Verrrry Basic Questions.

Equi

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I got my first pony at home at age 11. To be honest I knew squat all despite doing all the stuff you mention you want your daughter to do. I learned more in the past few years at livery tha I did having one at home - I also enjoy it more. Being with people makes horses a lot more enjoyable for me and I only wish I had been at livery or had horsey friends from a younger age.
 

Bob notacob

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If we had all known the heartache and tribulations of horses prior to our involvement, would any of us have chosen this life. The thing is that once you are involved and realize the simple joys of having a horse/pony you understand why it is worth the pain. Having a pony is not just fun for your child ,it teaches some real life lessons .Asfor knowing what your doing , WING IT, ive been doing this for 50 years .
 

Pearlsasinger

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If we had all known the heartache and tribulations of horses prior to our involvement, would any of us have chosen this life. The thing is that once you are involved and realize the simple joys of having a horse/pony you understand why it is worth the pain. Having a pony is not just fun for your child ,it teaches some real life lessons .Asfor knowing what your doing , WING IT, ive been doing this for 50 years .


Absolutely right!

It doesn't matter how much experience you have, you can guarantee that your horse will find something new to throw at you.

I really cannot believe that a farming family, who can all read and whose daughter is attending a riding school and taking tests, can't work out how to look after a pony, as well as some of the YOs we hear about on here.
 

Orangehorse

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Definitely join the nearest Pony Club. Ponies can get attached to a certain sheep as a companion, some can live by themselves, but some can't cope. I suppose cattle are moving on and out so wouldn't become a friend. A Pony should be out as much as possible even during the winter. Have you a patch of rough ground you could have as a turnout patch? (My two spent one winter behind an electric fence grazing on a farm track, so they were eating grass off the track and under the hedge and really did very well on it, although they came in at night.) Farmers want stock off the land in winter to stop poaching but I'm afraid you are going to have to get used to that! Think of well grazed sheep grazing, not grass for cattle. Seriously it is potentially very bad for them.

The Manual of Horsemanship is a very, very good book to have, and it is what everyone is taught in Pony Club. Some things have altered slightly over the years due to modern materials, travelling, competitions, etc. so that different editions are updated, but if you follow what it says you won't go far wrong. It does tend to say what you should do, rather than how to do it, but that is where a riding school or instructor comes in.
 

Brian.M

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So just to circle back on this and not to be the guy who asks a question and never comes back.

Daughter is taking her first Aire exam in two weeks and I think there are two more scheduled over the coming months.

Along with riding lessons she does a stable management class which she loves.
She’s volunteering a few hours a week mucking out, cleaning tack and saddles which is great to get hours in the stable doing chores getting experience of the basics. And an understanding that owning a horse isn’t all time in the saddle.

We have doubled up on lessons with a girl locally who is at a similar level it gives the opportunity to build friendship with someone who lives local enough to us who also rides at the same stable and goes to same school although a little younger. The girls mother is a vet in the local practice, she usually does our vetinary work here on the farm, great role model for my own daughter who would greatly love to be a vet.

Pony club was suggested above and we spent some time looking at the options, when we do get a horse we feel it’s something we should do and having been in contact with them they said when we do have a horse we should go along some morning first just to meet people and see what is going on. My daughter loves the idea of the Pony Club, she understands its a drive away so it may just be once a month initially.

We have some old abandoned stone buildings on the old farmyard that we will be a daddy & daughter project over this summer to have a stable, it opens onto a small sheltered Haggard which with some work will be a nice tournout space too.

Tanks.
 
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Cortez

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Great stuff. If it all goes well you are likely to have a lot of fun, perhaps a little heartbreak, and make a lot of new friends. The very best of luck.
 

ycbm

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What a lovely thread. The absolute best of HHO.

Brian we will need a picture of the pony when you buy it 😁
 

Winters100

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When I was a child and had a pony we gave free livery to a lovely lady who had 3 older horses in exchange for her caring for mine while I was at boarding school. Of course you need the right pony - look for a schoolmaster / mistress. But overall I would say that you would be fine since you are used to caring for animals. Good luck!
 

Brian.M

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I was prompted to come back again as were going to view our first pony today, 13.1 hand light cob, 6 ears old.
The lady from the stables has spoken to the owners and pending a few test rides thinks its very suitable..

My daughter has completed 4 AIRE exams and continues to ride and volunteet at the stable, with the obvious break over COVID, and 6 weeks she missed after breaking an elbow taking a tumble over a fence at the stables, through stubbornness she got up and finished her lesson but admitted afterwards how sore it was...

We have been working away converting the stable and tack/store room, fenced off a nice paddock and been buying in bits and pieces we will need.. A friend donated an old warddrobe to have dust free storage for stuff..

Self fill drinkers in paddock and stable should be done tonight or tomorrow, I presume adult hip height in a corner is ok for a drinker in a stable.. I appreciate as with cattle its a balance of high enough not to gather poop and low enough to be comfortable...

I will stick up some photos of the progress when I get a chance... its nothing fancy but we're happy, we opted for a stable size enough that we can add a second pony..
 

splashgirl45

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lovely update, if the pony is suitable it may be worth contacting blue cross, world horse welfare or other organisation to get a similar sized pony as a companion. while some horses and ponies can live without others of their own kind , they are herd animals and really its better to have company. it may seem like they can cope alone but it is not fair on them to live alone...you have plenty of people around to advise so i assume this has been mentioned. good luck and please keep updating...
 

Brian.M

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lovely update, if the pony is suitable it may be worth contacting blue cross, world horse welfare or other organisation to get a similar sized pony as a companion. while some horses and ponies can live without others of their own kind , they are herd animals and really its better to have company. it may seem like they can cope alone but it is not fair on them to live alone...you have plenty of people around to advise so i assume this has been mentioned. good luck and please keep updating...

that’s the plan and why we went with a bigger stable.
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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Not sure if these will work.
these buildings had fallen out of use a long time ago. Needed rewiring, new doors, roof timbers and sheeting.

https://ibb.co/W5SWthy
https://ibb.co/LpvZjgn
https://ibb.co/W3pyt7k
https://ibb.co/hRktz5j
https://ibb.co/VYnGjPb
Looking good Brian, I think I'd just add something like a sheet of Sterling board on the inside of the tin sections for strength as ponies can very much be self harmers, just up to the same height as the top of the bottom door.
 

Brian.M

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Quick question.

how happy would you be having the regular vet of a stables do the vetting.

Their vet is calling tomorrow and I don’t know any other vet in that area. I know my own vet is very straight.
 
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