veiwing a pony

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angel01

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Hi Everyone

Need some advice please

going to view a pony at a riding school ( pony club ) and wanted to ask you what should i be looking out for? like signs of injury etc

What questions should I ask?

Any advice would be great. It is for my daughter who is 9 yrs old

Thankyou
 
Are you a knowledgeable horsey person? Just wondered because if you are I would expect you'd know pretty much what to ask. If you aren't then you need to become one very very fast! The thing with riding school horses and ponies is that they are all pretty much perfect rides. But this is ONLY because of their schooling and workload. Riding school ponies work very hard for their living and problems can start when the pony is sold to a private home where its workload is dramatically reduced and, commonly, its feed is dramatically increased. The end result is a pony with far too much energy, no manners and no clear rules or boundaries ... and that can lead to nasty accidents and/or a child that quickly falls out of love with the pony and looks for reasons not to ride it. Is your daughter a competent, confident rider or does she just ride safe RS ponies? You need to be brutally honest about this in order to keep HER safe and YOU sane. If you're happy that your daughter rides at a suitable level to have her own pony, then I'd still recommend taking a knowledgeable, horsey friend with you to see the pony and to play devils advocate. Good luck.
 
Hi, I'd ask to ride the pony on its own in a school and take it away from the yard for a ride on its own. Or get someone to do it for you. Most of the time they will nap as they are only used to following another horse round in circles.
I'd also watch how much they are asking for it, riding schools usually ask for a lot as they make out the horse is very safe etc.
I went to view a horse at a riding school for my mum once, the horse felt barley broken in and didn't have a clue what to do if it wasn't following another in front.
Don't buy a pony if your not very knowledgable, loan one instead from the riding school where your daughter can gain confidence and learn how to look after a pony without all the extra expense.
 
Take someone who knows what they are looking at.
Ask to see the pony being tacked up and ridden, then ride it yourself.
Ask what the pony has done....does it hack alone/in company....is it safe on the roads.
Are jabs/teeth/back all up to date.
Will pony come with tack?
Has pony ever suffered an illness that an insurance company would exclude?
What is the pony fed on (is it a good doer or something that needs stuffing to keep weight on)
Then ask for daughter to have a lesson on said pony with HER instructor....who will be able to pick up on any issues you may have.
Then get it vetted if you wish to proceed.
 
I would ask why the riding school is selling the pony.
I would want to see pony's passport so you know how long they have owned it or if it has been passed about a lot.
If your daughter's instructor works for the riding school try and get another opinion.

The hardest part will be resisting your daughter's pleadings if she has fallen in love with the pony.

Good Luck.
 
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