What age to start a pony... Opinions Please!!

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Mlini

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My friend has a Shetland cross, that has just turned three years old and approx 11.2hh. Her plan is to break it in and sell it on as a childs pony.

Could someone tell me their opinions on what age would you deem acceptable for someone to sit on it? - It is regularly handled and has done some groundwork allready.

I am only asking as someone sat on it this week and it has caused some arguments between liveries on what is acceptable with young horses...
 
Depends on the pony, but 3 is normal.
Most would be backed at 3 and ridden lightly for a while then turned away over winter to mature.
You do get some that just aren't physically or mentally mature enough at 3, but its usually your big warmbloods, or draft horses that mature late.
 
OK - I have a welsh A that I bought at 2yo last October. He lived in at night all winter and my daughter would sit on him in the stable whilst I fed/groomed him. In the Spring when he turned 3 we started riding him (walk/trot) on leadrein but only once a week and he attended several shows (local and more serious posh in hand). He has now been turned away (1st week Aug) until Christmas for him to mature and at Christmas he is going away to be broken properly for 6-8 weeks and he will then come back and chill for a while before coming back into proper work at Easterish.

Ponies do tend to mature a lot earlier but my boy cetainly needs and deserves his rest. He is pretty mature but you can still see that he needs to fill out round the botty area.
 
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