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[alpaca]

Hi everyone,
What a brilliant forum people who remember things just like me !! Follyfoot farm, Win a pony competition Ahhh those were the days!! Anyway advice needed.
I decided to carriage drive so wanted to buy a horse suitable for that had a few lessons and thought well something that I could ride as well would be good too. Having ridden for many years and then probably like a lot of you had a break thought well i'll just jump back on ( probably not like a lot of you !!). Did my research and decided on a welsh cob. So what do I do next ... yes go to the cob sale at Builth Wells. Buy beautiful section D mare ( jet black ) but only 4 have her vet checked which goes well. See another Section C who looks cute only young but well now I'm on a roll and Ally will need company so I get her too. They walk through the trailer/lorry park and load beautifully. Really chuffed.
However once home Ally my section D hates being away from Indie the section C I ride her around the paddock but she isn't happy. I realize that what I wanted and what have now got are two different things so What to do?
Do I keep her until next Spring and try again? Do I send her away to be professionally schooled? Do I cut my losses and sell her? Do I attempt to part exchange her for something that is more suitable? She is a lovely big bodied mare. But just watching her in the field isn't enough. I know I've been a prat but well it must be one of lifes senior moments. Seem to be getting a lot of those!! Anyone any ideas ?

[Skib]

You are very welcome. Especially if you remember Follyfoot. I cant remember a thing about it except the theme tune!!
Please what is section C and section D. May be I once knew and have forgotten that too. But it is highly likely that I (and others here who took up riding late in life) dont yet know and havent liked to ask.

[Est]

Hello and welcome! Those senior moments... we're all familiar with them ;)

Have I understood correctly that Allie (4 yo section D) is your riding horse, but because she hates being separated from Indie (younger section C), you're only able to ride her around the field at the moment?

If so, this is normal. Two horses kept together will usually get quite panicky or upset if parted. They're just not designed to be alone! It is possible to get them more used to it through a long, patient process of desensitising them to being apart. Forcibly parting them by sending one away will probably cause more trauma and make the remaining one quite insecure. Plus, I guess you may be quite attached to them by now?

What's your setup? Are they kept in a field you own/rent? Is it possible to move them onto a nearby livery yard where there will be plenty of equine company? With other friends, they will become less dependent on each other.
If it's your own place, could you advertise for one or two people to share grazing with you? This would have the same benefit, and allow you to ride out with a friend without leaving one horse behind getting upset.

If neither of these is possible, could you pay someone or ask a friend to lead Indie in-hand while you ride Allie? You'd have to keep the hacks short and slow, and perhaps introduce Indie to a bridle (depending on age), but this would allow them both to gain confidence and be introduced to some sights and sounds while out.

You could advertise for a hacking partner, as Allie probably doesn't yet trust you as "leader" and will feel insecure going out into the world by herself. She needs to build up confidence with a steady horse in front of her at first, and then she'll learn to enjoy hacking out. Maybe a friend could fuss, groom and feed Indie while you go out with Allie to do this?

You can also help with small things such as feeding/grooming them slightly apart and then putting them back together (start with them in view and hearing of each other and gradually over a few weeks move further away).

In the meantime you could make riding in the field more enjoyable by marking out a proper manege with road cones or similar, and getting Allie used to leading nicely, walking over coats, walking past carrier bags, doing nice circles and proper walk/halt/trot transition etc. Indie could also learn leading, backing up, moving over, being touched all over etc.

Good luck :)

PS Skib - Welsh ponies are divided into section A, B, C, and D (the Welsh Cob) with respective height limits and "type" for each section. The Welsh Ds are gorgeous!

[ambatt]

Hello and welcome to New Rider. I have two mares who are closely bonded, so much so that to prevent them getting stressed from any separation issues I bought a third to keep the other company:rolleyes:

And I wonder why I am always broke!:(

[alpaca]

Thanks for your suggestions much appreciated. I keep them at home in a couple of my spare paddocks, as the others are used by the alpacas. One thing that has occured to me, that may have a bearing on the situation is that their paddocks are beyond a hedge, there is a small gap and I have seen Ally peering through and it is evident that she and maybe Indie spend a lot of time there. I suppose she could feel isolated and lonely. There are a few alpacas in adjoining paddocks but I suppose that's not quite the same. Do you think that popping my friends little shetland in with them would help with this separation problem?
Indie is just over 6 months old so I suppose when you look at it logically it wasn't really a good mix !!
As an aside I was so besotted with White Horses (the series) that I set my heart on a lippazaner, pestered my parents mercilessly ( incorrectly spelt) ........ never got one though !! Never won The Sun's win a pony competition either!!! or WH Smith's or.......

[Est]

The shetland would certainly help whoever is left behind.

I would guess, coming from the sales, that their biggest need at the moment is for stability. They need time to adjust to a new routine, new friendships, new leader (you!), new challenges. So give them time! Don't rush a decision on what to do - it doesn't sound like a disastrous scenario to me. Sure it'll be a challenge, but if you can work this out I think you're going to have two very nice horses indeed - and the satisfaction of knowing you achieved it for yourself.

At 6 months, IMO Indie is too young to lead out on the roads or on any kind of hack - she needs to learn some different lessons at home (lifting her feet for picking out, being touched/brushed all over, leading nicely in hand, walking through puddles, etc). And the shetland would be excellent companionship for her, to keep her calm and relaxed, while Ally gets on with *her* lessons.

Ally needs to learn to hack out, but make it easy for her to do the right thing. She's going to panic if you ask her to go away from the security of the "herd" (whether that's one horse or several), so hack with a companion she's been introduced to - preferably a quiet horse that doesn't get silly about dogs, bags, crisp packets or drain covers, and that doesn't kick when Ally inevitably glues her nose to its tail for security! Let her go behind at first and stick to walk, preferably on a circular route so that she doesn't have a chance to learn to nap towards home, and as her confidence grows she will start to go in front for short stretches, and then maybe for the whole hack. Then you can build up to taking her out alone. Try putting a notice in a local tack shop or in the classifieds on this site for a hacking companion.

Some groundwork with Ally would be great, to build her confidence in you and ensure she listens to you. There are far more experienced people than me on here who can advise you on what to try with this.

But no, I don't think this is all too bad at all - you've got every chance of success and I wish you the best of luck :)

PS I wanted a black stallion :rolleyes:

[alpaca]

Well its come to the parting of the ways. Since my last post I have had four private lessons and feel alot more confident. My Instructor was very complementory about my riding albeit a little rusty !! And yes it would have made far more sense to have done that before I got Ally but then....
I had put out some 'feelers', in the hope of finding something more suitable and I went tried Jay Lo on Saturday she was brilliant I felt confident and safe which as we all know at our age is sooo important !! ha ha. So the swap takes place tomorrow. I haven't completely given up on Ally as she is being taken for schooling for about 5 or 6 weeks. We will assess her progress then.
Something of interest both my Instructor and the person going to school Ally said that Section Ds are notorious for being immature and needing firm handling and not quite suitable for little old me just at the moment, well not sooo old !! I realize that's a generalisation but ....

[cazrider]

All sounds very sensible now alpaca. :) Welcome BTW.:) Look forward to hearing about Jay Lo. Just to add my two pennorth re Section ds. I have a lovely one. He has good manners, sweet cuddly nature, non spooky etc, BUT, he is strong minded and will take charge if anyone lets him. His breeder described him as "dominant but gentle", a perfect description. They are lovely, but maybe a young one wouldn't have been ideal for you. I should also add Seneca was 13 when I bought him, which also makes a big difference.

Very best of luck:)

[Tots N Dots]

welcome to the board, I am quite new here too, I'm very lucky my senior moment (bought a young one) is turning out brilliantly, :) maybe I shouldnt speak too soon:D its great on here

[toddsmum]

Hi I am new to the board also.
I would just like to say that I have had a lot of dealing with Welsh D's and most have been very amiable.I have a 5 year old and my daughter who is only 6 rides him.He is the most sensible and trustworthy pony I have met.
Good luck with Ally.