Buying pony specifically for 2 year old?

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I have horses at home and my 2 year old has been riding our Welsh companion pony a bit on the lead rein. She’s getting quite into it now, which is great, however the pony she’s riding isn’t really suitable for children and is very spooky and sharp.

I honestly think she’d have a wonderful time with a real little kids Shetland which is bombproof and will let her groom, lead, ride it and be a calm and steady partner. However at 2 it’s hard to say if she’ll stick with it and it’s a lot to take on for me if she then goes off the idea!! Older sibling not interested. Round here these type of ponies are like gold dust, never leave families/pony clubs and would be rare to come up to buy (or even better loan!)

Any advice from those who’ve been in a similar situation?

Sounds risky but also awesome. Saying that a shitland that is good with kids is rare!

I think with any small kids ponies you pretty much have to accept you're getting a pet for yourself with the chance your child might want to ride occasionally, they change so much and so quickly at this age you can't be sure (as you acknowledge) that she'll still be interested/keen in the future. So do go for it so long as your set-up/lifestyle facilitates care of the pony without it being too much of a hassle even if your DD never wants to ride again (or rarely). It sounds as though you have other horses so maybe not too much of an issue but Shetlands/minis do need some careful management with regard to their weight and also remember however little and cute they are horses at the end of the day, even a saintly lead rein type will need regular work and schooling to keep them healthy and remembering their manners, you can't necessarily expect they just live out virtually unhandled in the field for months on end then get brought in and toddler popped on with no drama. Obviously given their size the work usually has to be on the ground, when we had one I did quite a bit with her or she'd get fat and cheeky very quickly, she did a lot of being ponied from my horse (little legs had to move quickly to keep up which did a lot to keep her fit/trim) plus long-lining, lunging, in-hand stuff in the arena. The bumbling around with a kid on board was almost subsidiary really as that was hardly hard work...

We were fortunate as we already had a Shetland companion for one of our horses when I had my eldest and he had great fun with him . You may be able to find a loan .

You're probably sorted by now, but if not, ask around at your local pony and riding clubs for someone with an older, semi-retired outgrown pony who is looking to put it on loan or share - you'll only be pootling around at this stage, the gentle work will help keep an older pony interested and supple, and it's less likely to get fresh without very regular work. Something kind and tolerant that likes being groomed and cuddled is essential. Personally, I'd avoid Shetlands, as even the kind ones are just so strong, and most are very wilful.

What about your other horse? You said horses, plural? Would they be sensible enough to have a little plod round with a toddler? I'd be reluctant to buy a toddler sized pony tbh as kids outgrow them ridiculously quickly.

My niece (7) is one of those kids who can go on and off a hobby quickly. Atm she doesn't ride much so I refused to get her a share pony. I share my school horse one day a week so she will occasionally come with me and hop on him for a bit. He is too big for her, nearly 17hh and built like a tank but he is calm and cuddly and all she really does is mooch around the school or field anyway.

For a 2 year old I'd let them ride a horse I already had but wouldn't loan or buy one specifically for them as they'll either lose interest or outgrow them in a matter of a year or so.