Where are all these wonderful ponies??

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toffeeyummy

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Is it me or is there a huge shortage of these old fashioned childrens ponies who go when you kick, stop when you pull, jump all your homemade jumps, will hack anywhere, will be groomed to death, be idolised by a little girl and become part of the family? I have been searching for a pony for my eight year old daughter who came off the lead rein earlier this year but obviously needs a little lovable SAFE pony. Where are they?! We don't care what its won, who its bred by, if it goes in a beautiful outline or who its parents were. We aren't even really fussed on looks or age as long as it ticks all the above. When I was younger I had a wonderful little coloured pony and I remember all my friends seemed to have equally fun ponies that never bucked, reared, napped or took off.
Please, if you have a little friend in your field who needs to be loved to death by a little girl then get in touch!!
 
Binky01 said:
I have one. No joke. PM me if interested!
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Can vouch for this. If it is the little mare I am thinking of then she is absoloutely amazing. If she was bigger I would have her haha! But I would confidently put a baby on her because she is so safe and will turn a hoof to anything.

I was lucky that I had a super safe, fun pony for my first one and I am so lucky I found him. He did wonders for my confidence and taught me so much, I really hope you find your daughter a lovely little pony. xx
 
This is exactly what I'll be looking for in a year or two for my daughter! They were the days! I'v looked briefly and I do know exactly what you mean! It's all gone a bit mad!!
 
amy-and-buster03 said:
Can vouch for this. If it is the little mare I am thinking of then she is absoloutely amazing. If she was bigger I would have her haha! But I would confidently put a baby on her because she is so safe and will turn a hoof to anything.

I was lucky that I had a super safe, fun pony for my first one and I am so lucky I found him. He did wonders for my confidence and taught me so much, I really hope you find your daughter a lovely little pony. xx
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Hello stranger!!! Found you on here finally haha :) It is indeed little Tubsy!
 
We found one for a friend and her two boys last year, although bigger than you will want. a 14hh, fantastic safe mare who looks after the children and is the light of the 12 year olds life :) She is a ride and drive ex brood mare. I would recomend a ride and drive for a safe pony every time. Also think a mare who has made a good mum tends to look after children (I know others will say that this is anthropomorphising, but I still think it is true!)
 
Thanks for the replies, the little mare is adorable!!! It is the hardest thing ever when you're putting your most precious cargo on a pony and trusting someone else. perhaps I should encourage a more sedate sport......:rolleyes:
 
Thanks she does look lovely. The other problem I'm having is I'm ringing all these '1st pony' adverts but when I explain my daughter is 8 and only came off the lead at the beginning of the summer (so you would have thought a 1st pony would be perfect) they all say oh no it would be much too forward going.... I'm telling you its a bleedin nightmare!!! We are in Cambridgeshire but thanks for looking for me x
 
I agree completely with OP. Am looking for exactly the same for my daughter but all the ads are full of is 'they've won this and that,potentially brilliant at the other' - we just want a sweetie for her to love,brush,cuddle,hack and pootle about on-a willingness to jump a teeny cross-pole is a bonus:) Sigh......
 
I think the reason is that in our youth a pony,
Lived out 24/7, not covered in rugs
Was not stuffed with feed, it was lucky if it got a few pony nuts
If it was no good was soon sent to the knacker and not saved or even worse bred from.
It was bred for a job not its looks.
A made pony takes time, I have spent hours trailing round the lanes with ours,traffic proofing them, taking them hunting but when you come to sell no one wants to pay for that.
 
Can't recommend Tubs enough guys, she really is fantastic and can honestly say she will be safe, steady and cuddly when your child requires it but as they become more experienced she will happily take it up a notch. She is also totally adorable, and a real 'Princess Pony' as we call because... you can dress her up in PINK! Yay :D haha x
 
Good luck with finding one OP- I saw some kids with their pony yesterday and they were behaving just as you describe. Little girl no.1 was leading the pony, girl no.2 was on (bareback) and they were having the greatest fun (as was the pony).

So I hope you can find an equivalent pony very soon!
 
dont give up- they are out there!! however totally agree there's a lot of ponies that arnt suitable or perhaps correctly advertosed!! when looking for my daughters pony we rang so many great sounding only to be dissapointed.
we too just wanted something safe and loving, and rather forgiving, i had just about given up hope when out the blue Ziggy came along- he was all we asked for and more, best of all he was within 10 miles of where we lived, was owned by an old school friend i hadnt seen in 10 + years, and was only half of the budget i had to spend!

keep looking they are out there! :)
 
Just what I was thinking too.

Am looking for a 'wonder' pony and just can't find what I am looking for. I know they used to exist but are few and far between now. I also think that if people have wonderful ponies they seem to hang on to them for longer. I remember when I was back in PC (many many moons ago) and the good ponies just kept doing the rounds after the jockey outgrew them. You would see them at camp year in year out with new riders. It's sad that this doesn't seem to be the case anymore :(

I have been advertising for a stocky pony for me to ride while out with my novice son on his 11.2. Long term plan is for him to then progress on to the larger pony when he has outgrown his pony / gained more confidence etc. I will then 'upgrade' to a larger horse.

I just want a safe 13.2 - 14hh chunky monkey, age not important, good in traffic (on own and in company), able to pop the odd jump etc. Happy to have a 9 year old bringing him in from field and grooming etc.

It's like that song 'where have all the good men gone' except ponies instead :rolleyes:

My other problem I think is that I need a loan, as can't afford the initial outlay of buying. General upkeep isn't a problem and have own stables / land. There seem to be lots being offered for loan but no where near where I am (BANES).

In for the long haul wait me thinks.
 
we were looking for the same earlier in the year and eventually found a super little 4 yr old:eek: i was worried about his age but he's obviously been so well started as he really is a kind little chap:) I didn't want a 'perfect' pony as i don't want daughter to be just a passenger but obviously didn't want something that was going to scare the living daylights out of her like one we were offered on loan as a 'confidence giver' who reared when you tried to bridle her and made a coiled spring look relaxed:eek::rolleyes:

ohhh heres one lol, http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/clas...35&pg=1&si=CAT*1**0&sr=h&cr=2&kwe=horses&cc=2
 
There is ponies about, I think that the really good and safe ones aren't always as well advertised as they are often sold word of mouth. I maybe biased but your local hunt could also be a good place to look alot of ponnies hunt and alot are very well behaved! I know that there is naughty ones as well tho. And allthough people may say that the pony is forwards it may not be with a smaller queiter rider, the best ponies get more forward and challenging when the rider becomes more confident and experienced. Have you spoken to the local pony clubs at all?
 
Ibblebibble said:
ohhh heres one lol, http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/clas...35&pg=1&si=CAT*1**0&sr=h&cr=2&kwe=horses&cc=2
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Ooooooooh perfect. Now he needs to grow a little bit :D

I had been riding a 12.2 to keep her ticking over but my feet were nearly at her knees (i'm 5ft 8 but light) and while hacking etc was OK when it came to schooling my legs didn't touch her and I had trouble balancing.

Was on phone to Blue Cross yesterday and they offered me a 12.2 but turned them down.
 
We are looking for the same thing.We don't care about looks,rosettes won,age or anything like that,but it seems that there is nothing about.We are lucky that we have one who is very good,but need a smaller version for my youngest daughter.We've been looking on and off for 6 months now.We had been promised a friend's pony on loan,but the pony is so good,that they've decided to keep her for longer.

We want an older pony preferably,as the girls' old riding instructor says 'If they've got to their teens without heading for the sausage factory,they are probably doing something right'.

If anyone is looking for a 13.1 mare on loan or to buy in Leics then I know of one,sadly she is too big for my girls.
 
These ponies are like gold dust I think, my friend just found one by asking a clearly outgrown pony's owner if it would be 'needing a new jockey soon'- she picked this little cracker yesterday on long term loan.

Getting out and about and speaking to people is the way to do it. I'm on this same mission too but need to sell the one we have 1st
 
i have the opposite problem, i have a lovely little pony who would be so much fun for a little jockey to go out hacking on and exploring. i've had people come and view him and say he's not going to be suitable because his schooling isn't up to scratch and he hasn't won this that and the other or he isn't from a world famous stallion/mare/breeder.

unfortunately the horses/ponies/buyers/loaners always seem to be at the opposite end of the country to where you are!
 
My YO will be selling one of these in a couple of months. His only 3 but is more like 13! His been broken in now for a couple of months but is proving to be very safe and a kick along! not lazy though. I have yet to see him spook at anything! He even had to lead my 6YO past a scary drain the other day as she point blank refused to go near it. He has brilliant ground manners, is more like an overgrown Lab! follows you everywhere and comes to call. Loves being fussed and will groom you back. His going to make a child very happy!
 
I looked for a year and ended up buying one that I can hopefully (with the help of a friend) re-back. She's got the right temperament but is so green it's not funny.

You have my sympathy - I got quite down about it in the end and my OH was sick of me spending every hour searching on the internet!

Hope you find a good one soon...
 
LaurenBay said:
My YO will be selling one of these in a couple of months. His only 3 but is more like 13! His been broken in now for a couple of months but is proving to be very safe and a kick along! not lazy though. I have yet to see him spook at anything! He even had to lead my 6YO past a scary drain the other day as she point blank refused to go near it. He has brilliant ground manners, is more like an overgrown Lab! follows you everywhere and comes to call. Loves being fussed and will groom you back. His going to make a child very happy!
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Can you PM me details please!
 
I think you tend to stumble across them. We hit gold only two days into our search with a pony just 15 minutes away, who was selling for less than we budgeted for and is a total star with the children, exactly as you described. I do think getting out there and talking to people is the best way to find these ponies. Often there is one sitting in a field that could do with being a child's best friend again but the owners won't sell but would loan if the right person approached them. Our little boy will never be for sale but I would hate to deprive him of a child's company as the girl's get older.

And I agree with with a previous posters comments about mares who are good mums being good with kids - we had a mare who had two foals who was amazing with the children. Other mares, despite being nice temprements, don't seem to be as 'into' the kids as she was. A lot of people commented on it, so I think there is something to it.
 
When sharer got too big for my 14.3 I wanted this kind of thing for her as she never had a pony when she was small. At 5ft 10 a child's best friend was out of the picture but at 15 she still wants to cuddle and cover it in pretty things. Current saint is a 16hh ISH on long term loan from my sister, now sporting pictures lovingly clipped into her rump fur that compliment her registered name and matchy matchy red everything. She is a proper princess pony, just a big one!

I'd definatly be proactive and advertise, coming onto the winter you may catch someone's eye with an advert in a tack shop and solve a problem for them if they have a grown out of saint costing them loads.
 
Slightly off topic but....

We have a 13.2hh mare who was backed earlier this year. She's a real sweetheart - hacks in company and alone, pops a small jump, well mannered etc, forward going without being silly. We're bringing her on to sell (a friend of OH saw her going feral in a field and wanted to give her a good start and home, so bought her and sent her to us). We don't have children and so, question is, what would you want a child's pony to have done? She's not ready to go yet as we've not had her out to a show and she's not seen too much traffic, simply because of where we are, and so we need to get those boxes ticked. But what else? OH's friend thinks she'll be a fabulous showjumping pony and perhaps she will, but I'm more concerned that she goes to a good home. Am tempted to get OH to break her to harness too so she's got more chance of a stable home - guess the issue with ponies is they do tend to get passed around. All suggestions welcome!!
 
I have one :D who will be available around the Easter holidays :( This isn't an advert, just an acknowledgement of the type of pony this thread is about, and how special they are. Come the time I'm hoping to find a home through word of mouth, which I can vet and stay in touch with, as this pony means the world to me and my daughter.

I was thinking that if I did have to write a selling advert, how would I describe him in a few words but couldn't do it, as he really needs half an Enid Blyton book. Nobody wants to read the sort of stuff I'd want to sing from the rafters.

Ru is an old fashioned pony, the sort you used to get when I was a kid 35 years ago. He's the sort you feed breakfast to over the kitchen door whilst wearing your pyjamas. He would then come to call, be brushed off and tacked up by a child, head off without a mobile phone for a day trekking up mountains, crossing rivers, doing gates, munching grass next to you whilst not tied up as the child lazes under a tree eating their packed lunch, remount then head over to best pal's farm and play around over poles and barrels, and then hack home as it gets dark, stopping outside the village shop for the child to go in and buy sweets which he would expect to share and he wouldn't care about Farmer Gile's combine harvester going by him. He is handsome, he is so safe, he's only 11. He rides and leads both ways. He is a saint to hack both alone and in company. He isn't a hugely scopey pony but would do 2ft3 course with a toddler on board, he rides on the buckle, would win a WHP class, he's done jnr and snr pc camp he hunts all day with any rider on board and never takes advantage. He's not a competition pony, but the type who will teach a novice passenger and turn them into a proactive rider, starting with jumping poles and bringing home red rosettes along the way. Downside - he has pollen sensitivity and needs a nose net in high season and sometimes a full face mask for riding but we have never ever had to miss a day doing anything we wanted but I'm sure this will be the issue for any prospective buyers who will run a mile from what the perceive to be a vice.

So when the time comes to advertise I suspect I won't get any takers, despite all his many upsides.:(
 
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