Overbreeding-particularly small ponies?

[Elvis]

Whilst trawling through Facebook pages I've noticed a vast number of small ponies advertised for sale, many that have been repeatedly re-advertised at lower prices.

Now I know it isn't just small ponies that are struggling to sell, but there just seems to be so many of them, particularly between 10hh-12.3hh. The majority of them are young as well, and built too lightly to be suitable for an adult to ride.

So my question is what is the answer for those who have a young small pony and no jockey?

They aren't selling well, do you loan and hope it goes well and the jockey is capable enough, do you pay for a small experienced rider, or do you have them as companions for other horses?

Do people think that overbreeding is particularly bad in small ponies?

No experience myself, and maybe I've got this all wrong but it's something I've been thinking about.

 

[hnmisty]

So my question is what is the answer for those who have a young small pony and no jockey?

The answer seems to be "breed from it"

A small pony could be broken to drive.

I've seen some photos of people who are breeding from their Shetties purely because foals are cute and their kids will love a foal... until they get bored of it or can no longer afford it. All these people on the group on FB thought it was really cute. I thought "********** idiots".

 

[WelshD]

the situation with section A ponies seems to be really bad - I dont know whether its breeders breeding a lot in the hope of a show quality pony or something but looking at the recent Fayre Oaks prices there is a pattern in the published prices where one pony from a stud sells well and others dont. Perhaps its to do with getting the ponies on the ground for a market that is yet to come I dont know but there are a LOT of section A ponies going very cheap - I paid more for my kitten than my two ponies put together cost

 

[siennamum]

does my head in, there are far, far too many welsh A's, B's and so called hill ponies. The knackerman's field up the road from us is often filled with gorgeous ponies, all look like real class M&Ms & often have foals at foot or are in foal, sometimes both at the same time. People still just keep breeding.

If a pony isn't suitable as a child's pony & often sec A's in particular aren't, then I think it faces a bleak future.

 

[Elvis]

The answer seems to be "breed from it"

A small pony could be broken to drive.

I've seen some photos of people who are breeding from their Shetties purely because foals are cute and their kids will love a foal... until they get bored of it or can no longer afford it. All these people on the group on FB thought it was really cute. I thought "********** idiots".

Unfortunately I think there is a lot of 'put it in foal' advice around, just because a horse doesn't have a use (not ridden etc) there is no need to put it in foal so it has a 'job'

 

[Elvis]

And yes welsh A's do seem to be particularly prevalent at the moment. I'm sure some are more than suitable as children's ponies, but the ones I've meet have been quite sharp.

 

[mandwhy]

I have a little welsh A youngster on loan, she is just a companion really - I actually just love watching her being a pony and larking about as my horse is rather sedate and a bit of a party pooper! Little one loves to gallop at full tilt! When she is old enough I would like to drive her but she is pretty sharp... I can't see her being a lead rein pony or first ridden but possibly good for a confident child who wants to gallop and jump and play games (she is very fine though so its a bit of a niche!) She has a good heart but can be dramatic. She is basically a mini Arab

I too have seen a lot of small, pretty, sensible ponies for sale, nice useful experienced ones for like 400 quid. I don't know how my little furry friend would be able to compare, not a good plan for making money so god knows why people are still breeding them. I think in her case and all the other ones they got off the mountain that time, it is simply too much effort to NOT breed them :-/

 

[frozzy]

I have had Welsh ponies for about forty years and before I had my own I did my apprenticeship at a Welsh stud where my love for the breed came from. I bred nice useful ponies for my children to ride and also for my grandchildren. We are not talking numbers here, just a nice long thought over planned foal every few years. But no longer. The children are adults, their own children not as keen as their parents and my lovely stallion is redundant. I have a selection of lovely quality ponies under 13.2 and hell will freeze over before I will let them leave to an unknown future. I will home them eventually to the right homes but my small number isnt the problem, its the large studs breeding 10 plus foals a year creating a problem and will continue to until our society starts to police it. I listened to a programme on radio 4 about Dartmoor hill ponies, about how the Dartmoor zoo had built an abbatoir at their own cost to kill to feed their own and to sell to other zoos. The skins are made into drums for hippy types. Problem ? No problem, remove anything male that is capable of breeding for ten years and the problem wont exist.

 

[Elvis]

Frozzy- sounds like you are one of the responsible breeders- and someone who breeds small ponies that are suitable for children to ride.
And although it might sound drastic, maybe that's the kind of thing that needs to happen (stop stallions breeding for a few years) to reduce the numbers of inappropriate small ponies that are not suitable for the purpose they were bred and are facing an uncertain future.

 

[millikins]

Aside from the problem of unregulated breeding from ponies that are worth less than it costs to geld them, is it the other end of the spectrum of the "can my 14.2h cob carry 9st" attitude? That ponies under 12hh couldn't carry anyone other than a lead rein rider?

 

[pickwickayr]

I have a beautiful welsh b 5 year old who has been advertised for 6 months but no interest at all! So I have had to take her out showing, whp and sj where she has been 1st or 2nd everytime out. Still no interest in her! I'm lucky I am small enough to ride her and have a 7 year old son who can do lead rein games and gymkhanas with her. There is no way I would sell her to an unknown future either! And I still see so many welsh b foals for sale! When will people realise there is no market for these ponies at the moment!

 

[vieshot]

No market for much though. We just purchased a 15hh yearling straight from the meat dealers field. He had picked him up at a local sale for just over £100. He's going to be a big, useful horse when he grows up but nobody wants the hassle of having to geld and feed a baby, especially when decent riding horses are going for peanuts.

Annoys me when I see people advertise crappy little welsh type ponies, picture of them loose in the field grazing, not seen a brush before etc. Hard enough to sell these animals as it is, at least put a few hours into them and give them half a chance!

 

[windand rain]

Perhaps the biggest problem is the fashion for keeping anything and everything entire so there are hundreds of unwanted unexpected BOGOF foals being born each year too everything should be gelded on its mum unless you intend to keep it until it old enough to find out if it is good enough to stay entire. 1 mare 1 foal 1 colt or stallion dozens of foals. Maybe it people were more discriminating on what they use their stallions on and more mare owners took a long hard look at the market and the ability to keep the foal A foal in my opinion should never reach the floor if the intention is to sell it before it is at least three years old. Not saying circumstances for some dont change but if you breed you have a life long responsibility to your progeny so every foal should be wanted and loved for itself regardless of sex and colour. I have bred about 7 foals in 45 years of horse ownership one is still with me but apart from one I know where every one of them is. If you want a foal to buy seek out a reputable breeder and ask them to breed it for you so it is yours from conception to training but again you wont have to be too fussy about sex or colour and maybe even height and conformation. Why people breed dozens in the vain hope of getting a champion I will never know each foal has the right to a loving home from day 1

 

[gwniver]

i just have taken on a mini Shetland that would have gone to the meat man if I didn't take him on , luckily I needed a companion!!

 

[Pigeon]

There's literally hundreds of free/cheap "GOT TO GO!!1!" sec As on our local fb page. Mostly unbroken youngsters.

 

[gwniver]

There's literally hundreds of free/cheap "GOT TO GO!!1!" sec As on our local fb page. Mostly unbroken youngsters.

yep my one is feral hardy touched

 

[hairycob]

People at our yard have just bought one. Told it was 3, it's nearer 2. It's got no passport & they were spun the sob story that it had been rescued from gypsies (sigh!). Very novice owners, have bought it for their 5yo daughter were horrified to realise that
a) they need to get a passport
b) it's going to cost a fair bit more than the pony.
At least they now realise that it's too young to ride & it does have a nice temperament but they don't have the experience to do anything with it & need a lot of support to get very basic care right.