Random Pony Tips for a Total Newbie

[Koko]

So, there's this Shetland i'm interested in as a pony for me and my little cousins. She's pretty young, totally kid-proof, not too expensive, sounds like after her training is totally finished (just going off-leadline, i've already got my friend to agree to help me and I think i'll convince my little cousin into it.) she'd make the perfect begginer horse, blah blah blah.

:

But anyways, i've gotten the feeling my stacks of horse books just aren't going to be telling me all those strange little secrets of the horse world

: , so I thought i'd better ask. There. Rant done.

 

[kaykay]

First of all there is no such thing as Kid proof or bomb proof. The minute you believe that is when you will get into trouble. For sure some horses are good with kids. Some horses are really great riding horses. BUT every horse will spook at something. Sometimes you get lucky and dont find it for years. Or it could happen the very next time you ride.

Whenever someone tells me they have a bomb proof horse I always reply that you just havent come across the right bomb yet LOL.

Shetland ponies are very smart and you have to always be the one in charge or they will take full advantage of you and your kids.

For example our shetland patches is broke to ride and drive. But she instantly knows when an inexperienced person is on her back or in the cart and she takes full advantage of it! Now put an experienced person on her and she is right as rain.

Patches is one of our most beloved horses on the farm and has the most personality of any pony i have known. But I know that I have to always be one step ahead of her. She takes FULL advantage of my husband because she knows hes not as comfortable around her.

 

[Koko]

Hehe, let me clear that up, she's okay with kids, the lesson horses taught me all too well everything you said. (Particularly a certain half Welsh named Spice...)

:

 

[kaykay]

i think you and your kids will have a ball with your new pony! Patches has taught us more then any other horse we have bought. Cant wait to see pictures!

this is an awesome place to ask questions. lewella, getitia and spazkat have way more experience then i do. When the weather gets colder they tend to be around more so never be afraid to ask! They all helped me so much years ago when I first got patches.

 

[Black Magic]

Have you considered a nice big "R" mini??? Our kids when they were little used to ride our "R" gelding, who is 36"s... now they drive him. If some friend comes over and get stupid and pulls his tail or something really rude, he will kick them and leave a bruise. My personal experience with Shetlands, hasn't been a bruise... (I admit there was a time when I was careless). Also, when buying a horse, you should always have it vet checked first. I never do, but everyone keeps telling me I should! Lol..

Good Luck in whatever you decide,

God Bless,

Lynn W

P.S. How old are your kids?

 

[Leeana]

I have both Miniatures and a foundation shetland. Biggest thing i have noticed as the difference between the two are my Miniatures generally are more relaxed and laid back while my shetland has some 'spice' to him which i personally love.

If you buy a well trained horse or pony i highly recomend that you take some lessons and learn before starting with the horse. I say this because, if the horse knows what he/she is doing but the ridder/handler is not as experienced as the horse ...all the training the horse had is going to slowly start to decline. Catch my drift? You dont have to go far to learn this stuff, most of it you can get from the internet or this forum (good start by the way!

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I completely agree there is no such thing as completely bomb proof but i would rather look into the horse advertized as 'well trained' oposed to the horse advertized as not being handled in 3 years off the pasture lol.

 

[Lewella]

My best bit of advice on riding ponies - DON'T BE AFRAID TO GET ON THEM YOURSELF! Shetland have extremely dense bones and can handle the weight of an adult for a short period of time. Just a 15 minute tune up every once in a while by an adult will keep them on their best behaviour for the kids.

 

[Koko]

Chlo, the one who's probably going to be the one helping me out with the finishing up is a tallish 7, the other two are almost 2 and 1 1/2, and we might have my 5 y.o. cousin riding a little whenever he's down here.

Oh, i'm getting on alright. How long that's going to be allowed by the little ones is questionable, but i'm gonna spend as long as I can, even if that means only a few months.

And with the expirience thing, the lesson horses all taught me some very strange things about horses (Such as there's gaited Arabs and some horses are scared of the wind.) so I guess i'm not a total begginer, just with the whole day-to-day owning thing. They've always told me i'm not very good at being descriptive....

 

[spazkat]

. If some friend comes over and get stupid and pulls his tail or something really rude, he will kick them and leave a bruise. My personal experience with Shetlands, hasn't been a bruise... (I admit there was a time when I was careless).

Generalizing an entire breed on 1 or 2 negative experiences doesnt accurately characterize them.... plus children should never be left unattended around a horse or pony of any type when they arent old enough to understand that running up behind one to grab its tail is dangerous.

That said, I have often found ponies to be better behanved than minis since people tend to let things slide with them that they would never accept from a larger horse or pony. A well trained horse/pony knows that kicking/biting/rearing is never acceptable, whether or not it leaves "just a bruise".

Back to the topic at hand.. sounds like you've found a wonderful pony. I think many of us remember that special pony that taught us so much growing up. Congratulations !

 

[Koko]

So, apparently she was sold.

Anyways, if anyone happens to have a pet quality pony somewhere in California that's for sale come prod me 'till I look.

 

[kaykay]

aww sorry! ponies that are broke to ride tend to sell very fast. I do have a friend in ohio with one for sale but i guess thats some distance from california!

 

[Koko]

Yeah, i'm hoping to find something near here. There's also a mare and foal for sale within about an hour and a half of here that I think would be nice. Not sure what i'd do with the foal exactly but the mare at least only needs a little work to remember things which shouldn't be too bad.

 

[Lewella]

Too bad you aren't closer to Minnesota! I got an ASPC Shetland mare in as part of a package deal a couple of weeks ago who was trained to ride when younger and the kids and I have been putting through a referesher course to resell. Unfortunatly she's ultrasounded in foal (to an ASPC stallion - all paperwork in order) and most of the inquiries I get for ridng ponies don't want one that's going to have a baby next spring. :no:

 

[alphahorses]

This is a (partial!) checklist that I would use if I were looking for a riding pony for a child. You could probably find most of these in books

Questions to Ask

1. Has he ever coliced? foundered?

2. Has he ever been injured? Sick?

3. Is he up to date on worming? shots? What vaccinations has he had?

4. Have his teeth been floated? when was the last time?

5. Any bad habits? kicking? biting? striking? stall weaving? cribbing?

6. How does he get along with other horses? Where is he in the pecking order?

7. If he is registered, are the papers in the name of the person who is selling you the pony (people have gotten burned big time on this one!) Is he actually registered? Or just registration eligible or registration pending?

Things I would observe

1. What is his overall condition? Weight? Coat? Does he look wormy?

2. Take a look at his teeth. Is his bite even or at least "passable" (what is passable depends on what you are going to use him for)

3. What is the condition of his hooves?

4. How does he act with his current handler? How does he act around you? Does he flinch when you touch him? Is he pushy? Does he respect your space?

5. GENTLY palpate his back where the saddle would sit and around his spine. Any signs of soreness?

6. Does he seem to like (or do you think he can learn to like) you or your child who will be riding him?

Things I would ask to see

1. Have him walked and trotted in front of you and to/from you. Observe any problems with gait and possible lameness. I like to see them free-lunged in a round pen if that is available.

2. If they are advertising him as a horse that is broke for a child to ride, ask if you can see a child ride him (not always posssible in every circumstance!). At least ask to see someone ride him.

3. If he is trained to drive, ask to see him drive. Observe his responsiveness both when ridden and when driven - that will tell you how much training/re-training he will need.

4. IF you believe it is safe, ask if you or your child can ride and/or drive him. Be sure to take proper riding boots and a riding helmet with you!

5. The registration papers. Do they seem to be in order and in the name of the person you are dealing with?

6. Have him measured in front of you if you are concerned about his height.

Before I make a final decision

1. Have a vet to a basic pre-purchase exam. Standard cost here is $95 and it is money well spent. It could save you hundreds or thousands in headaches and future vet costs! Try to be there during the exam.

2. Ask the vet specifically if the horse still has his wolf teeth. If so, and you decide to buy while the vet is still there, have them pulled and have his teeth floated (or better yet, try to work this into the deal!). A lot of "behavior" problems with riding ponies is caused by a bit hitting against wolf or sharp teeth when a child who does not have good hands pulls on the reins. And "behavior" problems can lead to a dangerous situation for the rider.

3. If there will be a sales contract, ask if you can take a copy to review before you actually sign it. Personally, I would never buy a horse on payments without a sales contract. If I'm paying full price for it immediately and they hand me the registration and transfer papers at the time that I pay, I might buy w/out a contract if the pony is not expensive and we didn't have any special agreements.

If any of these items are "negative" that doesn't necessarily mean that you don't buy, but it gives you the information that you need to make a wise decision.

 

[Koko]

Oh, thanks loads for those questions. It's hard to keep track of them all when you're writing eMails up.