Buying daughter's first pony - help please!

[XelaM]

Hi, I hope someone can offer some advice.

My daughter (12) has been riding for years, is a member of Pony Club (D+/Silver level 1 at the moment). She is very confident and does low-level jumping and dressage competitions (although nothing major).

She volunteers at the yard where she rides and the yard is both close to our house and her school, so she could be there every day (she already is anyway even without her own horse).

She is desperate for her own pony, but I have been speaking to the yard for many months now and they say that the prices have gone up significantly in recent months and that I should budget £8-12K minimum. In any event, even with that budget (which to me sounds huge) they are still struggling to find anything.

We are just looking for a placid happy hacker/Pony Club type of horse. We are in North London, but obviously willing to travel. Does anyone have any recommendations of reputable places to approach and where to go if the yard can't find anything? I would of course get the yard to check the horse etc etc once we find it, but I wouldn't even know where to start.

Oh, thank you! @FitToFly Do you mean Juliet Clarke? Would you not recommend her?

Fwiw my 5'8'' friend has a 14hh Connemara that she's competed in WH to a high level. She's actually for sale for the low end of your suggested budget but isn't suitable for your needs unfortunately. This pony is getting placed on HOYS tracks though, it's too much for a happy hacker, light pc pony . Don't worry about the height too much, a sturdy pony can take up plenty of leg. I had to get on a 12.3/13h the other day (am also 5'8) and didn't look or feel ridiculous.

I'd try to find someone independent of the yard to advise and guide you. Sounds like they want something to suit their needs rather than your daughters and yes that will cost. School ponies are worth their weight but a private owner doesn't need one.

@XelaM I would look at social media to get a good idea of how dealers behave and respond when things go wrong. You can search names and posts.
You will also find a lot of their friends recommend them and that makes it difficult to get an honest opinion too.

I wouldn’t class JC as a dodgy dealer but she is not someone who I would buy from and I don’t like how she behaves in defence of people who I would consider dodgy.

I second the advice of getting someone independent to help you and always use an independent vet for the vetting.

I also wouldn’t recommend Juliet Clarke.

I agree that working livery has drawbacks and that would worry me, the budget is high and not necessary. However working livery offers significant daily assistance to the non horsey parent and if it is being discounted proper full livery needs to be costed/ located and a trustworthy full livery provider found for the novice owner….

Sorry I realise that sounds so smug and patronising but horses and ponies take over your whole life, I have spent the whole day at camp and when lucky enough to have a teen take over lead reign - and I am massively grateful for that - I was able to get on phone to book other rallys/ sort farrier for my horse and source complicated hoof treatment needed for that and book on hat check appointment for child. Tomorrow I get up at 5 again and need to pack more stuff, and I changed jobs to get summer off with child but also significantly to be able to fit the horses in. Maybe see about staying as you are for while/ finding a loan if possible. That is where I started…

Get in touch with kizzy and etties mother on insta - she's just viewed a load

https://instagram.com/kizzyanddettiesponies?utmmmedium=copy_link

Owning a pony is worlds away from riding one at a RS and a MASSIVE learning curve especially with a non horsey family background - I would definitely suggest loan or share first

As for working livery that can be a very tricky arrangement 😏

UPDATE... We bought a pony! A lovely 11-year-old 14.2 hh cob from Ireland. My daughter had a week to try her out whilst she was at the yard and she was absolutely lovely. Really soft nice temperament, forward but not too forward, very mellow. She passed 5-stage vetting this week and she is now on full livery. My daughter is over the moon, I am of course very stressed about it all She is a very lovely pony and exactly what we wanted, but there is SO much to do/buy up front! Can anyone recommend any economical places to buy rugs?

Oh and thank you to you all for all the brilliant advice!!

An Irish cob? I possibly wouldn't even rug her.

And congratulations on becoming a horse mum

Minimal rigging for a cob unless clipped out. Possibly just a rainsheet to minimise cleaning off mud before riding. My cob sweats in anything more unless well below zero despite being clipped.

*rugging

I wouldn’t bother with rigging her unless you are planning on clipping. Congratulations!

Facebook/second hand rugs.
Ebay can also be good for rugs.

But yes for a cob I would have the view less is more rug wise.

Thank you! Yes, an Irish cob and quite furry so I think you are all right about less is more. She has very cute lush feathers as well that my daughter sadly wants clipped. I think she looks adorable with feathers

Actually it's an Irish cob mix, but looks very cobbie

Derby House are good if you want new,I find them a nice wide fit round the chest for my stocky girl.

We get a lot of our pony’s rugs from Ponyo , I’m sure your daughter will find something suitable on there . We’ve never had any trouble with ordering / deliveries and they seem quite hardy . I always used to use Horseware but I’m less impressed with them now .

Congratulations! The pony sounds perfect .

We went with Rambo for turnout rug - they are not cheap however they last for years and are genuinely waterproof and the liner system means you don’t have to have a gazillion different weights of rugs

Also every rug is mud coloured within a week of being used in autumn/winter so getting ones in cute prints/funky colours is completely pointless

At 12 unless she's seriously competing then no she doesn't need her own. Especially if the yard will let her ride others. At this age it's better to ride as many different ponies as you can to get the experience in.

Prices have shot up too, so anything cheaper is going to come with problems that might take months to appear. Then be costly and time consuming to rectify.

Wait till she's on horses to buy something if she's still keen at that point. Prices may be less inflated by then.

Congratulations on the new pony! We're out the other side now my children have grown up, but you're in for a whole world of fun (and expense, but you know that!)
You will become besotted, not just your daughter! Great that you have full livery but try to let your daughter and yourself get involved in his/her care and learn what you can.
Highly recommend that dd continues with lessons regularly.
Also, highly recommend joining the BHS. It's less than £6 a month and has so many benefits (insurance, legal helpline, advice, regular magazine, training etc)

@XelaM

UPDATE... We bought a pony! A lovely 11-year-old 14.2 hh cob from Ireland. My daughter had a week to try her out whilst she was at the yard and she was absolutely lovely. Really soft nice temperament, forward but not too forward, very mellow. She passed 5-stage vetting this week and she is now on full livery. My daughter is over the moon, I am of course very stressed about it all She is a very lovely pony and exactly what we wanted, but there is SO much to do/buy up front! Can anyone recommend any economical places to buy rugs?

Oh and thank you to you all for all the brilliant advice!!

You just have to trawl all the sites as they often have offers on rugs. I've used redpost equestrian before and they are good on price. Always get good rugs. Cheap ones do not last. I like horsewear Rambo rugs. As easy to get on/off. I like Albion comfort bridles and I'm using an Albion K2 jump on an old tree and love it. If I had the money I'd buy a prestige as they are seriously comfortable.

So I guess now you will have the fun of getting its teeth rasped, saddle checked etc? Any issues here can cause behavior issues if the pony is in any pain.

Welcome to the world of never having money ever again and being constantly filthy from doing the horse.