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Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Original poster

Calling Welsh section d owners

27 replies

postitcharlie · 26/12/2024 10:18

Hi we viewed one and fell in love with her. She had a great temperament and during the viewing we did everything - a really through viewing. Catching, tacking up, grooming, arena, hack etc. pony being sold by someone with very good reputation.

i said with Christmas I would let the seller know in the coming days HOWEVER I have spoken to a couple of horsey friends who said they aren’t a good breed and I will regret.

also pony was a little bit more greener than I was expecting, not by too much but enough that makes me think she isn’t worth her asking price. She certainly isn’t as much of a finished pony that I was looking for, but I quite like the idea of putting our own stamp on her.

i also wondered if anyone who is very familiar with the breed would mind be sharing a video of the pony to answer a couple of questions about something?

OP posts:
jennylamb1 · 26/12/2024 10:20

Is the pony for you or a child?

twistyizzy · 26/12/2024 10:25

Welsh cob green mare? OK for competent adult but I wouldn't choose for a child.
Welshies are notoriously stubborn, add onto that a mare + green = would only choose that mix for a competent teenager or adult.
I had a Welsh Cob when I was between 13-15. Insanely talented jumper but would only jump at home, away he would just plant and refuse to move. Same on hacks, if he didn't want to go in a particular direction he would just plant and refuse to move. However he could also be very sharp with a nasty habit of dropping his shoulder + spinning.
After I outgrew him I moved onto TBs and have never ridden a Welsh since 😆😆
I call then marmite horses, you either love them or you don't.

Jifmicroliquid · 26/12/2024 10:26

We’ve had several over the last 30 years and got two on the yard now. They are very much individuals- some are sharp, spooky and prone to ridiculousness, but you can get some who are worth their weight in gold and absolute saints.

Do you know the breeding? I find Nebo lines tend to be extra sharp. Feel free to drop me the video.

Original poster
postitcharlie · 26/12/2024 11:02

jennylamb1 · 26/12/2024 10:20

Is the pony for you or a child?

Both - a mother daughter share for myself and a competent teenager

OP posts:
Original poster
postitcharlie · 26/12/2024 11:04

Jifmicroliquid · 26/12/2024 10:26

We’ve had several over the last 30 years and got two on the yard now. They are very much individuals- some are sharp, spooky and prone to ridiculousness, but you can get some who are worth their weight in gold and absolute saints.

Do you know the breeding? I find Nebo lines tend to be extra sharp. Feel free to drop me the video.

i Don’t know the breeding unfortunately. I will message you!

OP posts:
Querty123456 · 26/12/2024 11:07

They’ve certainly got a reputation for being feisty and quirky. Personally I’m not a fan.

Pinkdaisie · 26/12/2024 16:36

Querty123456 · 26/12/2024 11:07

They’ve certainly got a reputation for being feisty and quirky. Personally I’m not a fan.

Same. I would rather a Connie.

TheCovetedDuchessRose · 26/12/2024 16:50

I have owned a section D for 16 years, she is a saint. She had a good showing career with me when I first got her and was the only one I would ride when pregnant. Now my small 11 year old son hacks her about all over the country side.
She’s just the right amount of lazy- she moves like a dream but would never bolt or spook.
Her one fault is being a sod to catch when the spring grass begins.
i would happily get another, though I also have a sec B and a sec A so very partial to a welshie!

Octonopes · 26/12/2024 17:28

I don't have a video but I do have a Welsh D, for almost 21 years

He is one of the great loves of my life and up there with the best thing to ever happen to me

He is gorgeous and clever and stubborn and opinionated and affectionate and incredibly strong.

He has a huge, fierce buck, and will spook, and is absolutely not a novice ride. However he has got me out of a tight spot more times than I like to think. Happy to answer questions by DM if you like

SoImAHorseThenTed · 26/12/2024 17:54

We took 2 Welsh cobs to the European TREC championships this year. One is a firebreathing mare you handle with extreme care and the rider needs their brave pants on all the time. The other is a gentle gelding who is nicknamed ‘the Just Enough Pony’ - he does just enough for the rider on him at the time, he will plod along for a novice child or jump a 1m hedge on a top level competition course. They are completely different from each other but both Welsh Cobs. The placid gelding has Nebo lines btw. You’d put a child on the gelding without a second thought, you’d only put a child you didn’t like on the mare!

A green pony will be green whatever the breeding. If you are happy to and capable of taking on a green pony there’s no need to think that a Welsh cob will be any more difficult than another breed. Interesting that one poster says they would rather have a Connie - I’ve found Connies to be far sharper than Welsh cobs.

I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.

jennylamb1 · 26/12/2024 18:01

If you had a thorough try-out and your daughter is competent you could just ask for a small price reduction given the 'Green' issue. I would presume that the pony would be fully vetted too in case there are any physical reasons for any other movement or similar queries you might have.

Eyesopenwideawake · 26/12/2024 18:01

My Welshie is 25 years old in a few days and worth his (considerable!) weight in gold. His own vice is to take unsuspecting people grass skiing if they let him get in front. I swear it makes him laugh!

This is him about 13 years ago, pulling all his favourite moves.

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bloodredfeaturewall · 26/12/2024 18:04

we used to have one (30 years ago) who was a very fine pony indeed. very robust and we only ever needed the vet for vaccinations.
but very clever and needed an experienced rider. his full stops and quick turns were legendary thought was a quarter horse

try him out, including handling/saddling.

Mittens67 · 26/12/2024 18:04

All those I have known have been very sharp. Personally I would never have one but each to her own.
Great if you want speed and excitement.

Allnewtometoo · 26/12/2024 18:09

I've had several over the years. They do have a reputation fir being fire breathing dragons, but that is a generalisation.

One of my mares was an absolute Saint, typical old fashioned sort with all the movement, jumped anything, good as gold.

Another, also a Saint from being young. Easy to start, and just got better and better. Chestnut too...

Another mare, had a bad start..stable vices, snd would plant rather than anything else. She was an awkward bugger but predictable

Thinking about it the worst was the gelding. Idiot thing.

How old is she, to be green?

lastqueenofscotlandagain · 26/12/2024 20:42

They are marmite, I personally am not a fan. Generally they are quite hot and their build is such that they can throw themselves around quite a bit.
Theres one on my yard and he's pretty sensible 99% of the time but the 1% he's pretty tedious. His movement is huge so a spook/excited buck etc is all very big.
Again they are big moving and can be a lot to keep together properly, especially in the canter

lastqueenofscotlandagain · 26/12/2024 20:43

I should add I do a fair bit of instructing and with a green more hot type I'd have a think about how realistic it is that you could put a stamp on vs just ending up out of your depth with a pony with ridden problems

liveforsummer · 27/12/2024 09:27

Welshies do tend to come with a price tag, especially those with good breeding and a finished article will certainly set you bac. In what way was the pony green? They are generally great ponies but do have a 'Welsh dragon' reputation and can be sharp and quirky. Not to say you don't get quiet ones. I'd say great for a competent parent and teen but it depends obviously whether we are talking riding school competent or ridden all her life on lively private ponies competent., We have a Welsh D on our yard that my dc backed and broke in and my 11 year old took to pony club camp when he was only 4 and had a ball but I'm not the biggest fan. Give me a TB any day. A PP mentioned ground manners and pony who towed anyone who wasn't expecting it which is the biggest problem with ours too. Absolute chancer! 😅

maxelly · 27/12/2024 10:35

I think like someone else said, judge the pony in front of you and not the breed, as others have said the breed stereotype is sharp, feisty and big moving especially in front, some of the show welshies look like little battle chargers snorting and tossing their long manes and feathers around and flinging their legs around their ears, gorgeous but probably not for a nervous novice.

But with every breed you get ones that don't fit the stereotype, we had a section D on our yard for years who was very quiet, lazy and totally bombproof, he also moved like a crab and had terrible sweet itch so spent his life half bald, so ticked none of the welshie boxes but he really was one, I saw the papers! The poor thing is dead now but his crown for most beginner/nervous granny friendly horse on the yard has been taken by an ex racing TB, another breed you never would have thought of if just going off the stereotypes. My point being breed counts for something but much more important is the individual personality of the horse and how it's been trained and brought along for its job and stage in life...

Maddy70 · 27/12/2024 10:47

My kids always had Welsh ponies. Love them

CountryCob · 27/12/2024 12:41

All breeds have their stereotypes with a grain of truth on occasion, nervy tbs, cocky WB, as a connie owner I agree they like labrador dogs have an not always warranted reputation for being straightforward but can also be nervous. Most native big ponies/ cobs can plant and be very big moving I agree. All horses and ponies need a lot of training to be suitable amateur all rounders just as much as a competition horse needs training. I wouldn't get a green one as a first horse for anyone really if it is a first horse. The section D I knew the best could be more stubborn - refusing to leave the yard/ be turned out in the rain even. What made that horse really difficult was that the owners let him decide to have a duvet day etc and then he got really hard to handle for everyone. The clever native ponies in my experience can be quite determined to have things their way I suppose you need to consider if you would be able to stand your ground without overreacting in that situation as a young horse will certainly need that from their owner. I wouldn't rule a section 4 out as a breed at all myself and find it a surprisingly reductive comment, what breed is being suggested instead? Most cob owners - I have one of those 2 so no judgement - have already ruled out a whole host of other larger sporting types, I would have thought of a section D as a suitable breed for general riding. If not maybe look for an English it gypsy cob but beginning to rule out all breeds if discounting native ponies imo....

bloodredfeaturewall · 27/12/2024 13:06

I agree, only get a green one if all you want to do is very informal hacking out or if you have a very good trainerso that dc learns together with the pony.

Destiny123 · 27/12/2024 13:09

Had one as a teen he was amazing best ever. Somewhat stubborn, petrified of puddles haha 😄 far better than my arab/TB/mungral pony lol

Balloonhearts · 27/12/2024 19:32

I can't share photos as he isn't mine but there is one on livery at my school. He is known for being a bit too forward sometimes. Has some sort of tack straps that go from the bit to the saddle, idk what they are, I'm not that experienced but apparently it's there because otherwise he gets a bit fast. He's been to naughty pony boot camp a few times to curb this and is regularly schooled by one of the teenagers as his owners are non horsey and bought him for their young kids.

Everyone says he is good fun to ride and very engaging. He's far too little for me to ride though, I'm fat and have to stick to the big buggers. I handle him on the ground a lot and he's good as gold, sweet temperament, loves his nose kissed and will always come running to his name and present himself for hugs and kisses. Honestly he's anyone's! 😂

Floralnomad · 27/12/2024 19:46

I love section Ds , never owned one but have ridden a few . They are a lovely ride IME but all the ones I know have been very forward and quite a handful and I’m a very experienced owner rider so I wouldn’t recommend them to the inexperienced. They are very solidly built IYSWIM so you need to be in control .