Would you loan your pony to a teenager? (long sorry)

[Hels]

I have a fab 14.1 heavyweight cob who I've learned to ride properly on over last couple of years - well we've learned together over the last couple of years. Myself and my sharer and one or two others have really brought her on lots and I recently did my first dressage test and we got lovely comments.

My dilemma is this: I am going to be taking a break from riding shortly as I am five months pregnant. I am thinking that there will be a period of about six months where I won't be able to ride, or won't have time to ride hardly at all. Then I might want to just do a little bit. So I am thinking about what arrangements to make for Carrie.

I can keep her where she is and have a couple of adults hack her and do some schooling. That would keep her ticking over, consolidate her flatwork but she wouldn't do much jumping or fun rides, shows or anything else.

When I get back to riding properly I want to learn to jump properly (I've done very little of this while we have been establishing her flatwork). But Carrie is still green jumping, and tends to rush at the fences, get the take-off wrong and do enormous catleaps (well some of the time).

I may be able to loan her to a young teenager who's an experienced pony clubber, who goes to all the rallies and fun rides and camp etc. I am wondering whether this would be a good option. She would come back to me probably not going in such a good outline, but having been out and seen a lot more, and done lots of jumping. What do you think?

[Mehitabel]

i did - copper went on loan to a girl of about 12 who had him for a couple of years.
not all teenagers like to thrash around like loons.
have you seen her ride? are you happy with how she treats her current pony? do you like her parents - will they try to push a green horse too much, or are they sympathetic?
i think carrie would probably prefer the PC home.

[shandy84]

I am now on a yard where all the YO's daughters pony club, they treat the horses really well and get them working in a consistent outline and school them on really well.

They have a dales mare on loan and she is lovely but was very green when she came to them and her owner is really impressed about how well she is ging now and she is off at pony Uk at the moment

All I can suggest is keeping the horse on her normal yard and giving the girl a chance as that sounds like a better option for all involved

[Hels]

Thanks for the quick replies. The person I am thinking of has been suggested by my instructor, so although I would obviously watch her ride, I know that my instructor would not suggest this person lightly. She currently has her own little Welshie loaned to the girl, but she is outgrowing him.

The problem is the family keep their horses at another yard, and I am sure they wouldn't want to move to ours. This puts me off a bit already. I want to be able to ease myself back in gently and hack out with others etc - if Carrie's up there I would miss my friends at the current yard. So would have to see what the other yard is like. It is literally five minutes away from my yard, which psychologically makes it easier!

There is also a young girl at our yard who has outgrown her pony and I think she would be keen and my instructor thinks she is a nice rider. But she doesn't do much in the way of pony club events, lacks transport etc so I am thinking she wouldn't be ideal.

[floppy]

because of 5 mins i wouldnt move my horse, unless the girl was unable to ride or lead the horse safetly to the other yard. Its stressful to move a horse away from its buddies

The woman where my horse was preggers over winte.r.she asked me to exercise her horse..i rode him a couple of times and told her to turn him away for the winter. He is young...and the winter break did him good....he was more willing to work and easier to handle and not so shy anymore....then i bought him back into work for her and now i cant ride him anymore because i dont have the power to stop him because she is so heavy handed.

I always give teenagers the chance...only if they aer recommended or i know them personally and know how that they are kind. I would give my horse to any teenager before i would to my YO sounds mean doesnt it....but the girls i let ride my horse are so light handed and gentle they just ride my horse forwards and have fun...to get her working properly after the girls takes a couple days. But after the YO has ridden my pony once it takes me a week or so to get my horse back to the easy responding horse from the lightest of aids.

[kyanya]

If your instructore specifically recommended her, I tihnk that puts a lot in her favour. She must be at least OK, and it sounds like it would expose Carrie to a lot more.

For the yard thing, as it's only 5 minutes away from your current yard, would you be able to meet up with the people from your current yard on hacks when you do start riding again? It wouldn't be quite the same, but it would be a bit of a comprimise. And if Carrie does get moved, you would probably make friends with people on the new yard (if you visit her, which it sounds like you wolud), and when Carrie moves back, your current friends would still be there

[LindaAd]

She sounds ideal - pony club is generally pretty good for horses. Wouldn't she be happy to let Carrie stay where she is if she's only 5 minutes away?

[Miriam]

It's a young teenager who has Rhi on part share. Jen is a great girl and I trust her entirely with Rhi. You just have to find someone you trust your horse with.

[H & Bailey]

I personally wouldnt want to move the horse from the current yard.
1.If you do is there any guarantee that here will be a space for you if you want to move her back?
2.if she stays where she is at least you can still go 'visit' and see how she is as everyone knows you,i would feel awkward walking onto a strange yard to check up.
3.as you will be wanting to hack after the baby etc it will be less chew if she is settled and you dont have to try and meet with others that arent at your yard.
4.If the girl is keen she should be willing to loan from your place and can meet with her pals if its only 5 mins away
I wouldnt dismiss a teenager from loaning as my sister rides my horses but i do have to knock bailey down a couple of pegs when i ride him again as he takes the mik with her and does try it on with me the next time.If she is a pc type your horse many come back a bit 'quick' .i mean this by they have to be up and ready so are usually joggy types or are ready to go at any second.
The other girl may be able to ride and have her ticking over and fetch her back calm and steady but with less jumping eduction.
It does depend what you want of the horse

[Hels]

I am assuming they would want to move her because they have other horses and wouldn't want to be looking after horses in two different places. Also it is part livery mostly at my yard, but it is DIY at theirs. I would of course sound them out about Carrie staying where she is as that would be best for me probably.

The yard I am at has quite a poor reputation because of the difficult woman who owns the place - so whereas some other yards in the area have waiting lists and are building extra stables, they can't fill the one I am at, so I don't think coming back would be all that difficult.

Our yard manager is good, but she bears the brunt of the owner's moods so i am not sure she will stay for ever. I stay because the facilities are great, I like the people and it is safer and better run than my last place! But that could change with a new manager, and I am at their mercy on part livery. The facilities at the new yard would not be as good but the family would be looking after Carrie and very committed if they already have horses. I do know one person there slightly. She left our yard because of the 'poor standards' (it was pretty badly run at the time) but has remained at the new place, so it must be quite good.

My instructor is also a freelance groom and mucks out various people's horses for them in the week at the new yard, so I would have a good intro in there, so perhaps wouldn't be too awkward, but still it would not be as easy as if she stayed where she was.

It's difficult. Probably best for me to meet this family and take things from there. I wanted to think about it first though, so as not to lead them up the garden path if it turns out I can't even countenance the idea.

[Hels]

I think I could cope with her coming back sharp and joggy.

Carrie was fairly nutty when I started with her (owned by a teenager) and she was so green - she got alarmed by everything, but she understands so much better what is asked of her now. I don't think they could do anything now in their riding that I could not recover her from - I am so much more competent than when I started with her.

[Wally]

You know this lass better than anyone else!

There are some teenagers I'd lend my horse to and some I wouldn't!

One lass who comes to us in particular - I'd lend her my horse, and she'd respect any thing I asked her not to do, or anything I particulary wanted her to do with the horse. I'd sleep easy.

Then there are some teenagers and adults I wouldn't let NEAR my horse.

Just make it plain and clear what you'd expect and I'm sure she'll understand.

When I was a teenager I was given the opportunity to ride out on a lady's hunter. She trusted me, I was honoured that she did. She asked me not to go galloping with her as she had trouble with the brakes anyway. (she was going into hospital for hip replacements) I respected this and didn't gallop her about.....in fact we did a bit of schooling and returned the horse with some brakes!

[galadriel]

I'd just like to mention that five minutes really is a big deal when you're working with horses in two different places. When you have a group of horses together, you can take care of all of them at once; adding another horse adds just a few minutes or so to your daily routine. Even if another horse is only a few minutes away, it will generally about double the amount of time spent caring for all the horses; you have to do everything twice, instead of taking care of all of the horses all at once.

I've done the "they're only 5 minutes away" thing, and it lasted all of a month before I moved my horses to the same barn where I was caring for another group of horses. It just was not practical. By the time I'd gone through all the routines twice, there was no time left over to ride.

[rocklanenancy]

i would loan bonny to a teenager but make sure all the insurance details are sorted first. you should have 3rd party insurance which covers the other rider, the horse should be insures and the other rider should have some personal insurance.

Nic

[hApPiNeSs]

well someone lent their pony to me! and im a teenager! lots of people think all teens just go to pony club and go on mad dangerous hacks. (well, a lot of them do actually!) but i dont and a lot of people i know dont! some are rwally talented and really care for their horse! i think it would be good to lend your horse to her for a while - it will get your pony used to different things even i fhe doesnt come back in an "outline":D

go for it!

[notpoodle]

if you vet the teenager carefully and they meet your 'standards', then i can't see why not :)

rather a teenager who knows what they're doing and respect your wishes than an adult who hasn't got a clue and do what *they* think is best ....

i am amazed by the kids at the yard every day, most of them really seem to know what they're doing ... unlike poor old me :rolleyes:

[taffy]

Interesting thread this! Thanks :D

I am looking to share a horse, but being 15, I was worried that people would be put off by my age.

Thanks for puting my mind at rest :D