Your first pony

[blitznbobs]

Idea Shamelessly stolen from h&h what was your first pony?

Mine was a 11-2 section a who had been a very good pony club games pony... doing that job for several families but came to us for a quieter life. He was a saint with th exception of he was a bugger to catch and he would stable walk if you left him in a stable... he lived out 24/7 and didn’t get ridden much Co’s we could never catch him!

 

[DabDab]

My first pony is Pebbles, who I bought just over a year ago.

Unless we're counting the imaginary ones I had as a kid? 😁

Pebbles more than makes up for lost time, she's the most wonderful, kind, beautiful pony that walks the earth

My non-horsey mother with 'her' pony (i bought her unexpectedly on my mum's birthday):

 

[CMcC]

My first pony was a rabbit. I used to set up show jumps in the garden and get my rabbit to jump them. He had real talent and often had a clear round then won the jump off in the Rabbit of The Year Show.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

A 13hh chestnut welshy gelding..Brandy. He wouldn’t willingly catch and loads of times I was sat crying whilst he grazed just out of reach and my friends were riding...but I loved him.

 

[chaps89]

A 12.2 Heinz 57 older pony called Bobby who I had on loan for a summer when i was about 12. He was a bit of a beggar to catch and quite nervous of lots of things as he'd obviously been abused at some point but I adored him and he utterly looked after me at all times. He was amazing.
My own first 'pony' was a 15.2hh Welsh who we bought when I was about 13.
He was in poor condition when we bought him and my first ride on him was a hack around the farm we kept him at on my own (sensible) He took fright at something and galloped 3 fields with me, I was hysterical.
My mum was angry he did that so took him back round but quickly realised it was a genuine fear reaction. That was our first introduction into Welsh hysteria.
For many years I had no confidence on him, then I moved away from my parents and realised if I wanted to ride I was going to have to get on with it.
We hacked all around west London and had a ball and went from strength to strength, I loved him to bits.

For a long time I said I'd never have a Welsh again but I have a hankering for one and next purchase will be looking for another one!

 

[rabatsa]

A small exmoor type called Little Kitty. She was kept on working livery at a stable yard near Hull. She cost £15 to buy and when the owner of the stables died she had to be sold with the rest, as we had nowhere to keep her, and fetched £30 as she was a favourite there. I was heart broken but at the age of 7 I was unable to look after her by myself. Not long after another pony was bought but that is a whole new tale.

 

[pippixox]

15’2 8 year old ex-racer! When I was 15. Done riding school and holiday hacks for 5 years before that.

I don’t mind that I never had a pony- as I’ve never grown out of my pony and still have him

 

[Nudibranch]

Shetland x Sec A, who I had for 30 years. She moved to the north east with me and was only pts 5 years ago. She ended up a fantastic little ride and drive. It's a shame she didn't quite make it to Baby NB.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

a very young Section C shortly followed by rescue Exmoor-the Section C became dad's ride. The Exmoor literally went on forever teaching little girls to ride until he was nearly 40 (and that was an estimate).

 

[Talism4n]

A bratty, just turned 4 year old 11hh strawberry roan Welsh A. I was told that I could have riding lessons when we moved to the countryside - I took this to mean I was getting a pony, and so Tango was bought. He was barely - and badly - broken and my parents were complete novices who were mostly terrified of him, so we muddled through on his kindness and my enthusiasm. He wasn't suitable once I was off lead rein and used to reverse into all manner of obstacles on a regular basis when he got confused, so he became a driving pony and my next saintly roan Welsh arrived. Kept them both - Tango we lost some years ago but the next is still with us at age 29. I have such fond memories of my pink ponies.

 

[Shay]

11.2 exmoor called "Puff" (He was my magic dragon!). Got him when I was 8 I think (early 70's) he ended his days on the hunting feild when I was 9 or 10. (My Birthday is in November and I can't remember if it was just before or just after.). He knew his hounds. He'd hunt any line - whether I was attached to him or not. Glorious times.

 

[abbijay]

This is my first pony, I’ve had him 9 years and there’s nothing we haven’t done. I still love him like an 8 year old school kid, he’s my best friend and dream come true. Nowadays he is also first pony to my 5yo twins. They bumble round having a great time together.

 

[Snowfilly]

There were a couple I don't remember but the first was a grey Shetland mare who arrived when I was 5. Rode her regularly til I was 12, luckily I was a tiny kid, then she taught most of the girls in the village to ride. She was a gymkhana queen and won lots of trophies for it, although once got us eliminated from musical sacks for nipping the girl running next to me!

She loved jumping, could do a tidy XC round including banks and drops, and we managed some baby steps of half pass one summer. Rein backs and leg yield were her party tricks. She tolerated me learning to bath, plait, groom, clip, bandage...bucked me off more times than I could count on chilly autumn mornings and reduced me to tears by eating the brush fence in a handy pony instead of jumping it.

Other strong points included not running in panic when I was hacking her and a squirrel fell on her head, letting my brothers dress her up as a police car and pulling a sleigh dressed as a reindeer.

She bred a super colt foal, and lived with us until she was at least 35, seeing me all the way through uni, grown up jobs and several partners. Her beautiful son is now 20, about 11.2 and enjoys an amble around the field as much as his mum ever did.

That mare was as near to an angel in equine form as was ever foaled and my Mum still believes she was the best £250 she ever spent on her kids!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Aged 16 my very first pony was a 6 month old colt foal. He was the result of a very posh imported Hannovarian mare being got at by a randy Welsh Sec C 2 year old that lived next door. He cost £150 in 1978 and although my dad was an accomplished horseman he had no involvement in K's day to day care so it really was an absolute miracle he turned out to be the politest and most bombproof horse I have ever owned. 35 years on I naively bought a 3 year old thinking it would be as easy as it had been with K. All I will say is good god what was I thinking 😂

 

[milliepops]

I really fell on my feet with my first pony, my parents knew nothing but after years of pestering eventually caved, and with the help of my very old skool riding instructor we found Holly, a career PC pony who was as formidable as my instructor but also extremely generous and knew her job.
She did not treat fools kindly, and she thought most of us were fools she was an arse to catch and had sweetitch. But once she was captured she was just perfect, forgiving, keen, bombproof but feisty. I sold her to a family with 5 little girls and i think she spent the rest of her days teaching them to ride and respect ponies

 

[splashgirl45]

my first pony was a 16,1 half tb ex hunter who came to the stables as a lead horse but he was too lively,i worked there part time and loved him, so bought him. i was 21 , parents couldnt afford to buy me a pony so i saved up till i could afford one and he came along...

 

[vmac66]

My first pony was a 13.2 coloured mare called Pepsi. She wasn't the pony I had tried and ridden at the dealers yard (hindsight is a wonderful thing) but a very green 4 year old with similar markings. She still had the glue on her rump from Beeston horse sales. We learnt together and I ended up with a horse that was very brave and would do anything for me. My current and hopefully last horse is a 15hh coloured mare .

 

[PapaverFollis]

Got my first 'pony' (15.2hh anglo arab in reality) at the grand old age of 27 (me, not the pony)... so 8 years ago. My childhood pestering resulted in riding lessons and Pony Club and a couple of horsey weekend jobs but never my own. As soon as I felt able to financially I went ahead and bought my own. Granny Pony is a cantankerous old bat who taught me to ride properly and leave her mouth the hell alone thank you very much. I love her to the moon and back even when she drives me up the wall with her utter diva antics.

 

[Ambers Echo]

A 4 yo 14.2 Heinz 57 irish cob called Rupert when I was in my early 20s. (A loooong time ago!) I was not looking to buy and he was not for sale but he was my pony-for-the-week on a riding holiday and I fell in love and would not take no for an answer! I did not know enough then to know what a truly awesome pony he was - in all the years I had him he never bucked, spooked, reared, napped. I can't even remember any refusals or run outs. He had huge scope and was a XC machine. And he was the friendliest pony in the world. I adored him.

 

[JanetGeorge]

My first - about 65 years ago - was an 11hh Timorx called Trixie. She was called Trixie for a reason - because she was a trained trick pony. My father was the owner's doctor, and when he died, his widow insisted on giving him to us (and my Dad isisted just as much to paying for her, lol.) He removed the back seat from his Chevrolet and she travelled home in that. I never knew how to make her count, or answer yes or no with head movements. I eventually taught her not to roll when she wanted to get rid of me - and NOT to head straight into the dam and then roll. I learnt a lot from her in 3 ears, and then she went on to a cousin and taught her, then another few cousins (and put some of them right off riding) and then retired until she was over 30 and PTS.

 

[Hollychops]

Kes, my first at the age of 20 (me not him)! He was a true gent.

 

[buddylove]

My first "pony" was a 16hh TBx called Alfie. I was 13 and he was 14, he was a less than ideal first horse, but he was as safe as houses in traffic (did a mean sideways teleport when faced with a plastic bag), and taught me to stay on when halfway through riding he would decide a rodeo display was in order.
He listened to all of my teenage woes, would bring himself in from the furthest field, but sulk in a corner of the stable if you were a little bit late turning him out in a morning.
Loved him to bits and was bereft when I lost him in his mid 20's to colic

 

[Bartleby.]

Polly, an Exmoor/Shetland cross, was the best pony a kid could have. I was tiny when we bought her, and she saw me through lead rein and first ridden for a good few years (as you can see by the photos). She had a massive character and taught me how to treat horses because she sure did let me know if I wasn't doing it right.

She stayed with us after I outgrew her and moved onto bigger ponies, and she was ridden by friends' kids on and off until she got the full retirement she deserved (I think she was nearly 20 when we got her!) and died peacefully when I was about 18.

 

[J&S]

A truly black NF/TB 13.2hh 4 yr old called Bubbles. He was just lovely, we hunted, jumped, went on adventures and generally "played ponies" mostly bareback in a head collar!

 

[Sukistokes2]

My first pony Starbar , he was the best. 14.2 small horse , a pocket rocket. Loved him dearly. He passed in 1998 , aged 31 years old. I was still lightly hacking two weeks before. Liver failuer. We think he was TB x New forest. He was the prettiest bay colour ever. Still miss him

 

[LeneHorse]

My totally non horsey parents got my sis and I a pony for Christmas many years ago - he was a 12.2 welsh x and turned out to be a rig - he was beautiful but totally unsuitable so after a couple of months he was exchanged for Punch, a 13.2 family pony who was just perfect. He loved jumping (including out of his field) and was very forgiving of our novice riding skills. After we outgrew him he was sold to another local family and stayed with them until he was pts aged around 40. What a boy!

 

[Celtic Fringe]

My lovely old cob is my first pony. I bought him when I was 39 and he was probably mid to late teens. He is around 14.2h and is probably Welsh D. He was in a local riding school where me and my son were having lessons. They had to sell him because he had started bucking - both the owner and the vet said they thought he was just fed up being in the riding school, but it turned out that he had kissing spines. However, with treatment and careful management we had over 10 years of adventures together before I retired him around 4 years ago. I think he is in his early 30s now, fat and woolly and leading me and his herd a merry dance.

 

[Meredith]

My first pony was an Arab x Welsh Pony colt foal. I saved my pocket money and bought him. This was in the mid 60’s and I was still at school.
He was great fun. I did not have transport so we just hacked for most of his life.
Later when we had moved to the countryside he went hunting and was my daughter’s first pony at Pony Club and my son’s second. They both took the C test with him.
He was 27 years old when he was PTS at home about 25 years ago.

 

[Spotherisk]

Harley, aged five and bought when I was 28, still going strong now but retired after a last summer of gentle hacking, we have had a lot of fun over the years and he still has the last word if the youngsters are arguing.

 

[LadySam]

Toby, a 13.2 bay Australian Pony when I was 7 and he was 13. (Like other now established Australian breeds, the Australian Pony is originally a mish-mash of all sorts of things the British settlers brought out. Toby mostly showed the Highland Pony influence.)

He was an absolute teddy bear and a parents dream. He was forgiving when you were learning and up for anything once you knew what you were doing. He would sometimes hold his breath when you did up his girth, and it was hilarious when I waited him out. He'd hold it and hold it and try to hang on but eventually there'd be a big 'pshaaaaa' from him as he gave up.

I won ribbons at shows and the odd trophy with him. When we went away to dressage camp every year, his favourite part was helping get the place ready because he got to chase the cows out of the field where we'd set up the arena. He loved getting out of the arena too and going for hacks in the mountains. At home I'd often find him happily standing in shoulder high water in the creek in his yard, where he'd greet me with an affectionate whicker.

He developed Cushings in his later years. He was PTS at 32 because the laminitis became too severe. Best pony ever.