Trying to find the perfect pony!!!

[lucyjoanna]

Hi there - I'm new here and a little bit in need of some horsey friends help!!
I'm 38 and got back in to riding after about a 15 year gap last November when I started sharing a lovely 14.1 connemara - the best thing I've done in a long time!! She is great but the owner can't decide if she wants to sell her or not and as time goes on I start to wonder if she is the right pony for us anyway. I have 3 girls age 9,7 and 3 (all petite) and they are learning to ride (well the older two are - the youngest one just sits on at every opportunity!). I long for us to have our own pony but can only afford one and it's got to suit all of us - a tall order!! Sorcy (my share) is 18 so her age puts me off a bit but also her size as she is too big for the girls to do without help even though she is pretty good to ride. I've looked at a 12.2 section B and am going to see her again but can't decide whether I'm too big for her!! (I'm 5' 2" and weigh 9st). I don't want to give up my riding but also want a pony to give the girls lots of pleasure!! Any advice welcome!!!:confused:

[vyvyen]

Hi,

I also have three kids, in my 40's and have 3 ponies. I'm the same height and weight as you too and I sometimes ride my daughters 12.2hh Welsh/Arab/Australian riding pony. He is only 6 and he joined our family when he was only 4. He is absolutely amazing to play with and ride. Mind you it does feel very strange having a tiny little pony under you, but he copes really well with me. I went out to buy myself a bomb proof 13.2hh gelding and came home with a starved 2yo 6 months ago, so my plan to get back into riding again has to wait until he is mature enough to start. In the meantime we're having fun with ground work and Parelli Natural horsemanship and taking him for long walks in the 1,000 acres near me. Good luck finding the right pony to suit.

[lucyjoanna]

Thanks for your reply - it's good to know there are people out there trying to do everything - a litle crazy - like me!! I have since been to see the little welsh pony again and am considering taking her on loan for a year to see how it works out. I am also hoping not to have to give up my share - although she's currently on a different yard which complicates things a bit! What's the Parelli method? I am very excited about having a new member to the family but realise that this could be the start of something big!! I'm also thinking about doing a course in Equine Management so if there's anyone out there going down or been down that path can you please talk to me??:)

[Esther.D]

If it helps at all. I am 25 and weigh 9 and a half stone, am 5ft tall and my pony Rupert is a 13.2hh New Forest and he is fine (carried me fine when I was 10 stone too). I would imagine a 12.2hh would carry you ok as the natives are a tough lot and at 9 stone you are not really very heavy. If it helps at all with thinking of sizes for the girls - I was riding a 13.3hh connemara X from when I was 7 (and I was a very tiny 7 year old) and managed to do him by myself - but he was huge:D - he was lovely and I carried on riding him until he unfortunately had to be put down when I was 13.

I would recommend Parelli - I have been doing it with Rupert and have had amazing results just in a couple of weeks. It very useful for ground work as well as riding - might be handy to teach a pony good manners around the kids. Rupert was very stressed and nervy and a real bully when I got him but now he is so gentle to handle - brilliant result!

http://www.parelli.biz/PNH

[Showjumper]

Good luck with whichever pony you do buy. A 12.2hh should cope fine with your weight as long as it's not a silly little fine show pony (we have one at my yard and I can't even see it carrying the 4 year old baby who eventually wants to ride it!)

The 8 year old at my stables has just moved up from a Shetland, to a 12hh pony which suits her perfectly. So the one you're looking at should be excellent for your older children, and I'd imagine your youngest would get a lot of fun out of it too, on the lead rein :)

[Gods Property]

first of all, i dont think your too big for her, ive seen a huge guy on a little haflinger pony!lol.....anyway..try checking local trading post or newspapers for ponies to look at..they are ALWAYS in there..it tells theri height and breeds so it is easy to know what to look for..i foiund my horse in a trading post!

[lucyjoanna]

Well - thanks for the replies, the past few weeks I have become somewhat obsessed with ponies (that's an understatement!) - have constantly browsed the internet, bought loads of mags/papers and been to see about 8 ponies - all about 12.2.They have all been lovely but 1 in particular has captivated me - a little dun called Bailey. He's gorgeous and full of character but is very forward going - in fact I actually fell off him the first time I rode him in front of my whole family!!! Trouble is i've fallen in love with him now. I'm going to see him once more re this week with my girls and they're going to ride him too. My main concern is that he'lll be too keen for them but also he's very fat!!! Does anyone have experience in keeping a ponies weight down? How successful were you? My girls have recently been riding a 5 yr old mare and i've been quite impressed with them in the school. Good news is i hope to keep sharing my connemara and may even keep riding the 5 year old too. We seem pretty close to buying our own pony and I'm feeling a mixture of fear & excitiement. Also my totally non-horsey husband has now expressed an interest and has had 2 lessons - took to it like a duck to water and is now talking about getting his own one day!! Maybe my dream of having my own yard is closer than I thought!!!!

[lucyjoanna]

Well after a long(ish) search I have found "the perfect pony" and she's coming on Friday!!! Penny is a 13hh section B who's 9 yrs old and has been in the same home for the past 8 yrs. My girls are so happy and can't wait. I'm excited about her and the impact she's going to have our lives - (even less time for housework!!). I'm leaving my job in about 2 months to take over my husbands business while he's abroad so will bein a good position to look after her. I haven't had her vet checked as she seems so perfect - what do others think about this - do you think it's always a good idea?