New Forest ponies

tabithakat64

tabithakat64

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What do people think of the breed as an all round type for an adult?
What are their what carrying capabilities?
Any generalisations about the breed from your experiences welcome
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Hi, Can only tell you about ours; 12.3h gelding, 15 years old. Was a ridding school pony, but was too strong and quick. I bought him for my daughter when she was 9, she adores him. Now at the age of 18 she no longer has he time for him, but I started riding him in May. I'm 45 and 5ft 3 and weigh just under 10 stone. He carries me with ease, I have an hour lesson once a week with some jumping and hack him out 3 times a week for about 1/2 hours. I think they are fab
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. Never had the vet out in 6 years, he lives out all year, unclipped and unrugged; He would step over a fly on the ground, and will take a mint out of you fingers without barely touching you.
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On the down side, a lot of them are very strong and very quick
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, but like any pony there are good and bad!!
 
That's pretty much what I thought. I used to ride several as a child and loved most of them. Apparently the larger stockier ponies are more than capable of carrying full grown men.
At 5 foot 2 I'm not going to be too tall for a larger NF but am worried that post diet (I'm aiming for 10 stone) I'm going to be too heavy even for a fit, healthy pony with excellent conformation.
I've just heard the two year old NF I used to look after is for sale, he is stunning, should make around 14hh and has a great attitude. Not that I should even be considering buying a 3rd horse
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I had a NF on loan as my first pony. Basically it was a disaster and the poor pony had been weaned far too early so had no idea how to react in any situation. She was a ****, she was either napping or she was bolting. Until she learnt to rear, then she did that as well.
It certainly didn't put me off the breed though (even if she had been another breed she still would have acted the same IMO due to her history) and I reckon she would have been fantastic at pony racing. She was a very quick learner and if she could have figured out what to do with poles she would have been a fab SJer (she never did manage it, she was five when I had her and she's 13 now and has never jumped in her life, she just couldn't do it!) as she was a very quick mover. Sadly she just learned to use all her qualities for negative things!
 
I have 2 and they are fantastic, they are both 13.2 mares and I had them at 5 and 6 as first ponies when I was 10, I'm now 21. They have taught me so much and I also taught them to drive when they were 13 and 14. They also produced me 2 fantastic foals this year, and I can't wait to get back to driving them.

My sister rides one, competes, hunts, etc and she is 5'2" and 10 stone, no problems at all. They are extremely strong ponies!
 
I'm sure Binkybex won't mind me posting this, Eliza was an unbroken NF she bought to bring on, and certainly coped with a 5'4 rider, this was after RC showjumping, about 3 months after being broken. This pony was going on to be a fab PC ride, but would still have carried an adult

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I had a 138cm NF when I was on ponies - brilliant little eventer who qualified for national championships in Sweden back in the day, and a great showjumper as well. I love the breed, and the larger types would have no trouble at all with an adult rider. In fact, at 5,3 and 8.5 stone my 138 pony would probably still be better for me than a 17hh warmblood... I am getting all nostalgic now...
 
The three I have known, two of them (one of them wild out of the forest) were incredibly stubben and lazy. The third one was an absolute star, was around 13.2HH and jumped the moon for her owner and was lovely so wh can say??
 
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thats creepy was gonna post something along these lines myself! im going to see a 14.2hh new forest, im 5ft 3in and weigh just over 10st will i be ok??

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That's the same height and same average weight as me and I've owned, ridden and backed several NF ponies between 12.3hh and 14.2hh. You'll be absolutely fine on one.
 
love them
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utterly wicked ponies, but do have a nasty stubborn streak at times; got my confidence back from riding them
 
i had one, he had been breed to show but grew to 15 hh he was like a mini warmblood, done everything with him and although when i rode him he had his nutter moments, with the kids he was a complete star, pm me your email if you would like some piccies.
 
My friend adores them, though hers is a pain in the arse! When behaving himself though he is a real confidence giver, and helped me get back on after a scare with my own horse.
The ones I have known have been full of character and generally good all round ponies
 
I think they are fantastic!
Had a mare as a FR for my daughter, and she went on to be an RDA pony.
We now have two geldings, my daughter has a NFX 14.2, he jumps like a stag, does wonderful flatwork, hacks out on his own, so easy to have around - he is one in a million.
We also have my daughter`s previous NF, 13.2, I ride him now, and although he can be very spooky and quite exciteable sometimes, we love him to bits and would never part with him.
Our livery is also a NF and he is absolutely awesome, looks and acts more like a WB stallion!
They are so versatile, and great for adults or children.
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When I said weight carriers I was thinking 11 stone+.

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they can, and do, carry full grown men on drifts.....12/13 stone...

very hardy breed and very versatile....

i wouldbe surprised if this lump could only carry 11 stone!!!

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or this!!......


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I've got a14hh 13 yr old new forest gelding - very stocky. I and 5ft 9 and about 10 stone, my mum is 5ft 6 and about 11 stone. Does not have a problem carrying either of us. He is very cheeky but great fun. I jump him up to about 2ft9 but he does 3ft10 with chase me charlies on a regular basis.

He has been ridden on the lead / lunge by 10 yr old and looked after them. Also riddden by a 11yr old who is really confident and was much more forward going. Mind you if he thinks he can get away with it he will try. He can be stong when he is excited but I've got him in a pelham now rather than a frenvh link and he is much better.

Unfortunately we are going to be selling him soon - but I really dont want to as he is great fun.
 
Theyre said to be able to carry a stone to every hand!
I have two, one is 14hh and i taught bf to ride on him, bf is about 12stone. They ARE good weight carriers and are generally very good allrounders. I would recommend them to anyone, i know a very good breeder who will sell you a freshly broken 4yo for the region of £800 if your interested and in the Hampshire area.
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They are fab!! The one in my sig is 14hh and I'm 5'4 8 1/2 stone and he was fine, though he is a stockier one!! He is the sweetest natured little man, is more like a dog than a pony!
 
We have a 13.2hh forest bred NF who is a JA pony with BSJA winnings of c.£4,500. She won one of the Blue Chip Championships when a novice and jumps 13.2hh 2nd rounds which finish at 1.30m. She is the sweetest pony in the world and the easiest to handle but to ride is very forward.

I recently posted in competition riders about our eldest child's height and weight (5'4 and 8st) and everyone who responded said she would be fine for him to continue to jump.
 
My daughters have one each, both are around 14.1. They are very different, the grey is a "proper" Forest Bred pony, very placid and laid back, the chestnut is stud bred by the Breed's Top Stallion out of a forest bred mare and is more of a worrier. Both have a very well developed sense of humour. They are actually related via the dams lines. The greys grandsire is the chestnuts great grandsire. Not that you would ever guess by looking at them. I ride them both, I'm 5'6 and about 11 stone and they carry me fine, no protests of any kind. They both like me riding them. The chestnut looks after me, the grey looks after my daughter and is a happy hooligan when I get on. In general, they're friendly and affectionate ponies who live on fresh air. For your information the registered foresters taking part in this years point to point in the novice nf class will have to carry a minimum weight of 12 1/2 stone.
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I used to have 2 on loan at different times. Both were forest bred. One lived out, no shoes, was stocky and a real cheeky mare who used to run rings round me when I tried to catch her, but she was a steady ride, easily carried 13 stone.

The other one, a gelding was a worrier, very slight and narrow, lived in at night, out during the day and a fussy eater.
Very very strong, jumped like a stag, hard to stop at times and very fizzy. He wasn't like this to begin with, but made as his owner liked to bomb him around. But, you could've ridden him down the middle of the M25, he was unflappable in traffic and I adored him.

I also bought 2 feral foals off the forest and sold them when they were 3yrs old. They were gorgeous and fun girlies.
 
interesting..... as i have had a hankering for a new forest pony too....

What hight do the forest bred ones usually hit? I assume that they usually go through specialist sales.... where would the best place to look for details on these sales and what is the average price?
 
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