Where to find a childs "dope on a rope"???

K

Kenniford

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www.kennifordstud.co.uk
We are looking for a really safe pony for our daughter. from shetland to maximum of 12hh. Cant find one anywhere at a reasonable price
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any ideas anyone????? Daughter is 5yrs old. We would like a pony that would eventually be totally safe off the lead rein when the time comes!
 
PC website. Quite often oldies looking for a 'next' loan home to teach another kid the ropes. Failing that contact your local PC DC and ask if she knows which golden oldie is due to be outgrown and approach the owner.
 
PC Classifieds seconded.
But what are you calling a reasonable price to put on your child's safety?
When I advertised our first pony I was incensed by the number of snotty mothers who rang up and said he was too expensive before they knew the first thing about him. (He was £1,000)
So we kept him, and a little girl from the village is learning on him. And jolly grateful she is, and her mother knows only too well how valuable he is.
 
and actually, now I come to think about it, maybe I'm oversensitive (it has been said
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) but if you'd referred to him as a 'dope on a rope' I'd have shown you the gate
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Skewbald_again, you are so right.... You can pay much less than £1000 and get something unsuitable. Not always true but, you generally get what you pay for. Always take advice and always take someone knowledgeable with you when you view. Don't always take the first you see and make sure you have it vetted, no matter how much it costs!
 
It may have just been us being unlucky, but we viewed a number of cheaper ponies for our little girl who is 6, and even had one on trial but none of them were as they were advertised, and she very nearly lost her confidence. We ended up having a pony from a friend who got so fed up with me banging on about not being able to find one, she gave us hers and bought her son a new one! we were very lucky though!! I agree that the local PC website is a good bet, but be prepared to pay for a true safe first pony -they are like gold dust.
 
[ QUOTE ]
We are looking for a really safe pony for our daughter. from shetland to maximum of 12hh. Cant find one anywhere at a reasonable price
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any ideas anyone????? Daughter is 5yrs old. We would like a pony that would eventually be totally safe off the lead rein when the time comes!

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Arggggghhhhhhhhh
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I hate that bloody expression. So, if you find a genuine, safe, loyal, kind, bombproof pony for your child you're going to refer to it as a dope are you? You would never ever have been allowed to buy one of ours when we had them years ago for the children. People that refer to horses in those terms should never have them.
 
I've got one just back from loan as out grown by that little girl too. She's for loan or sale, but only to a marvellous home, she's the sort that has been worth her weight in gold - I bought her as a 3yo.

11hh Sec A (grey sorry!) 9yo outstanding on lead rein can be led from another horse, does all PC activities on lr and brought home masses of rosettes, will take child off lr on kids first hacks, just follows the other horses happily, and wouldn't dream of taking off/bucking/rearing etc. Not a true first off lead rein pony in the school yet as she's more green in that area, but a 5yo who can walk trot and canter would be safe as houses on her, and she also happily jumps round a little course off lead too, I'd expect her to be an outstanding off lead pony in a very short time and she's very much nice enough to show.

Never spooky or fazed by things, good in traffic, would never kick or bite, and can be led around by a 3yo - I have the pics to prove it, my little girl was at a pc show with her when she (child) was 3yo, she walked off with the pony who followed her into the shop/tent to be bought a pressie for being so good. A proper childs pony.

I'd rather loan, but if I was to sell, she wouldn't be cheap. I haven't yet contacted our PC to ask if anyone in branch is looking, but would expect her to go quickly if they are.
 
I think some of you are being a bit over sensitive here. Dope on a rope isn't a put down. She isn't calling an idividual pony a dope on a rope but using the expression to describe the sort of pony she requires.
Surely you can't judge OP on something like that
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Lord, you do get heavy!
I'm not 'judging the OP' - I merely observed, upon consideration, that I didn't like the term, and if someone had come to look at mine and used it, I would not have been overly keen for them to have him.
I was genuinely interested by this reaction, as I've never heard the expression before, and the more I thought about it, the less I liked it, especially in the context of someone looking for that which is truly beyond price, cheap.
Another poster echoed my sentiments, and I could see that some people found the expression acceptable and others didn't.
Linda W described a nice pony, and I wondered aloud which camp she fell into.
And to some extent, if I am selling a pony (which, at the moment, I am not) and the OP hypothetically wants to buy it, I can judge her how I damn well like really, can't I? I could refuse to sell to someone in the wrong colour wellies, if I chose to, surely?
 
fwiw i don't think it sounds too clever either, if anything ponies are completely the opposite. intelligent, quick-thinking, i learnt a lot from my first pony. safe yes, dopey not at all. sorry OP
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Pmsl
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heavy. Okayyyyyy
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You did actually say in your first reply that perhaps you were being oversensitive!
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I'd have thought that considering refusing someone your pony based on the fact she has referred to it as a dope on a rope is 'damn well' judging her. She may just be a perfect owner for said pony.

I'm pretty sure I haven't written anywhere that you can't decide who you would sell your pony to though, have I? Not sure why you're getting so uppity

Ho Hum
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I didn't even know I was getting 'uppity' (whatever THAT might mean!)
It seems to me to be you who's made a big deal out of it.
But as you seem keen to pursue it, no, actually I don't think someone who uses this term would be an ideal owner for a pony, but then again, I don't like people calling horses 'it' either.
 
:-) Okay, the answer to your question is I don't know. A post on a forum with a descriptive title wouldn't put me off. Whoever she went to would spend a deal of time communicating with me, and if the description used was a true indicator of attitude, then possibly I'd think again. It's a slightly callous description, I agree.

To be honest, while there are some real gems out there for not a lot of money, you do have to 'drop on' something and possibly compromise, where I feel the OP is fails is the question of cheap.

On the other hand, I know some super horsemen/women who call their horses 'it' from time to time (thats the one that kills me), the horses are beautifully looked after, in super condition and genuinely cared for.

I'd be looking for a competant and kind horseperson who would do all they could to ensure a real cracking pony's wellbeing and future.
 
I asked my farrier. It might be worth asking if you could put a sign up in his van.

I asked my farrier, he said he thought one of his other clients had one that she might want to get rid off. A week later 'perfect Polly' came to live with us.
She has been there and done it with her old family but was thoroughly outgrown. Her old owner hadn't wanted to sell her though because she didn't want her passed from pillar to post....however she was happy to sell her to me for £400 including all her tack etc etc as my farrier told her what a good home she would be going to.

Polly is an angel with hooves. My son adores her and she is perfect on and off the lead rope, the only small issue is that she loves her jumping and will have a go at anything. We have to make sure that are no jumps up in the field if my son is riding her off the leadrein or she will take him over them
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:-) Okay, the answer to your question is I don't know. A post on a forum with a descriptive title wouldn't put me off. Whoever she went to would spend a deal of time communicating with me, and if the description used was a true indicator of attitude, then possibly I'd think again. It's a slightly callous description, I agree.

To be honest, while there are some real gems out there for not a lot of money, you do have to 'drop on' something and possibly compromise, where I feel the OP is fails is the question of cheap.

On the other hand, I know some super horsemen/women who call their horses 'it' from time to time (thats the one that kills me), the horses are beautifully looked after, in super condition and genuinely cared for.

I'd be looking for a competant and kind horseperson who would do all they could to ensure a real cracking pony's wellbeing and future.

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Which of course is a thoroughly rational and sensible answer.

Having been through the mill last year with phonecall after phonecall from obviously comfortably off mothers, who nevertheless thought haggling about the price came before asking about the pony, it's a bit of a hobby horse (ha ha) of mine.
 
Ok so for those of you who think i am an unexperienced idiot calling the pony i require a dope on a rope this is what i do! www.kennifordstud.co.uk maybe not such an idiot as you think! What i am looking for is not a youngster, not a green pony, not a sharp pony, not a spooky pony, not a bucker rearer or napper! not a fast pony. Just a happy go lucky plod who will look after my child whether she is leading him, grooming or riding him and still look after her when she is old enough and capable enough to ride off the lead, for those who would have shown me the gate due to my expression then it would be your pony's loss! the pony we are looking for would be so well cared for and loved to bits! Oh and obviously i wouldnt be leaving my child unsupervised for those who are wondering!
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I would like to spend no more than £2k if that is possible!
 
Now hang on.
No one called you inexperienced, or an idiot.
I asked you what you called a decent price, and now you've answered, I would say that is very fair.
The people I had on the phone earlier this year were not beig fair, given their children's necks were at stake.
But disliking an expression is anyone's prerogative, and I said earlier, I hadn't heard this one before, and I discovered that I didn't like it. That's not at all the same as calling you either inexperienced, or an idiot.

Though posting a link to your business is not allowed under the rules of the forum, with a few very notable exceptions.
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I think the advice you have had--speaking to local Pony Club DCs or Chief Instructors who know which youngsters are outgrowing first ponies, and asking your farrier--my own farrier definitely does help people out who are needing to sell much loved ponies by suggesting new homes, is all good.
Horse Gossip Forum is another place to ask.
 
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