Pony too small to ride

[pinkpolo]

I took on a rescue mare in late 2016 and I didn't realise she was in foal. The colt was born in 2017 so is rising 2. He's been gelded and is living with our other horse on a busy yard, so well handled and used to routine etc.

My problem is that he's unlikely to make the height for us to ride. At best, he'll make 14.1 but my 5'10 DD would look ridiculous on him, and would probably be too heavy.

There is sentiment in keeping him as my rescue mare died early last year. He's nice looking and very friendly so easy to manage. I just can't help feeling disappointed that he's taking up a livery space for a second horse we could actually ride! Having 3 isn't an option as I don't have the time.

I suppose I'm looking for advice/stories of others who've been in a similar position with a pony too small for riding. I'm not into showing inhand, although I think he'd do well at this.

Find someone experienced to help break him to harness? Then you've got pleasure driving (e.g. like hacking, but in harness), showing, or driving trials (3 phase: driven dressage, cones, marathon).

Driving is a good idea, or I've heard of people doing horse agility with their non ridden ones too although I'm not really sure what that entails...

If he was mine and I definitely wanted to keep him, my ideal scenario would probably be trying to find somewhere he could go out on loan/grass livery as a companion for another youngster or ideally in a herd with several others, for a couple of years (until he is riding 4 or 5). I would then have him backed (professionally if it was me as I am well past backing youngsters but if you can find a light weight jockey and are experienced you could give it a go yourself). Then have him back on my yard with someone reliable to share/loan him and meet at least part of his costs so I could afford to have another ridden horse for myself. I would probably look to get one on loan or share for myself so if I needed to meet the full costs of the young one I could give up the ridden horse at short notice. Obviously there's a lot of ifs and buts in that situation, good grass liveries that will take young-stock are not that common nor are experienced sharers you can trust with a green youngster so I'm not saying it'll all be plain sailing, but if he's a generally easy and nice type it would be worth the investment, particularly if there's a chance you can't 100% commit to keeping him for the next 20 years + ... sorry to say that unbacked/unridden small-ish types of uncertain breeding are unlikely to find good homes, however nicely mannered and good looking, so if you ever wanted/needed to sell you'd really owe it to him to ensure he can do a job! Good luck, hope you find a good solution...

That should of course say rising 4 or 5 not riding!

Some great advice here, thank you!

I've taken some of the suggestions on board and currently looking into a grass livery package at a local equestrian centre. He can potentially live out with other youngsters and enjoy being a baby!