What to do with pony?? Ideas/Advice pls

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zoeshiloh

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23 January 2006
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Suffolk
www.stowmarketanddistrictridingclub.com
I have a super little 14hh pony - She is a 6yo chestnut mare and jumps the moon. A friend had her on loan for almost a year, hunted her all season and said she was a superb hunter. She has also done lots of jumping etc, and has cleared 1.20m easily - she is super talented.

I loaned her out to a family who had a daughter that did loads of showjumping and pony racing. The idea was they wanted something capable of progressing through to JA and potentially FEI. Because of the girls other committments, the pony has not been out at all this year, but I was told she was working well at home. I have just contacted them to see how thigs are going, to be told that the pony hasn't been ridden now properly for several months, and has developed some nasty habits that they have just let her get away with. Apparently she has reared several times, and they have just got straight off, so now she has taken up rearing when asked to do anything. She has also started refusing to go in a trailer! This is a pony that has always been fiery, but never nasty - and she has always loaded herself, never been difficult! She would take the mickey though of novice or nervous people.

I think the answer is to get her home asap before it deteriorates any further. The trouble is I am too big to ride her, and I don't know anyone gutsy enough to get on and sort out her problems. I would like to sell her ASAP as I am trying to downsize -my friend has a stake in her as well, so obviously she wants some money back too.

She is easily good enough for the showring, and would turn a hoof to most things - 100% on roads etc. She is very wizzy and could even do pony racing or something similar. When we sent her off to her loan home, my instructor thought she was woth in the region of £4500 as she was a superb hunter and jumped the moon. At the moment I'd be lucky to give her away I think! I just don't know what to do. Do I try and find a pony racing jockey or a super confident youngster/small adult that wants to wizz about for the summer? Or do I try and sell her for what I can? I don't really want to do this, as I would be too worried about where she ends up. But how do I go about finding someone that would want to help with a problem pony?
 
At 14hh she is big enough for teenagers, and teenagers seem to be the ones willing to get on interesting horses (they bounce better than us with old bones
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Can you keep her where you are? I'd get her home and contact the local RC, PC, put ads up in local tack shops. Just make sure your insurance is up to date
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We're in a similar position, but LL is only 13hh so we're more restricted on riders who can ride him.
 
would you be able to send her away for reschooling? if you get her home and do some lunging and groundwork with her she might start to come right again and realise she can't get away with things and then she'll hopefully be easier for someone to ride. if you can somehow show her talent for serious jumping you'll get some of the junior show jumpers interested and they tend to put up with a few problems if the price is right
 
i would have tried to sort her out but im too far away from you
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im sure there are people out there like me whod get on and work with the pony... i would also possibly get her out hunting this year aswell as that often helps ponies...... difficult situation, but put ads up etc. etc.
also with a slightly heavier rider she might not want to take the p1ss as much and therefore you could progress her through her bad habits more easily... good luck!
 
Are you sure you are too big for her? If so I'm sure if you ask arround you can find a teenager or small adult with a good reputation and prehaps you could loan her to them for a set amount of time? She does need to move though, to stop becoming a more of a problem... I'm sure most of ours, if left for ages would develop different vices, as a bright pony she needs to be kept mentally active and she isn't getting that standing in a field.

Where is suffolk are you? I know some great pony club riders in suffolk, all now on horses, but might be interested in a project, one I know is looking for one infact.
 
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