Unsellable pony? What to do?

Leo Walker said:
http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/s...Id=3365&advertType=forsale&orderBy=mostRecent
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Is this the same pony?
The pony in this add sounds nothing like the pony you have. You need an HONEST description, and then you will find the right home. Lots of experienced, teenagers/adults would love a pony like the one you have (probably more honestly) described on here, that is forward going and fun. This advert is (in my humble opinion) is not really honest, if it is the same pony.
When we sold my daughters outgrown pony, he was very similar to yours, needing a very experienced rider. A couple of people tried him, but found him too much of a handful, but the girl who bought him, just laughed when he spooked at the same pony eating bush twice, and wanted him for jumping, which is what he was good at. But we were honest about him being a handful, and we found the right home for him, but if you are not honest about the pony, you could end up in hot water. He is Welsh D, and the girl still has him, she sends my daughter the odd text, you just need to find the right home.But I do agree with those who said call the vet.
 
wingedhorse said:
How rude re horsemanship comment!

I am neither a novice rider or competitor and have more than one horse, and hack extensively in open country, compete at BD medium (and Endurance though not recently) and am very aware of the strengths and weaknesses of my riding and horse training.

It is common sense that not all horses suit all riders or all purposes. I have been very clear about this horse, to attract someone who will enjoy him. He is certainly not a difficult or dangerous horse, but he is a horse suited to a certain type of home and rider.
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It not meant as a comment about you, the fact that you think you have to explain in an advert, what you call quirks, but I see as with in the range of normal horse behaviour to anyone wanting a horse at that level of training is sad.

Horsemanship is not about riding, although it could include riding, the men who worked with plough horses hardly ever rode. To me horsemanship is the understanding of the horses behaviour, so you can manage them well. As I have bought and trained number of children's ponies where I have never been able to ride them, by management of situations or environment you weight the situation so you are more likely to get a successful outcome.
You are right not every horse suits every rider, but expectations of horses, the whole ,'bond' thing, the fact that people seem unable to see them as animals, to have instinctive needs, which we, because we are supposed to be the cleverer animal need to understand and adapt to.
I have bought ponies cheaply because they have been seen to have a problem, I am no horse expert, but simple changes in management, has made these ponies happy, cooperative, and go on to have a long successful working life.These sort of things anyone should be able to do, with out the aid of the back man, dentist and vet, its basic horsemanship.
 
I have just looked at the advert! I have never paid more than 2k for horse! Our quirky 14.2 mare cost 2k seven years ago! I happily paid that as I could see the potential! 1800 isn't a horrendous price for a pony that just sounds a bit quirky. We are buying a house with land next year so I would be looking for a project at that price!
 
I haven't read all the replies, but I had an unsellable pony. The 'occasional buck' turned into launching my daughter into orbit unpredictably. Then having dumped daughter the pony galloped off down the road and as a result was lame and off work. Vet agree that we could try and get her in foal. Despite the efforts of the stud she did not get in foal and the vet was of the opinion that she would never breed. By this time she was sound, (having spend a pleasant few months at stud) so I had her given a complete examination including back treatment.

I then advertised her as a free loan with a view to buying. She had some good points, but basically she was an infertile, 17 year old pony that had been unsuitable for a young teenager child. Some people came to try her, I gave them the complete history and said that if she bucked I would come and fetch her back (and she would have gone straight to the kennels).

However, they had her on loan for 3 months, she was a tremendous success and did exactly what they wanted, never bucked and turned into a perfect pony. They bought her.
 
Rowreach said:
I don't know why the OP would bother with a full vet work-up when she can just get a few people on HHO to diagnose all the pony's problems from two photos.
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Nice reply well said, and so true.


Poor pictures of the bay mare, wrong angle could lead to sway back but until we see a side view with a proper angle I will pass on judging the pony. You could also say with the angle the picture is taken, the rider looks too big on her, but it is misleading.
 
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ILuvCowparsely said:
Nice reply well said, and so true.


Poor pictures of the bay mare, wrong angle could lead to sway back but until we see a side view with a proper angle I will pass on judging the pony. You could also say with the angle the picture is taken, the rider looks too big on her, but it is misleading.
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The rider is not too big for the pony!
 
OP if you are still following this thread, can I ask in what way your pony is 'unpredictable/unreliable'? You say she hacks out alone and in company and is good in traffic. Is the 'behaviour' associated just with work in the school? Does she actually like jumping? or is this where the problem occurs?

Is she always well behaved when hacking out and in traffic? If she is then those are the things I would emphasise. Perhaps she needs a break from jumping, rallies etc.

I bought my first horse from a riding school, where he was 'grounded' every winter because he threw so many of the clients, once he was stabled!! He hated school work but was a fantastic driving horse, I took him out every weekend in harness then started riding him again - he never bucked again after I bought him.
 
the horse market is totally baffling. Do people know what the want at all? Everyone wants a safe horse they can have fun on yet my yard has a 15h med to light weight cob who can XC within reason up to 80s, SJ again in reason up to 90s on a good day, safe to hack and handle in any way ridden by beginners to the competor who took her XC/SJ and at only 9 not hard worked so sound as houses, barefoot and good doer...and NOONE wants her. Yet the 4yo hot connie with no work bar green broke was sold in a week! Honestly i think people want these amazing show horses but have no capability to handle them...then its the horses or the sellers fault. Noone wants the good horses but want the bad horses to be good.....

p.s. this cob is advertised honestly, as safe and needing a strong rider as she can be lazy if let to be (like many cobs!!) but totally safe. But everyone wants a horse you don't have to ride...then get scared of it instead of work on it.

My boy for example can be lazy if let to be, but ive worked on him and hes much more forward and reponsive now...people who rode him before have commented on that and my instructor has too..it CAN be worked on..people don't want to do the work but want to be show ready and think a hot horse will make them that....then freak when horse is too much...gah. rant rant
 
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Dave's Mam said:
Equi, the ad for this pony beggars belief though.
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Compared to what the OP is saying here yeah, i agree. Its hard to advertise a horse thats okay a lot then suddenly not one day though too..as you know Dave, my boy is 99% perfect..then one day he will have a notion and go on his crazy mood and noone ever believes me about him until the see him in full flight. But then i can handle it cause im not 12 and know what im doing, and hes not nor will ever be advertised as a teen horse hes really a mans horse but im a big man beast anyway hahahahah
 
equi said:
Compared to what the OP is saying here yeah, i agree. Its hard to advertise a horse thats okay a lot then suddenly not one day though too..as you know Dave, my boy is 99% perfect..then one day he will have a notion and go on his crazy mood and noone ever believes me about him until the see him in full flight. But then i can handle it cause im not 12 and know what im doing, and hes not nor will ever be advertised as a teen horse hes really a mans horse but im a big man beast anyway hahahahah
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Confused, thought you had Jed and minis and Daves Mum had Dave?
 
equi said:
the horse market is totally baffling. Do people know what the want at all? Everyone wants a safe horse they can have fun on yet my yard has a 15h med to light weight cob who can XC within reason up to 80s, SJ again in reason up to 90s on a good day, safe to hack and handle in any way ridden by beginners to the competor who took her XC/SJ and at only 9 not hard worked so sound as houses, barefoot and good doer...and NOONE wants her. Yet the 4yo hot connie with no work bar green broke was sold in a week! Honestly i think people want these amazing show horses but have no capability to handle them...then its the horses or the sellers fault. Noone wants the good horses but want the bad horses to be good.....
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So the connie got sold- have the buyers complained? If not thats rather an unfair thing to say just because someone preferred a connie to a cob!! I would - everyone has their preferences.
 
stormox said:
So the connie got sold- have the buyers complained? If not thats rather an unfair thing to say just because someone preferred a connie to a cob!! I would - everyone has their preferences.
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LOL yes quite! I've just bought a green broke stressy Connemara 5yo before she even had a chance to be advertised. Seller had plenty of safe cobs too. My choice does not mean I don't know what I want. Quite the opposite I knew exactly what I wanted and I bought that.
 
I thought the cob on Equi's yard was only for loan not for sale, and that it has to stay at the current yard? Either that, or there's two cobs there, both being described as needing a strong rider, lol!
 
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