuncle im a tad more suspicious than i used to be,
i used to take posters at face value, mostly because i think people must be very bored or have a lot of empty time to make up such fiction for the sole purpose of trolling a fake personality to a lot of horsey people on the internet.

sadly tho, it seems there are people out there in cyber land with such dull little lives that they'd make up stories such as this so now i reserve judgement.

you can have a go at troll hunters but unfortunately we've been shown on here recently that they are here and quite good ones.

if you post such a story such as Nanny Sarah here with lets face it, a rather bizarre scenario, it could be true and for im not here to say its not, she or others cannot start wailing about lack of trust if a small percentage of poster are displaying a little sceptism.
Calling it "Bullying' is frankly ridiculous, an all too quick shout these days and undermines REAL bullying.


nanny sarah has still been offered excellent advise both on this thread, her last and through PMs so i think she's been pretty well treated actually.

id like to see some pictures of ponio too.
 
Last edited:
(p.s. I can't stop sneaking down to the paddocks to give him a cuddle, is this normal behaviour!? ;))

This melted my heart a little bit. Sarah, my hat is off to you, welcome to our world :) Make sure you get all the help and input you can get from those around you, take a stable management course and find someone local who might be willing to hack with the kids and teach you a thing or two. It's not always easy, but ponies are so very rewarding. Keep us posted x
 
Copied from my Facebook page....comments about a photo of my mini girls, both under 30" high.........

Comment...Katie would love to ride them x
40 minutes ago via mobile · Like

My reply... Ha, they are only 18 months old Karen, won't get any bigger either!
38 minutes ago · Like

Comment... Perfect. Katie is only 4. I need to get one for the garden x


There see, numpties do exist!!!!!
 
Thank you tp&ti.

Well done to those who spotted/sussed it out. Tbh I hate all the trolling stuff - i get into reading a thread and we go off on a tangent because the OP may or may not be a so called troll. Meanwhile if we'd have stayed on course I might have learnt some really useful gem of information from someone genuine who was posting something they thought would help whatever had been asked. So even though there clearly are trolls around I do find the information posted in reply to people mostly helpful/interesting.

Just as an aside if you right click and save any image posted on this forum and then go to google (.co.uk) and select "images" you can then upload the image from where you have saved it on your pc and search. Google will then show you everywhere that particular image has been posted on the net in public and also visually similar images. Makes things a whole load easier if you are searching for a particular image.
 
Morrismob- on the original thread I actually did make some helpful comments, pointing out the hazards of op keeping a pony at home, & along with others, suggestions of alternatives if the kids had to have a pony. And except for comments like Mary trollins haven't actually accused her of being a troll as I sadly can believe it maybe true. Mary trollins just has a nice ring to it really, no deeper reasons than that. The Mary trollins, nanny mcphee comments are indeed for my own amusement, I have an odd sense of humour. I can't really offer any insight onto why people call troll, iirc I have only ever called troll long after its been pretty much agreed on by half the forum.
 
The two threads started by the op have just reminded me of all the things I dislike about this forum!!
I cannot understand why people on here are so judgemental! So what the op has no experience we all started somewhere right? Or we're the rest of you born knowing everything you'll ever need to know bout owning a horse? Yes it's probably not the best idea anyone has ever had and yes 1000 things could go wrong BUT it could also go very well and who knows the op could end up with the uncurable addition that the rest of us have.


Anyhow to the op. hope all goes well with the pony. All I would say is read as much as you can, come on here lots (you can pick up loads of hints and tips just reading old threads) and go and get some practice experience elsewhere too. You will most likely pick up the basic everyday stuff pretty quickly but going getting some experience of some of the less frequently done things would be really useful. And get to know local horsey people and ideally get a few phone nos for people you can get help from if need be. If all else fails come on here and someone will help (even if 20 people accuse you of being a troll first)

Hope havent double posted with too many people as haven't read all responses
 
The two threads started by the op have just reminded me of all the things I dislike about this forum!!
I cannot understand why people on here are so judgemental! So what the op has no experience we all started somewhere right? Or we're the rest of you born knowing everything you'll ever need to know bout owning a horse? Yes it's probably not the best idea anyone has ever had and yes 1000 things could go wrong BUT it could also go very well and who knows the op could end up with the uncurable addition that the rest of us have.


Anyhow to the op. hope all goes well with the pony. All I would say is read as much as you can, come on here lots (you can pick up loads of hints and tips just reading old threads) and go and get some practice experience elsewhere too. You will most likely pick up the basic everyday stuff pretty quickly but going getting some experience of some of the less frequently done things would be really useful. And get to know local horsey people and ideally get a few phone nos for people you can get help from if need be. If all else fails come on here and someone will help (even if 20 people accuse you of being a troll first)

Hope havent double posted with too many people as haven't read all responses


Like this a lot ! Keep reading there is lots to learn old or new to horses and just ignore the unhelpful comments about getting 16.2 ex racers lol !
 

Thanks for that :) I missed it as funnily enough I was in Ireland - I'll show you my tan lines if you want.....

Only ever read one of his posts as the 'text speak' way of writing really annoyed me.

However, from what I can gather none of his posts ever resulted in people giving him good advice whereas in this thread at least the advice being given will / may help some people.

Therefore I neither care or are bothered if the OP is a troll.
 
Morrismob- on the original thread I actually did make some helpful comments, pointing out the hazards of op keeping a pony at home, & along with others, suggestions of alternatives if the kids had to have a pony. And except for comments like Mary trollins haven't actually accused her of being a troll as I sadly can believe it maybe true. Mary trollins just has a nice ring to it really, no deeper reasons than that. The Mary trollins, nanny mcphee comments are indeed for my own amusement, I have an odd sense of humour. I can't really offer any insight onto why people call troll, iirc I have only ever called troll long after its been pretty much agreed on by half the forum.

i was very tempted to reply to morrismob this myself that but her/his post wasnt addressed to me so i held off fingers itching!

who said it 'irked you'?!... simply as another reader i didnt get that impression merely that you were displaying a little sense of humour.
Not spiteful humour either.

..and for goodness' sake, are we really so pompous and pc around here now that we cant even display a little of that in case it offends someone? :confused:
 
Why is it that some people still have to have a dig. OP good on ya - you and your family have taken a huge leap into the unknown but so far have taken good advice from knowledgeable people. Keep up the good work - horsemanship is not rocket science, it is just good common sense most of the time and do you know what all the answers to all your questions are cunningly disguised in books! Some people on here think that just because you are a novice you shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a pony but I'll let you into a little secret that they don't want you to know ..... they were novices once too ...... ;-)

One word of advice - pony may be lovely and cute, but ponies have a nasty habit of behaving just like little kids - TERRIBLY! Do not let the pony get away with anything! If it puts a hoof wrong you make sure you put it right back on track! Think of it this way, your pony has 23 hours a day to eat, sleep, play and behave like the pony it wants to - you only want it to behave for that extra hour so make sure he knows it!
 
If the OP is a troll (which I doubt) then she is the most well articulated, polite troll I have seen on this board. At no time has she retaliated to any of the "Nanny McPhee/Mary Trollins" name calling, she has remained polite if a little frustrated at all times.

If you think she is a troll then say so, but back off with the name calling, sarcasm and rudeness - there is no need for it.
 
OP, I'm not sure of the set up at the place where family/pony live but you are going to need company for the pony. Do the family you work for know that?

They will get something from being with sheep but really need equine interaction too as they are herd animals.

It might be an idea to move the pony to a local livery yard if the family can't have/don't want another horse or pony where they are.

Have fun!
 
PS

Just seen that he didn't have equine company before. TBH with you he will probably still do better with a friend. Especially if he has been on his own a while go carefully about intruding them. Ideally you'd look at getting a loan pony (assuming the family don't need another themselves) from a charity that rehomes retired/unridden ones as 'companions' as they will give you advice on your set-up and if the ponies don't get on them it can go back. Another option that might suit would be for the family to rent out (they will need to work out tax implications and any planning permissions issues but plenty of people do this) another of the stables and shared grazing with your pony on 'diy' (this means they do all the care of their pony themsleves) to someone who has their own horse/pony and, ideally, has some experience. That way you'll have company (and possibly some advice) when mucking out etc and pony gets company too.

Another option you may want to look into is getting your employer to send you on a 'horse owners' or 'horse care and stable management' course. The BHS (British Horse Society) make the syllabus (and exams... you get a professional qualification if you decide to take the test at the end) but they are taught at riding schools all over the place. You could also try asking in the stables the kids ride in if they either do horse care courses or could give you some experience looking after theirs for free/in return for learning.

Definitely agree that joining Pony Club (or any other club/local riding group you can find) will be helpful.

Most people get advice from the rest of the yard when they start out but as you're on your own it will be invaluable for you to get second opinions/professional eyes on your pony regularly.

Getting an instructor for you and the kids who can come to your home to give riding/pony management lessons would also be really helpful.
 
^^^^^ Totally second this.

Here here. If nannysarah was a troll, nobody has anything to loose
HOWEVER if she is not a troll then all the helpful posts will have gone towards helping her give the best she possibly can for said pony.

Id recommend buying books such as the ones previous user mentioned (BHS horse care manual etc) I learnt the majority of things I know from books and when i was a kid i used to go to own a pony days knowing the answers to most of the questions put to us purely because i had read my horsey guides and books cover to cover about ten times. An instructor asked me on an own a pony day if i already had a horse.

If nannysarah was honest and not a troll and would like someone local to pop along and see said pony, there are a decent forum members on there who would do that.

It really is not a matter of troll or no troll, its making sure nannysarah and the children recieve the help this forum can give them

And about pony club, i would join it as although there are people in pony club who are snobby and stuck up there are also decent and helpful people as well
 
I think comparing OP to Rileyboy is a tad harsh, Riley was clearly full of ***** and even the most naive person could work out for themselves he was a troll.

OP's post, although people may not agree with them, they are plausible and if she is genuine she is only looking for some help.

Honestly, some people can be just down right nasty for their own "amusement". :confused:
 
Yes, that may be the case, but the ludicrous stories that Rileyboy came out with are the other end of the spectrum to OP's.

The point I was trying to make that people should offer some helpful advice, and if the don't like what OP is posting then leave the thread? If the OP is genuine they will have answers to their questions and pony will benefit. If they are a troll, it's not a massive deal as it takes very little time for people to reply and they will eventually get bored.

Trolls come onto forums to deliberately stir trouble for fun. Why fuel the fire?
 
Funny how everyone is saying now that its so obvious that rileyboy was a troll.....but at the time the few who actually said it were called 'bullies' :rolleyes:

I think most of us could see his identity looked unlikely. But some of us felt that as long as he wasn't being offensive, he should be given benefit of the doubt. As should all posters.

I think people who are living a lie trip themselves up in the end. As indeed did RB. :)
 
Top