would appreciate your experienced opinions please!

Christmas_Kate

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as some of you know, we bought a LR pony for our children. Despite his breed, he's been fab for his job and has taught my 7yo all he knows. My 2yo is a confident little rider, and we couldnt be more thrilled with what he's done for them.

My 7yo is a typical little boy, he wants to hunt, and jump and do the whole pony clun thing.. the faster the better. 2yo just enjoys riding full stop, and will spend hours grooming her pony. I *hope*, she'll do a few LR classes in the future.

Current pony can only do so much, whilst he will pop a jump, he's a LR plod, and I don't wish to try and push him any further. He's fabulous with tinies, and we don't want him to get the hankering for galloping about, as it just makes him a grumpy git.

So the time will come when we need another pony. To me, looks don't matter (though we'd like a grey!), but it seems that most local shows only have classes for registered ponies.
I've been looking on websites and it almost seems like we'll have to compromise somewherem either getting something safe and unregistered, or a little more foward going and registered.

Obviously, we have a budget (who doesnt?) and most ponies out there seem to be at the top end of our budget. I hear of people finding the most fabulous little ponies for good prices, but on out last pony buying stint we saw loads of ponies, but nothing which we would have classed as safe. I phoned every riding school in the area, and came up with nothing, every dealer, searched every website.... nightly.

Maybe I was looking at the wrong things? Last time i looked at section A's and shetlands. This time I'll be thinking along the lines of sec A's & B's. Which would be fine for my daughter in the show ring (loca level), but what about pony club? I need something I can trust in an open field in company with my 7yo.

ATM we're waiting for the F&M to become clear before we make any steps. If it's very bad we'll sell current ponio and wait until it's over before looking, as keeping a pony on a farm over winter when there's a real possibility of worries regarding the cattle and crops just doesnt sit right with me. But if all's okay, we;ll be hoping to sell him on to a good home ans start looking after xmas.

can anyone give me any pointers on what to look for? Where to look? What was your first pony like? Is there any breeding within sec A's and B's I should avoid? Or should I be looking at other breeds>
 
I woud keep an open mind reference breed / age / colour / sex etc and just aim to find a pony that is suitable for the riders needs. TBH small ponies that are safe to hunt etc off the lead rein are as rare as hens teeth without being too fussy about the whole package !!!
My eldest's first competition pony was no oil painting and had a touch of arthritis but we still bought him as he did the job perfectly. We had years of trouble free pleasure from him and when his legs did eventually get worse we kept him as a companion. Obviously he had no re-sale value when outgrown but he was worth his weight in gold. Good luck
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If you speak to your local pony club DC they may know something suitable that is available.

A friend of mine has a true first ridden pony only 10 hands and he has had about 8 'owners' since I have known him. he is an amazing little chap and pony club mums are queuing up to offer him a loan home. He will never be sold, but goes from home to home taking children from lead rein to competition. He has a fantastic jump - up to a metre, never stops. Hunts in a snaffle but it totally controllable by a 6 year old. His breeding is questionable - may be some section a and some shetland. He adores kids and will happily stand still for hours while the beautify him.

He is known by the DC and she puts people in touch with my friend.
 
From experience I wouldn't touch a shetland or Section A. Safe 1st ponies are well nigh impossible to find, you will have more joy if your son is confident, the whole thing gets even more tricky if you have a nervous child to begin with.
If you can afford it I would keep sh*tland for daughter and go straight to a safe cobby sort for son. You could ride it then.
I am hughely relieved to have nothing under the height of 13.2.
 
My son is quite small, so anything over 12.2hh is going to be too much for him. Shetland isnt registered so really cannot do much at shows, hence us wanting a 12.2hh stocky type.
 
I know of a nice 13.2 newfie
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Shame I didn't know sooner katy, as Harry would have been perfect, he is smashing first and LR welsh a.....
 
My first pony was a very full up show shetty, then i had a welsh then another shetty. I did mainly leadrein showing, but couldn't go off the leadrein till I got the second shetty as the other two were very nasty. The second shetty, although he bites is fab, i hunted, raced showed him upto quite a high level and he now drives. He is a claylands pony, and seems to be typical of his stud. We also had a transy shetland, she was very sweet, could have done anything but abit more foward going. We had a waulkmill(sp.) mare and she was aweful, scared of every thing. We also had a Ulverscroft filly who was bred for racing, she was very fast but too fast for anything else.The first shetty I had was from a stud that has since closed, but he was nasty.

For welsh A's we had a revel pony who was an outstanding show pony, but could not be left around kids as he kicked, and he could not go off the leadrein whith anyone. We had a meepswood welsh, he is only 10.3 but he is fab, in his youth he did very well showing and now is a brilliant all rounder. We had a granby mare but she was more of a competition pony. She did BSJA, BD and some showing but she was not suitable for hunting with a child, she would have flipped.

We have not had any B's, but they seem to be fairly expensive, flashy and not very child friendly.

I would recomend a full up shetty, i did my last show on a shetty when i was 13 and probably around 5.2'', the full up ones really can take any weight and are brilliant hunting. If you son really wants to hunt be careful with an A or B as both tend to be fairly bright. ShetlandX's are often very nice types, although not purebred.

Hope some of that helps

Haz
 
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we have a male farrier and YO lol
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Harry would have been great, but I felt at the time a little sharp maybe? Is he sold now?

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No, on full loan as a kids pony and really chilled and enjoying life. Saw him last week and he is looking great
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If you could find a small newfie, would be ideal, welshies are a bit sharp.
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Thanks Rara, current ponio is a standard shetty. He's fabulous but I wouldnt trust him one iota in an open field. I was wondering what exmoors and dartmoors are like?
 
Oh Jane, if only I could find a small Newfie!! That would be my first choice, but I cannot find one for love nor money. A 11.2 - 12.2hh New forest would be perfect.
 
We have had Exmoors the ones we had were all very nervous, but there might be some better ones, but as they are quite rare they are all pretty much related

There is a big range in dartmoors, we had one stockish one who was lovely, but one show one who was very sharp, but not nasty. Dont know too much about the breeing. They seem to be rather dear!
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Oh Jane, if only I could find a small Newfie!! That would be my first choice, but I cannot find one for love nor money. A 11.2 - 12.2hh New forest would be perfect.

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Good choice
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I think Welsh look lovely but a newfie would be a bit more reliable.Just hard to find them.

How soon do you think Ginger man will be redundent?
If you have time I would say buy a newfie youngster and bring it on, you would have a dream pony that way.
 
unfortunatly atm we havent the facilities for bringing on a youngster. We're thinking on doing a pony swapover (sell one buy another) early next year.

If I had the time and space I'd be at the sales like a shot.
 
section a's can be quite sharp, so aren't really ideal for what your son needs...

i totally agree with others..a nice 12hh- 12.2 newfie would be ideal...
 
I agree with Wonkey Donkey, the key thing isnt the breed/age/sex but the individual.

I had a wonderful sec A when I was around 7, she was about 12 h. She was a complete saint, was superb to handle, excellent brakes and would stop whenever I started sliding off! She was about 8 and had done basically nothing apart from plodding along. As I grew she adapted, and we went on to compete 90-100cm SJ classes, pony races etc.

Saying that I have seen a fair share of ponies who were neither calm/child friendly nor talented for jumping etc. It seems some show ponies are bred for all looks rather than temper/rideability/general child friendliness.
 
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