Ponies..children…bit of a ‘what would you do?’

[maya2008]

Sorry, it’s long but any advice gratefully received!

Children:
- anxious 7yo who has all the natural talent in the world but needs a pony who will help her and mother her. Currently rides a 14hh ageing sports pony who is doing her best to keep going because she loves her little girl, but won’t last forever and can no longer canter comfortably. She is having lunge lessons at the moment on a borrowed pony to make sure she canters at least once a week.
- 9yo (pretty brave, has backed 3 Shetland ponies so far and civilised a naughty Shetland and a 12hh Welsh). Currently hacks his original naughty Shetland (now not naughty) and has a lesson 1x week on a friend’s 14.2hh because the Shetland is getting on in years and no longer wants to jump much (fair enough!). He loves his Shetland to pieces and she him. Plenty of inches of growing room until he grows out of her, so hacking at home on her is going to be fine for a good long while.

We also have:
- a 3yo who is currently 11.2hh and growing like a weed now her foal has been weaned (we didn’t put her in foal, she arrived like that!). She doesn’t like the 9yo much but mothers the 7yo (adoring doe eyes, gentle cuddles, indulgent standing still while 7yo reads to her…).
- a foal who will be 3 when my oldest is 11 (no idea what height she will make, currently 10.3hh at 6 months, dam is the currently 11.2hh 3yo above).

At the moment the plan is that my 7yo child will start riding the 11.2hh 3yo in late spring/summer on the lead rein out hacking and off lead in the school. I am long-reining and leading out hacking etc now in preparation for this. Her current pony is now only up for being ridden 2/3x a week, so we could alternate between them for a bit before she switches over fully.

So what do I do with the 9yo? I feel he is missing out on having a pony the right size to jump and play with. He either rides the Shetland or my husband’s cobx who is huge for him (15hh). Should we budget for another? If so, what size? Budget wouldn’t be massive so would probably be young (4/5yo). 9yo is smallish for his age and slim.

 

[rextherobber]

Not intending to be offensive, but does the 7 year old actually want to ride? When I was a child, one of my sisters rode because that was kind of what we did, but she was nervous and actually hated it, but was quite happy to potter about with the ponies without riding. The 9 year old has a pony he hasn't grown out of and another pony which he can jump etc, once a week, so I'm not seeing an issue there either....Apologies, am sure you'll get lots of more helpful replies!

 

[Jellymoon]

I would be wary of putting the anxious 7 yr old on a 3 yr old pony, however lovely it is and however much work you are doing with her. The young pony needs a competent, confidence giving rider and the child needs a safe plod.

 

[Jellymoon]

Are any of the shetties safe enough for the 7 yr old?

And I think I would then look for something for the 9 yr old, who sounds like a dude and needs a similarly cool pony to have fun on!

 

[Caol Ila]

In the States, everyone learns to ride on 15+hh horses, usually Quarter horses (average riding school ones are cheap and plentiful) but other types as well. Ponies are only a thing for the 1%, who can afford six figure hunter ponies. The rest of us learn on horses.

Can your son share the horse with your husband for a little while? If he still wants to ride as a teenager, then maybe that’s the time to budget for his own. Lots of kids lose interest around 12/13.

 

[Jellymoon]

Then the 7 yr old can have that one once the 9 yr old has outgrown it.
Sorted!
You are prob too attached, but could you sell any of them to raise funds?

 

[maya2008]

Not intending to be offensive, but does the 7 year old actually want to ride? When I was a child, one of my sisters rode because that was kind of what we did, but she was nervous and actually hated it, but was quite happy to potter about with the ponies without riding. The 9 year old has a pony he hasn't grown out of and another pony which he can jump etc, once a week, so I'm not seeing an issue there either....Apologies, am sure you'll get lots of more helpful replies!

7yo is anxious by nature but adores her current pony and is most confident and happy in herself when she is riding. She has also taken to the 3yo and runs up to her happily, wants to lead her and do things with her. 7yo and Shetland hate each other with a passion. Shetland thinks she should get a grip and be more confident, child isn’t actually capable of that and ends up crying and not wanting to get on.

 

[splashgirl45]

sounds like a loan of an outgrown pony club type would suit him. might be worth asking around locally rather than trying to buy from the open market..not sure what size but a 14 hands pony who is not too chunky might suit or a chunkier 13,2 should last him a while if you want to buy

 

[maya2008]

In the States, everyone learns to ride on 15+hh horses, usually Quarter horses (average riding school ones are cheap and plentiful) but other types as well. Ponies are only a thing for the 1%, who can afford six figure hunter ponies. The rest of us learn on horses.

Can your son share the horse with your husband for a little while? If he still wants to ride as a teenager, then maybe that’s the time to budget for his own. Lots of kids lose interest around 12/13.

That makes me feel much better about putting him on huge ponies already! Do I just get him jumping 50/60cm already then (so that his horse actually has to take off)? He really wants to jump, and did really enjoy jumping the 12hh he rode over the summer.

I originally planned for him to have the 11.2hh but it has a tricky past with humans (some of those holes in your Swiss cheese on your thread) and I feel much happier about putting the pony’s preferred child on it on the lead rein than the one it’s not keen on off it.

 

[View]

If he’s comfortable and confident on the 15hh cob, go for it. I‘d get him comfortable with canter poles and then popping over jumps. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that you are more worried about the height than he is, though

 

[ycbm]

Same in Switzerland back in the 80's. The children all learnt on horses, 15.2 minimum, at the riding school my loan was liveried at.

I once sold a 16hh to a friend for an 11 year old and she rode him really well and adored him.
.

 

[twobearsarthur]

I got my own pony at 9, which was a 13.1 show hunter. But before that at the riding school I was on a 14.3 (called Carmen) and a 15hh (called Bertie)they were who I learnt to jump on and I can still remember their names nearly 40 years later lol. I don’t remember feeling they were too big I just felt proud that they let me ride “real horses” if he’s comfortable I don’t see a problem.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Loan suitable ponies from Pony Clubs…swap em round when you need to…if you and your children get a reputation for looking after ponies well and riding well and regularly you ll have folk offering them rides.

 

[Annagain]

My friend's son went from his 13hh pony to her 17hh hunter type at 11 without any problems at all. It started accidentally when his pony got very excited at the beach, he got upset and we were miles from the trailer. They either both had to walk back or swap horses. Big lad was a total gentleman and from that day on her son didn't want to ride the pony any more. He looked ridiculous for a year or so but by 13 was eventing at 80 and he wasn't a brave kid at all. He's now 15 and 6'3" but has lost interest so friend is very pleased she didn't buy him something else.

If the cob has the right temperament and he enjoys him (and your husband is ok with it ) go for it.

I understand where you're coming from with your daughter and the 3 yr old but I'd maybe try to build her confidence on some different horses before she rides such a young horse. Could you get a short term loan of a pony club superstar (would the current pony she has lessons on be a possibiity?) If short term is difficult what about a longer term loan, run the two alongside each other and let the current horse retire and nanny the foal? (I assume you have your own land to have so many horses and to be considering more?) It's possible the 3yr old might challenge her a bit and she'd need the comfort of an older horse to come back to? Plus if your son is riding two, she'd have two to ride at the same time as well.

I'd also try to find a suitable older kid or small adult to get the 3yr old going before your daughter rides her. I appreciate this might not be easy though if she's had a bad start.