New horse/pony hunters support thread - anyone interested?

[bumbleymummy]

I'm currently horse hunting and after seeing quite a few unsuitable ones (sarcoids/lame/crazy/too young/too old/too much of a project) I have finally found one that I really like. 6yo sport horse 16.2 has done wh/xc/sj up to 1m this summer, home bred and has been brought on slowly. She's lovely to ride and I took plenty of videos and I have nods of approval from the people I trust. :) They are coming with me to try her again next weekend and the owner has agreed to a trial period at a local livery yard so I can get her vetted there if all goes well....I'm biting my nails until next weekend! Anyone else out there in the same position? Or can anyone distract me with good/bad tales of their horse/pony hunting experiences?

[frenchfancy]

Same position as you. After several visits to unsuitable horses, we think we have found the one. Went to see her this afternoon. Not the same prospect as yours though, ours is 17 yrs old, about 14h2. Ex club pony. lovely character, did what she was asked, I rode her up to a trot, then DD got on and cantered and jumped a little bit.

I can't find a single downside - which worries me as she seems a little too perfect. I'm going back tomorrow with OH and if all goes well I'll see if I can take her on trial.

It feels like I am on the edge of a big cliff, and I'm about to jump off, scary and exciting.

[Mirage]

I'll join you.We are looking for a pony for 6 year old dd2.We bought our first pony about 10 weeks ago and were very lucky with her.However I have learnt to read between the lines of the ads now.So far this time,I've enquired about 5,gone to see 2.The ones we didn't see included a hunting lead rein pony who sounded great until I asked how she was off the l/r-apparently she has a tendency to drop her shoulder and dismount the jockey.A pony who had been ridden intermittently for 2 years,spent the previous 7 in an orchard and that no one could get to canter,a pony that doesn't like the rain or the cold and has damage to a suspensory ligament and can't be jumped.One of the two we saw was apparently 'lazy' but when my teenage friend rode it,she found it hard to stop.
I'm hopeful about the one we saw on Saturday,despite it spooking and dd1 falling off.I'm hoping to take an experienced rider with me this week for a 2nd opinion.

Good luck bumbleymummy.

[bumbleymummy]

Oh French I definitely know what you mean. I'm trying so hard to be sensible but every so often I just think Eeeeeeeeee! :) How old is your DD? Are you going to share her or is she just for your DD?

Wow mirage - some of them sound crazy! How do some people expect to sell these ponies?! My experiences haven't been ridiculously bad just unsuitable for me. (except for the lame one that I drove 3 hours to see!)

Good luck to you both! Keep updating here. I won't have anything to add for another 6 days probably. Sigh...

[Mirage]

Oh,I forgot,the 1st ridden good in traffic pony that we had on trial back in May is on the market again.When we had it it tried to drag me into a hedge when it saw a milk tanker,reared with dd2 on board when it saw sunlight glinting off a car several fields away and threw dd2 off in a fit of spinning when I walked away from it in the school.The owner was difficult about us returning him too.He was on for £1250 in May,now £650,but she has taken 'suitable for 1st ridden' and ' good in traffic' off his details.

Frenchfancy,what is the market like in France? Here it has dropped like a stone.When I think that my pony in 1979 cost £250 inc tack-they aren't much more now.

Best of luck to both of you.

[Eve]

I have a 11.2 welsh a that my son is beginning to ride of lead rein, her and I have a love/ hate relationship... (mostly hate!) and am thinking of replacing her.

But she's been with my friend and I for so many years, taught 4 kids to ride, and though she can be a right rat-bag at least we know her 'quirks'..... am going to look for a 12h but as I don;t need to replace her immediately, can take time to find something sensible but its such a minefield.

Bought a 13.2 new forest in June for eldest son, and she is worth her weight in gold. Got her for £1500.. and she worth double, looks after her rider, safe for everything, really helps them out at a jump. I need another of her, but a hand smaller.

[bumbleymummy]

Sounds like a minefield mirage. My boys aren't really at that stage yet. The eldest (5) isn't showing much interest but the 2 1/2 Yo loved my friends Shetland so maybe lead rein classes next summer I'm desperate for at least one of them to be interested!

The NF sounds lovely Eve. It's a pity you can't clone them when you find a good one. (and shrink them a bit accordingly!)

[frenchfancy]

I know what you mean about unsuitable. We saw one on Saturday who was advertised as being good for a beginner, when I got on she acted like she had never been riden before. I got of pretty sharpish, thinking it was just my lack of experience, the dealer then got on and the horse was even worse.

The one we saw yesterday appears to have no faults. And she is ?1000 cheaper than some others we've seen. She is to be shared with me and my DD, though I think I'll have to ride her when DD is at school to get a look in.

The market in France is certainly more expensive than the uk. But that is because if a horse is no longer suitable to be ridden they are sold for their meat. It is often the same dealers that deal with the animals from quality competition standard horses down to the butcher grade.

[bumbleymummy]

Do they usually go through dealers? No private sales? I always let the owner ride the horse first so I can see what they're like and if they have any quirks. It gives me a chance to get photos/videos too! :) I hope it goes well today with your OH. Let us know how you get on!

[Haggyoldclothbatspus]

Obviously, I know that this is a buyers support thread, but Id love to add my sellers story...
We had a lovely welsh A for sale a few years ago. She was a great first pony, safe, sound, had come from a riding school so she knew everything, and looked after her rider like a pro. Her only fault was that when being groomed, she would sometimes try and groom you back and youd get a little nip.
We advertised her on Horsequest and H&H.
We had three viewers in a row.
The first brought her 4yo, who could barely stay upright in her riding hat, couldnt ride at all, and had to be held by the leg to keep her on the pony. She wanted the pony so that she could take her DD hunting!!!! This was october, so she wasnt talking next winter, or in a few months, but straight away!
The second brought her slightly older kid to try the pony. This kid was a pony club kicker! She constantly walloped the pony with her heels, yanked on the reins, hit her with a stick and complained when the poor beast switched off! And to the ponies credit, she didnt buck her off and stomp on her, she just ignored the horrid little monster! The mother then had the flipping cheek to tell me that she was looking for something a little more lively! So just to piss her off, we put DD, 9, on, she trotted, cantered and jumped her over a 2ft jump like a dream!
The third was a vet, who tried to tell me that the pony was lame, (because her kid was on the wrong leg, the wrong diagonal and managed to make the pony disunited,) and tried to half the price!
We finally sold her to a lovely family, who came, tried her, got a nip whilst groming and laughed it off, asked Dfriend for riding advice, had a little lesson, hacked up the lane, fell in love with her, and then confessed resignedly that they could only afford 2/3 of the asking price. They were so sweet, and obviously loved the pony, so we let them have her.
Selling can be just as much of a minefield as buying!

[frenchfancy]

OMG we've just bought her! well we've got her on a weeks trial. We asked if they could deliver tomorrow, but they said they were busy, but would tonight do:)

Can you imagine the look my daughter is going to have on her face when she gets off the school bus and I tell her we have to go up to the stables:)

I can't believe it. She is called Valentina, I'll post a picture once I've got one to post.

[Mirage]

Oh how exciting frenchfancy.I'd love to see your dds face.Look forward to seeing a photo.

Haggy,dpony bit me the first time we saw her.She still nips if she thinks she can,but I forgive her that because she is so good when ridden.I can't imagine how hard it is to sell them.

I'm still looking,just in case the one we saw on Saturday is a no goer,but not seen anything else locally.I'm in London tomorrow and in Bristol from Saturday til Tuesday,so that is a huge chunk of horse hunting time taken out.

[bumbleymummy]

Yay French! That's great news! What did your DD say when she came home? I hope the trial goes well for you.

Haggy, thanks for posting. It's good to hear the other side of the story too. I'm glad you found a lovely home for her :)

Mirage - let us know how you get on with your second look at day's pony :) when are you hoping to see her again?

The one I like stood on me twice on sat so I'm hoping from some of your stories that a minor injury is a good omen! :)

[bumbleymummy]

Saturday's* Not sure what happened there.

[Mirage]

bumbleymummy,being stood on must be a good omen-my mum tells me the first pony she bought for me bit her when we viewed her.

I've left a message for the seller to ring me-Thursday is the best day for me this week.I've not heard back yet,but what will be will be.

[bumbleymummy]

I keep telling myself that too Mirage. :) Fingers crossed you hear back today!

[Mirage]

Yay! going to see him again on Thursday,although after the shenanigans our existing pony has been up to today,make me wonder if I'm insane to be even thinking of another.

[bumbleymummy]

Yay Mirage! :) what has your pony been up to today? Who rides her or why are you getting a second one?

[Mirage]

She is ridden by my 8 year old and 6 year old,but is too big for the 6 year old,so looking for a small pony for her.When we hack out one dd has to bike and the other ride,then we swap,but it limits where we can ride as they can't cycle over the fields.Dpony has started refusing to be led in from the field and today it took me 40 minutes to get her in,she wasplanting, rearing,biting and kicking-completely out of character.I've started a thread on it here.

[bumbleymummy]

Nightmare :( will read your other thread.

[bumbleymummy]

French, how are you getting on?

[BrutallySodomisedByAGoat]

I'm looking for a (short/medium term loan) pony, sort of 14.2 age breed etc irrelevant as long as sound and not horrifically bad mannered

so far have only asked pc district commissioner, really need a confidence giver who loves jumping - not end of world if doesn't hack or do much else - not sure how to phrase ad?

[frenchfancy]

We are getting on really well. She comes to us when we arrive at her paddock, we can lead her in with no problems at all. We have lunged (sp?) her and DD has riden her. She needs a crop to get her into a canter, but at least I know when I get on her tonight she isn't going to galop off into the sunset.

My only (silly) concern was that she was a bit too placid, but she started to show a bit of character when we lunged her yesterday. I don't want a difficult horse, but I don't want DD to get bored either.

All in all she is looking like our ideal pony. We have got to decide on Sunday.

[Haggyoldclothbatspus]

Mitchy, I may know of a couple, Ill ask some questions for you.

[CMOTdibbler]

I'm not looking for a horse. Oh no. Not at all.

[Haggyoldclothbatspus]

Well.....I may be looking at a pony next week which may mean that Im back in the saddle.........