Tomorrow's the big day.....

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TheFarmersWife

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Tomorrow I get my very first pony. Well, she's for my daughters really but I'm very excited. I used to ride as a child/teen but haven't done for years.
Daughters are 9 & 7 and have been having lessons for a few years each.

Only problem is I've lost my nerve a bit. A few years ago I went hacking with a pal at a bit of a dodgy stables (run out of a double-decker bus) and the horse bolted and didn't stop for two fields. Since then I haven't been on the back of a horse.

The pony we've bought is beautiful, kind, young and very promising. I'm suddenly terrified I'll get it all wrong and traumatise the poor thing and screw up all the previous owners good work. Also I don't want my girls to see my nerves and get anxious themselves.

Maybe I should get to bed and stop worrying.
Thanks for listening.
 
Now I'm going to go to bed worrying about a promising youngster going to a home where the adult hasn't ridden since their teens and has lost their nerve and their stables are at home, so no outside help on hand if a problem occurs. And it will! Right after the last and just before the next...
 
You will be fine! I bought my FIRST and only horse 6 years ago after not riding for 16 years and we are doing fine. It's going to be a learning curve from the day the pony arrives until the day the pony is no longer with you. Chill out and enjoy it for what it is - unrequited love with lots of sighs and impatient stamps (or is that just my horse???). xx :D
 
Good luck! its so exciting getting your first, enjoy it, revel in the feeling of being that little girl who's long disappeared childhood dreams have just come true!

Be brave, i would definitely recommend that you get a really good instructor out, i dont know if you are planning on riding the pony or it is just for your girls but either way a decent instructor coming out regularly to give you lessons will be a godsend to you and the pony and keep you on the right track with his schooling, i also find mine is an absolute goldmine of good advice. Are your kids involved on your local pony club, if not i would suggest they join, its a great way for your kids to learn a tonne of horsey knowledge and stable management, and you can meet other horsey mums to share advice and horror stories with!

Never be afraid to ask a silly question, take advice, seek knowledge, get a good all round stable-management book for all thoses times youre not quite sure about something and need to look it up. The internet is great for all kinds of advice from moral support to advice about feeding and veterinary problems.

Good luck and congratulations on your new purchase! .....Now post some pics!!!
 
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Blimey, that was reassuring! Thanks. Or maybe it was so I would answer you like this (therefore proving that all will be well).....
My parents live 100yds from the paddock and my Dad is an experienced horseman. My neighbours (one of whom regularly exercises the pony for the current owners) have horses and are on hand. The current owners are good friends and live three miles away.
Plus we currently have over four thousand animals on our farm so I'm pretty well versed (and my husband is pretty much expert) in animal husbandry and veterinary where needed.
So I may be a bit 'green' but I don't see that a reason to write me off too quickly either.
Thank you, that has out me in a much much better frame of mind. Bring on the morning.
 
brighteyes said:
Now I'm going to go to bed worrying about a promising youngster going to a home where the adult hasn't ridden since their teens and has lost their nerve and their stables are at home, so no outside help on hand if a problem occurs. And it will! Right after the last and just before the next...
Click to expand...

Wow! That was a tad harsh!

OP, good luck for tomorrow :D hope everything goes well for you, your daughters and the new pony. :) x
 
You'll be fine :) You'll probably go through the "what the hell have I done" stage, but it's all worth it.

Your girls are very lucky and I'm sure they'll have hours of fun, much better than sitting indoors watching the tv.
 
Clearly my last reply was aimed at Brighteyes, who I fear will have a bad nights sleep now due to me.... Shame ;)

Syrah, Geralsine and BlairandAzria thank you. I have two instructors both offering their help and plan to take them up on it. The local pony club is supposed to be great and I plan to make contact very soon, once we've found our feet.
Thank you again :)
 
Feel I should explain my promising youngster...
I wanted to buy 'the right' pony for my girls. My friend bred this pony, I saw it the day she was born, my friend has since brought on this lovely girl who is now seven. The daughter of my neighbour has been exercising the pony and showing her, although she is 15 and getting a bit big for her.
I wanted a pony who is quiet, kind, who I know the history of and who has no hidden vices if I am going to have her for my two of my precious children. I feel as their mother I owe them that. This lovely girl ticks all those boxes.
Now, I am turning in. Goodnight!
 
Sounds like you've got lots of experienced people on hand to help you out if you need it! You'll be fine, have a great day tomorrow, bet your girls are dreaming about all the fun they are going to have with their new pony! xxx
 
Well, good luck with your new purchase. I couldn't work out whether Brighteye's response was for real or not or whether it was tongue in cheek. Anyway, I do think some people tend to forget horses are just horses at the end of the dayand provided they are given food, water and general care it is actually difficult to 'ruin' them. I am sure you will do absolutely fine. Christ, people are not born horse experts but we all generally learn as we go along don't we. It's not like you're inexperienced with animals full stop. Most horse care (and indeed animal care) is common sense at the end of the day, horses don't need to be mollycoddled and handled with kid gloves after all.
 
I feel I should finally follow this post up.
We got our beautiful pony. She was an absolute star, really lovely and we got on well with her. My daughter found her very easy to handle. But then disaster struck. After a month of having her, she was being ridden (by the girl who originally backed her, so not a novice) and she spooked, at what we shall never know. Anyway her rider came off and the pony took off. Whenee found her she had broken her leg. She had crashed through a ditch and possibly caught her front leg in a rabbit hole. She had to be put to sleep. It was my ten year old daughter who found her. You can't begin to imagine the hell we went through (or maybe you can).

It's been hard. She's been buried here and has a headstone. We saved some tail hair and 'tail-end jewellery' made beautiful bracelets for the children. She will never be forgotten.

We eventually started looking for another pony. It took E&L 3 months to pay up. We've been to see lots. We've had a lovely cob on trial and he's a star. We're getting him vetted and if all goes well we're buying him. I've taken it slowly and started having lessons again.

Anyway. That's what happened.
X
 
So sorry :(

Hope the cob works out for you, and pleased (amazed) that E&L paid out at all, I'm sure the people on here could recommend some alternative insurance companies if you wanted.
 
Although he's only 7 he is so calm and chilled. He is a ride & drive and bombproof in traffic. The day he arrived (a month ago) a huge double-decker cattle lorry full of hollering cattle pulled up next to him and unloaded into the field next to his and he didn't flinch, just watched whilst eating.
I took him off down a road he'd never been down, open fields either side, flanked by trees on the windiest day in October and he couldn't have cared less.
But he's not lazy either, keen to work.
My far more experienced horsey friends are very impressed by him. I've been told by several I'm mad if I don't buy him.
He just feels right.
X
 
So sorry to hear of your loss.
What a hard way for your daughters' first horse-owning experience to end. I'm sure that even though they live on a livestock farm, that would be a traumatic time for them. Unfortunately accidents happen to both the inexperienced and the experienced.
Good luck with your cob! I always say that R&D horses are perfect first horses because they are usually unflappable.
 
I think I'll take a guess that I've met you - if you're near the A1. I think I bought an antique hayrack from you. We spoke about your getting a pony. If that's so then anyone who was worried about this lady's knowledge and animal (common) sense really doesn't need to worry and her support network and facilities are ace.

As to what happened to the pony, what a terrible accident and how awful for your children, especially your daughter who found her. I hope that the new lad is everything you have dreamed of and has much more luck.
 
Hello Jemima-too!
Yes we have met. Thank you for your kind words. New boy settling in well and we're all enjoying him.
As for everyone else, thank you for your thoughts and kindness.
It was a hard time but we have learnt from it and hopefully we'll now have good times.
Xxx
 
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