Out of curiosity - what was your first pony like?

Mr first pony was a little skewbald Shetland. Was great fun - but got down and rolled with me on top when he got bored! My first ever rosette I won was a "special" rosette at a little local show, he bucked me off in each gymkhana game and I didn't cry (just ran after him, climbed back on and kept going!). Still got that rosette! Pride of place nearly 20 years later!!
 
my first pony was a very elderly old lady... a little 11.2 welsh section A. in her hayday she'd been well placed showing, had bred a couple of foals, but she had a mind of her own if she wasn't on the lead rein. She was a sweetie for kids to handle, but took no regard of them when they rode! By the time she came to us she was sway backed, and slightly cantankerous like all good old ladies! ;) She had a few years retirement and dies in her sleep aged 34...
 
A real little sh*t!!!

13.2 of fluffy grey self willed, opinionated, stubborness who was built like the proverbial poo house to boot! A firm believer in looking after no 1 he had a very high degree of self preservation but didn't care about you too much - particularly if you wanted to do something that he didn't!!

Having said that, he was a real character and taught me an awful lot - we kept him at a riding school in return for them 'using' him where he bugg*red off with two of their instructors whilst being used as an 'escort' for hacks, bucked off a prize pupil and dumped another in a thorn bush at the side of the road!!

He was responsible for teaching me that anger and frustration get you nowhere (except the floor!) and that every horse is different and needs treating accordingly - the phrase 'tell a gelding' never really applied to him either as 'telling' normally ended up with me (yep, you've guessed it), on the floor!!! You really had to work at making him think it was 'his' idea - once he'd got that in his head, he'd do anything for you.

I always regret selling him on but I have some wonderful memories of him.
 
I had my very first pony when I was nine: he was an Exmoor with a will of his own. He'd dump me (always in a cow pat), try to rub me off on the hedge/wall, bite, make faces, charge off with anyone stupid enough to get on him, and bronc for England. By the time I got to be able to deal with him, I was too big for him.

After that I had a lovely, sweet boy who was the complete opposite of the demon incarnate I've described above: he was gentle, patient, gorgeous dapple grey, would jump but not if you "presented" him at the fence, oh no he'd make his own mind up and if someone didn't feel right he wouldn't jump coz he wanted to look after his rider and not have them fall off.

He'd go past a working quarry; there were mega big machines all puffing their guts out, a turbo thing that crushed up stones right beside the road and making a din which you'd never be able to shout over; and at the same time as all this was happening there was a conveyor belt above the road where occasionally grit and water would go over, and then quite often there'd be a big stone or something get in the works and the whole structure would cough and heave and stuff would come down on the road!!! OMG it wouldn't be allowed now for sure. But my sweet little man would just walk past all that lot and not turn a hair, just walk on like he was out for a stroll. And he adored pigs: if he saw a field with a pig in it, he'd want the pig to come up and talk to him!

The day we lost him was a sad day: 25 years ago now, wait for me sweet little man in that big paddock in the sky .....
 
My first pony was a 14.2 4 year old Connemara cross Anglo Arab, he never put a foot wrong when riding him but had to wear a headcollar in the stable or he would pin me in the corner of a stable if you let go of him. We did everything from showjumping to beach rides. Where is he now? Still in my stable 20 years later, still an angel to ride and thankfully now very well behaved in every other way too.
 
My first was an 8 year old 15.2hh appy when I was 15. She was one of the other livery horses where my friend kept hers. She was UP FOR SALE, SO I took her out for a hack, but she was very spooky and jogged every where. Decided she wasn't suitable for a first horse, but was happy to keep riding her for the owner who was pregnant.

Go totally hooked and still have her 21 years on!!

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