Need my head patted-just put dpony up for sale

[marialuisa]

DD has shot up again and we've faced the fact that we aren't going to scrape another year out of dpony . He's only 7 and despite hare-brained thoughts of adopting a small child so we could keep him, reality is that he will have to move on as he is too good to stand around in a field, even if that were an option.

Have put an ad on Horsegossip and Pony Club website yesterday, will add to Horsequest at the end of the month (really want to have him until the end of September). DD is torn; outraged that only 2 people have contacted me despite 100+ views of the ad and telling me not to reply to them.

We are very lucky that next pony is already on the yard and well-known to us so doing a gradual move over but feel like we're betraying dpony! Just needed a whinge to an understanding audience

[Alameda]

? You'll find him a lovely home where he can help another child and their family realise their potential and ambitions - as you say, not very fair on him to be deprived of opportunity to do what he is good at.

[mothermirth]

I've just done the same thing (started my own thread a couple of weeks ago) and have found a wonderful 'forever' home for Dpony (fingers crossed, nothing finalised yet).

Feel so much better now. Don't forget, you can choose who has him.

[horseylady]

Hugs. I can't sell my dpony even though it's sensible to do so. After owning her for 9 years it's just too hard. Good luck

[Mirage]

UnMnetty hugs to you marialuisa,but I know you 'll make sure he goes to the best possible home,and that is the important thing.Is there any chance of him staying on the same yard?

Your DD shouldn't be outraged,I would have enquired if he was within my price range as he looks and sounds an absolute star.It is no reflection on him at all,but people don't have quite as much money as they did,so that is probably why not many have responded.With his bloodlines you'll perhaps get a better response from Horsequest and HG ads.Also with Pony Club camps coming up in the next week or so,maybe people are hanging on to the pony they know until after camp,and start looking again after then?

[Butkin]

We've got this to come. DD currently has 3 ponies and we're searching for a 13hh SHP so we've got to persuade her to let one go. At least you've got a cross over period which is great - never easy to let them go when you've not got another one ready to ride.

Sure it will work out fine - when DD has let them go in the past she's had a few tears but generally been pretty sensible about it afterwards.

[marialuisa]

Thanks all. "Yard" is actually our friends' farm and sadly they don't need another small pony , although he was theirs from 2-5 years so expect we will all be sobbing on each others' shoulders when the time comes.

We have lowered our expectations of what we will get moneywise but have priced with room to manoeuvre IYSWIM. He still looks comparatively expensive although Horsequest seems to have had a flurry of £3k plus ponies recently. Hadn't thought about camp effect so will see how it goes over the summer.

[Butkin]

Horsequest is awash with expensive ponies because they are being sold with their RI tickets. If you look again afterwards (17th to 22nd July) owners will be much more realistic (unless they have qualified for Hoys!!).

[Treblesallround]

Poor dd and marialuisa I'm sure you'll find him a lovely home, and as dd gets more involved with her new pony she'll move on and transfer her affections. Maybe if he doesn't go too far away she could keep in touch?

Tell us about the new pony

[marialuisa]

Well, I've seen off 2 potential buyers, have one who wants video left! One home wanted LWVTB and are at the other end of the country, other wanted him for a 4 year old. Don't get me wrong he'll happily give tiny tots a ride but he isn't suitable to be used only in that way. We are going to be nightmare sellers, DD wants to ban anyone who lives too far away and we really want him to go and be a family pony rather than be one of a string of show ponies, so expect we'll take a much lower price if someone lovely comes along.

New pony is only 13hh but much stockier, he's another Welsh B (dpony's cousin many times over). He's a 7 year old palomino, very affectionate, gorgeous to look at with a nice pop on him. He's not as naturally scopey as dpony but DD isn't into higher and higher so that's fine. He's got a very good nursery stakes/133 WHP record and has done well in show hunter and small breeds on the flat. He is an easier ride than dpony in many ways, works in an outline naturally rather than needing to peer over hedges given the opportunity! We're prepared that she may only get 12 months out of him but figured it's better to have something that will build her confidence, especially jumping, as she still gets very stressed before jumping classes than a bigger pony that she may find harder to manage. New pony is a real sweetheart (my top criterion for pony choosing!), he shares a field with dpony and already comes to see us, he is very easy to love.

[Treblesallround]

New pony sounds lovely! Gd would have loved a palamino, and very sensible to avoid over-horsing your dd. Good on you being picky about where dpony goes, you'll find the right home for him. What sort of idiot looks at a pony like him for a 4 year old!

[marialuisa]

I know-have looked at ad to see if it's given the wrong impression but honestly can't see anything-it's a bit gushy about how lovely he is though [blush}

[Butkin]

New pony sounds great. As you know from pics we've got a palomino Sec B and love him - although at 12.1 he is smaller than yours. Annoying still over height for Cradle Stakes though.

We've sold our last 2 ponies (through Horsequest) to Switzerland and Guernsey!!

To be honest it has been the best thing. DD was sad on the day they left but would have been even worse if they had stayed in the area and she'd constantly seen them at shows either a) beating her or b) not looking happy.

[marialuisa]

Had quite a bit of interest so far, the difficult thing is that the most promising response is from a producer in the US....Really don't know how to feel about it, the person checks out but sending a pony to the US, to a producer who clearly sells little Welsh ponies on at mind-blowing prices? Very confused. She does have a DD who would fit dpony but I'm not naive enough to think that's why she really wants him.

[Butkin]

Wow your pony must be special because the shipping costs to the States will be expensive. What part of America would they be flying to?

[marialuisa]

Florida

He is lovely and well-priced if you know what you're looking for. The prices she charges are mind-blowing but there's a shortage of "quality" children's riding ponies from what I can understand.

DD welled-up when I told her, non-horsey DH thought it was a better option than France as he wouldn't end up in the (human) food chain. Just wish someone nice from our area would call, we really want him to be part of a family and have a special person.....

[marialuisa]

Scrap that. Have decided we can't do it after all.

[Treblesallround]

Good for you marialuisa, I think you'd always feel a bit sad about it if you let dpony go to the US. It's a credit to the work you've put into him though that they'd be interested in him, with all the shipping costs.

It's early days, he'll sell to a good home

[Mirage]

Awww! I wouldn't be able to sell to the US either.(not that anyone would want our grumpy old thing anyway).

This is just a thought,but I've been looking at ads 4 x a day at least for the past 10 months,and on the PC website it was the title of the pony's advert that drew me in,ie 'All rounder' , 'hunting pony' 'PC star' ect. Maybe changing the title might help?

Anyway,as Trebles says,it is early days yet.

[marialuisa]

Thanks both. I'm so torn, really want to keep him until end of September but now we've made the decision I'm really not enjoying the feeling of knowing he's for sale and DD isn't coping very well (she's got a lot on emotionally with leaving primary school, beginnings of puberty...) so sort of want it to be over? Also, I know I can't expect new pony's owners to hold on indefinitely (although they also want to keep him until September) but no chance of just getting the cash together as we've had a natural disaster in the garden that the insurance won't cover and a car fail its MOT big time.

Why couldn't she like needlework??!

Will look at amending title, wasn't sure what to put TBH, maybe "second pony" as that would stop the people with little ones ringing!

[GoodOldEnid]

Which one is he (pony club website)? Not the one who has just been reduced, in the South West? If so I was seriously considerign him!

[GoodOldEnid]

I think you are not in the South West so probably not the one I was looking at! Shame!

[marialuisa]

Tempting fate slightly, but it looks as if we've sold dpony to a local home for the asking price. Fingers crossed and praying hard that it all goes through as it's been a horrible couple of weeks.

[Mirage]

Oh I'm really pleased.I'll keep everything crossed for you that it all works out.

It is bad enough buying,I can't imagine how hard selling must be.

[marialuisa]

Just to update-we took Dpony to his new home yesterday. DD had a very hard week with it all but on Saturday night suddenly decided that crying wasn't going to change things so she wasn't going to cry any more. She chose not to come with me to drop Dpony off and avoided him in the morning until she said goodbye. Our lovely friends kept her very busy and apart from welling up a few times and being very quiet DD seems to be pulling through.

Dpony behaved like a saint on arrival at his new home and let his very excited, very small new owner lead him past a hay barn without even looking in the direction of the hay! They are very keen to do the best for him and assuming he continues to behave himself I think he'll have a very nice long-term home (they also have a younger child who is starting to ride).

[Treblesallround]

How nice that he's gone to such a good home, and your dd sounds like she's being very mature about it.