Pony for my daughter?!?!?

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Amber1012

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Hi,
I'm looking for some advice...my daughter is 3 and a half and since I e got back into horses recently she has been around the farm alot. She loves to groom and sit on my mares back ect, however my mare is 16hh and although she's safe enough for her to have a little sit and walk on (with me holding) I feel she would benefit from having her own pony so she can actually learn to ride and groom more than just 4 legs as that's all she can reach on mine! So...had anyone had a pony for a child this young? What were your experiences? I would loan first to make sure she wouldn't loose interest with her own to look after ect but I love the idea of her starting young and us hacking together in afew years time. I've been looking at welsh section A's...any advice on this? Also does anybody know if anyone who can give her lessons before he turns 4? In County Durham? Thanks :)
 
Hi Amber1012 - I dont have any constructive advice but do look on here at FfionWinnie's threads about Titchy - as FW's daughter is 4 and rides brilliantly!!
 
many people would get a shetland for kids this age, but she will outgrow it fairly quickly which would mean selling it which is very heartbreaking for a young child. also, once she gets a bit better she will probably want to ride at some local shows and off the lead rein, which a shetland is not best at. i would seriously recommend getting her a caspian pony. we have a breeding/riding stallion, two mares and a newly broken colt and have had many more in the past and they are the most talented, friendly and attractive ponies you could ever wish to meet!

caspians are exceptional jumpers and are very quick and agile, but are caring and really take care of little riders. they look like thoroughbreds but are only 10-12hh.
they are great to handle and NEVER need shoes and live off grass most of the time. they are also very strong and it will be a while before she outgrows it.
 
Personally, for such a young child, I would recommend a Dartmoor - they're quiet gentle and bold, but New Forest are also very calm and mannerly. I have seen a lot of small kids over-horsed on welsh ponies, who can be a bit sharp.
 
The girl who helps me with my Highlands has a 4yo daughter and they got an unbroken but well handled 3yo Shetland.

I did suggest the girl could break the Shetland by riding her as a balance bike (I was kidding, of course!:D) but she has turned out to be a near perfect lead rein pony from square one and is phased by nothing. The child and the pony are progressing together.

This is her young rider trotting. She is screaming with delight, not terror! Not as advanced as FW's but probably just as much fun for everyone. Go for it!

tetley_zps7b6d9ab8.jpg
 
Personally i love my section A ponies but i would say dont rule out any breeds, a little retired show pony could be ideal as they are narrower and easier on little childrens legs (ditto the Caspian) Im a big fan of show ponies - the British Riding pony is very under rated, they have been bred to be biddable as well as pretty
 
I got my daughter a section a when she was 2 and a half. He was great on the lead rein but couldn't be let go of so got her another welshie when she was 3 and a half. She is now 7 and a fantastic little rider. She competes regularly, goes to pony club rallies and hunts, all on the same pony she has had since she was 3. We have recently bought her a 13.2 section b who she is 'training' with help from myself and will become her competition pony next year. I would say go for it, my daughter is as competent as most teenagers.
 
ponies are all very different

, my friend has a shetland with the most amazing temperament, 4 little ones at the yard all share her now. the kids are aged from 1-7yrs, they all ride her (older ones off lead rein), groom her and catch and lead her from the field. she hacks out off lead rein with much bigger horses having a walk trot and canter.

the first pony i got my girls was a welsh pony, chestnut mare. she is amazing, on and off lead rein, alone and in company, she is 11.3hh but will jump 3ft 6 with older riders. as the kids learn to ride she is cheeky but if they start to fall off she stops so they can right themselves. she is out on load and has been for 3yrs now to the same family-i will never sell her as i could see her good nature being abused and she is an older lady.

maybe the best thing to do is ask around and look for a loan that another child has outgrown, that is what i did and i found ours had gone up for sale with the local dodgy dealer, i bought her untried, not vetted but she is the best kids pony ever because she really looks after the little ones but they dont get bored with her/outgrow her too quick
 
I'll offer a different opinion to everyone else: why not take your daughter to a decent RS for some lessons? They will have appropriate ponies, a school, an experienced instructor and other children for her to have fun with. She can see whether she enjoys riding in the first place and can learn to ride and have fun around other children. There won't be a problem with outgrowing the pony as there will be plenty of ponies to chose from as her skills improve and when she is older and has a better understanding of what is involved in committing to a pony she and you can decide whether she can have one of her own.

BTW I don't think it's very nice to take a pony on loan so that your daughter has a try at riding and return it if she gets bored. You should give your daughter the opportunity to find out whether she likes riding or not without messing the pony's owner around.
 
Hello. My daughter is 3 1/2 and we recently ended up with a 13.2 Welsh x !! Not what I had planned at all. Obviously he is far to big but I have known him for years he is kind and gentle with her and her little brothers and a star on the lead rein. I was offered Shetlands and 11hh ponies but I didn't know anything about them and felt better having a bigger pony I knew to be safe than a small one I didn't. If she stays interested I will look at loaning a little one when it is time for he to come off LR. Currently she is learning about pony care and gaining balance and having fun. She walks, trots, does lots of head shoulders knees and toes, touching mane tail etc.
Just saw the above - actually really agree with RS idea. That was my plan having declined the small ponies. Our pony only came to us as he needed a home urgently and I had the space and time for him.I will probably still send her to RS for lessons once she is 4.
 
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my friend has a 4yo daughter who has been sitting on ponies since she was 2, and an 18 month old who is always begging to sit on their backs. she has a dartmoor (cross i think) who is about 11-12 hands, who is also great to lead off other horses which when her daughter is a bit more confident is very useful. she also has a mini- Shetland we are backing at the moment, he is nearly 5, and is super with the kids. yes she will grow out of them in a few years, but then she has her younger daughter and my friends baby, so they have years of use! also they are very good doers so easy to keep quite cheaply: but the second ultimately only got bought to keep pony 1 company as she gets too fat turned out with the horses.

also agree welshies can be much more cheeky and strong on the whole
 
Booboos said:
I'll offer a different opinion to everyone else: why not take your daughter to a decent RS for some lessons? They will have appropriate ponies, a school, an experienced instructor and other children for her to have fun with. She can see whether she enjoys riding in the first place and can learn to ride and have fun around other children. There won't be a problem with outgrowing the pony as there will be plenty of ponies to chose from as her skills improve and when she is older and has a better understanding of what is involved in committing to a pony she and you can decide whether she can have one of her own.

BTW I don't think it's very nice to take a pony on loan so that your daughter has a try at riding and return it if she gets bored. You should give your daughter the opportunity to find out whether she likes riding or not without messing the pony's owner around.
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I wouldn't just loan a pony with the owners thinking it would be a long term thing, it was suggested to me by a family who had a pony on LWVTB so maybe I didn't word that right? I'm probably still not :-/ I'm confusing myself again :-/ (long day)

I have also been contemplating the RS option. :)
 
Thank u all for your help...I don't know many breeds so I will look into the suggested ones! :) I'm pleased there is many others who's children started to ride so young..I was half expecting alot of comments saying she was too young ect..
 
Personally, I would steer clear of welshes, shettie s and darties... Ok but a welsh would generally be too much in my opinion unless you have a one in a million.
 
Amber1012 said:
Aww how sweet!! 4 year old?? That's impressive! :)
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Yes. She has been riding since she was about 18 months, but really only seriously since January when we got Titchy, who incidentally had never been ridden before. I've had a lot of horrible Shetlands but there are super stars out there so get looking :). If its well handled and a nice temperament back it yourself. We got Titchy on a Friday, chucked daughter on bare back that day, saddle on that evening, hacked out on the lead rein sat and mon morning then took him to PC that evening. We had a blip when I clipped him and he went bananas for about a month but he has redeemed himself completely now. He can trot faster than my 13.1 welsh can canter. And he can easily keep up with my 14.1 quarter horse (fastest horses in the world allegedly lol!). We hack out for hours together now. I have no child care except my parents and that's when I am working so wouldn't be riding much other wise. Just this week she has started riding him off the lead rein on the roads as well (I still ride along side her obviously).
 
A Shetland pony hands down. You want something that can sometimes be a brat. Some kids who start on push button ponies just about have a break down when they're older and have to ride something feisty.
 
I also second the riding school option. Both my girls have sat on my pony for a lead out (they are nearly 5 and 7 now). Both have said they'd like to ride - I'm dubious as they are at the age where they say things they think mum and dad want to hear (they also say they want to ride a motorbike, drive a car etc.)

I am going to let them have a few lessons at the local riding school and see how they get on x
 
Ahhh, he sounds great! I can't wait until me and my daughter can hack together although I have a feeling my son ( who is 1 tomorrow) is going to be more into horses than any of us! He doesn't stop smiling when he sees them and they all seem to love him...even the ones who are scared of pushchairs! :)
 
RainbowDash said:
I also second the riding school option. Both my girls have sat on my pony for a lead out (they are nearly 5 and 7 now). Both have said they'd like to ride - I'm dubious as they are at the age where they say things they think mum and dad want to hear (they also say they want to ride a motorbike, drive a car etc.)

I am going to let them have a few lessons at the local riding school and see how they get on x
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Yes, I'm beginning to think riding lessons at a RS might be a good idea to start with ;)
 
Aw how sweet when they have all the gear on when they are so young! :)) shetties seem to be very popular for the young young children :)
 
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