Too young to be ridden?

[Frans]

A couple of months ago we bought a c. 10hh pony from a riding school. It was a pity buy – we were there to look at something much bigger!

He looked very young, thin, and extremely cow-hocked but we all had a good feeling about him and felt strongly that he shouldn’t be working in the school. He has turned out to be wonderful – his hind-quarters and legs have straightened up, he moves beautifully, he’s filling out and he has a fantastic character. My five year old daughter can handle him pretty independently (under supervision of course!) which she is ecstatic about.

However, we’ve just had the dentist out and she guessed him to be about two and a half to three years old – a year younger than he is supposed to be – though she said he could be as old as three and a half if his tooth development was simply a bit slow.

So far we have been using him for light hacks with my 5 year old riding at mainly walk and some trot. Now I’m wondering whether to break my daughters heart and stop riding him altogether until we are sure he is older.

He has a young air about him and I don’t think he has finished growing yet. To be honest if we hadn’t bought him from a riding school I would have assumed him to be younger but couldn’t really believe that a school would use such a baby for lessons. He had been there about 6 months. His papers give 2007 as year of birth but this is unreliable as he was originally imported from Belgium to France without records.

His saddle is a synthetic cub type so weighs very little and my daughter is, if anything, small for her age and sits well. If we carry on as we are what long-term damage are we risking doing to him? I think he is going to be a really super little pony and would hate to mess him up!

Comments please!

 

[jsr]

If he were mine I'd pop him out into a field and let him be for a good old while. Poor little soul having done so much already, some riding schools should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[Archina]

Thats a tricky one. Sounds like he is a very good youngster if he is that young and your wee girl is riding him. Depends on how much working he is actually doing. How many times a week were you working him for and how long? I doubt your daughter could do any real damage to his back as she will be very light. If i was in your position i would limit the riding to once a week and for an hour tops untill next year. This wouldnt do any damage to him at all.

Also, if he didnt have the best start to life his development could well have been slowed down and he is the age you thought he was.

 

[horseless jorge!]

Both my vet and dentist say 'never judge a horse by his teeth'. I had a connemara cob that was 4 but his teeth said he was 7. And a TB that's teeth said she was 3. She was 6.

I would say his workload at the moment will be doing nothing bad to him, if anything it could be setting him up much better for the future. I'd just worry about the 'terrible threes' hitting and him all of a sudden becoming a little baby terror! I think you're doing him no worries at all however, providing he doesn't get jumped or galloped (no reason as to why he would with a small person on him anyway!

 

[Spring Feather]

You're already doing it so I'd keep on doing it. The pony won't be adversely affected by a tiny tot like your daughter riding him. If you turn him away then you could end up with all sorts of problems bringing him back into work and also finding someone who will get him fit and back up to scratch again. It makes much more sense to continue as you have been doing.

 

[brown tack]

Both my vet and dentist say 'never judge a horse by his teeth'. I had a connemara cob that was 4 but his teeth said he was 7. And a TB that's teeth said she was 3. She was 6

So true, I had a mare who was 12(?) when I got her, dentist came out only 5. Ok, looked and acted like a 12 yr old, so we aged her 8 sort of mid way in-between the two. Vet came out also said 5. Ok we thought.

5 yrs later we sold her, at vetting, the vet said she was 5. A running theme here.

Now 6 yrs later again the horse sold again, again her teeth still say she's 5, ok they are need of a good clean and she's missing a few now. But I've known her 11 yrs and she was supposed to be 12 when I got her so she's in fact 23ish old, it doesn't help the matter that she looks well, no long coat, or grey. Pretty much picture perfect, but had she fallen into bad hands they still could of got away with selling a horse younger then she is. However as she is such a star, she's always been sold very local, and I know every single owner of her since I've sold her. In fact the furest she's gone is the next village.

For some very odd reason her teeth just stopped growing and changing when she reached 5. According to the vets it does happen but is very rare. And often not known as such horses are said horses are past around with only part of there history

 

[fallenangel123]

Minis do tend to reach their adult height by the time they are two. You say he has straightened up behind as he has become fitter so as long as it is just tots riding and playing with him it is probably doing him good.

 

[Frans]

Thanks for the replies, I’m feeling a bit better now !
I think we’ve found a real gem of a pony as his basic character is so good. Some of his behavior is very young and I’m sure his head has elongated in the short time he’s been with us as he looks less babyish now. So, whatever his real age, he is just a youngster and we’ll continue to take things gently.