Wednesday, July 29, 2009

How old should my first pony be?

I am 12 and have been riding for years, I want my first pony very soon, but I am not sure how old it should be... I want it to last, and not be an old plodger. I want to get a younger pony (like 4 or 5 years old) that would be worth like $1200 (australian dollars), so I could grow up with it and we could learn together, I would see him atleast four-six times a week but he would be agisted. Is this wise? Should I get a young pony?
Answers:
HI there,
I have to say that I call Clydesdale's ponies, as they think they are, so I have to ask what type of pony are we talking about?
I think that most pony/horses live to a good working age here in Australia. We have few diseases that can cause problems. Most horses do not mature until they are about 5 years old. This applies to most pony breeds too.
I will be unpopular for saying this but horses and pony digestive systems are different and the guy who said there are two types of ponies is correct, if they are not cared for properly. I was told this by a vet; Ponies are more prone to founder than horses, at least here in Australia.
There are a number of good smaller sized horse breeds about and some pony breeds that are less prone to founder available here. The Australian Riding pony is a very good one. I have given a link so you can get some more infomation on them. They are very stylish and show well.
I am also a big fan of the standardbred or trotter. The ones I have had to deal with have all been very reliable. Not as stylish as some but they have inteligence to spare. They seem to be calmer personalities. They are also a lot cheeper. There are even ways to adopt one.
But the important thing is to but a partner for you. Yes you do learn from your horse/pony. So one with more education would be a better choice even if that means being a bit older. With age come experience. Also take into account that you are still growing and do not want to buy a pony/horse that you will out grow quickly, nor do you want a horse that you can not saddle by yourself. You need to but a horse/pony that is suited to the things you wish to do.
I have seen old horse who never grew up and young horses who act like this is old news to them, taking everything in their stride calmly. So it is up to the individual horses temperment. Ther is no correct age for a childs horse. Only correct horses for a child.
The only other peice of advice I have is always take an experienced horse person with you, I've owned horses for over 30 years and still take someone with me, usually my Dad as his opinion matters to me and I will listen with my head and over rule my heart.
But the most important advice, always get a vet check. It is worth the money. There is nothing worse than finding out that your beloved friend can not do things with you because it has a old injury or problem.
If you can handle a young pony and have the resources and experience to train it, then go for it! however, if you do not have the resources or experience to handle a young pony, then go for a more trained, older pony; perhaps 10-14 years old. Ponies live longer than horses so you will most likely be with it for a longer time than you may think! good luck!
you can get one of any age...you are a wise young girl...as soon as the pony is ready to leave its mother, you can raise it and train it yourself...if you're willing to wait to ride, it doesn't need to be 4 or 5...but if you are wanting to ride right away, a 5 yr old is great to learn with...you will be a great trainer! good luck...
if you want to be able to ride it, 3 and a half years, if you want long distance rides, 5. if you just plain want a pony. 2 years.
You probably are better off with an older pony. Mostly we learn from horses, not the other way around.
If it's your first pony I would suggest something slightly older than five, 8-10 maybe? They don't age that fast, so you would be able to ride a pony that age for a long time yet
id make sure its at least 5 .
but its not really the age its the experience its got.
make sure you have a proper look at it before you buy it
If you have expirence with handling young horses 2 or 3 should be fine.If you don't you would be better off with a 6-10 year old.have fun on your pony quest:)
It depends on the personality, experience and previous training of the pony, really. I think a well started 5 year old would probably be okay as long as you continue to take lessons and ride under the supervision of a knowledgable person. Depending on how good you are, I'd look between ages 5 and 10, with good basic training.
I got my first pony at age 11, after riding for 5 years. She was 8 but had only been ridden for 2 months, after someone had tried at age 2, failed, then left her in a field for the next 6 years! My instructor went with me to try out several but after getting her home she said "if I had known she was like this, I never would have let you buy her". Well it worked out, and I rode her through training level eventing and my "B" in pony club, but looking back I think it would have been better for me to have a slightly more stable horse for my first.
I would suggest getting something really well trained and seasoned so that you can concentrate on your riding skills. If you're 12, you're going to grow alot in the next 3 years. Don't plan on a long term relationship, look forward to "trading up" as your skills and experience increase. If you get something too young now you may get discouraged with their immaturity and silliness.
i think you should get a pony of about 8 - 10 years my 1st pony is this age and he is an excellent all rounder my 2nd pony was 4 and she was very hard to control and we ended up selling her!! so good luck hope u find a great pony!! :)
Even at 10, you will outgrow that pony before he outlives you.
Get something with some age on him, and a PHD in been there, done that.
You need something that knows its job and can teach you safely.
Green and green makes black and blue!
There is the saying that a child's age and their pony's age, when added together, should never be less than 20.
4 or 5 is far too young. You will have to wait for them to finish growing before doing difficult work.
there are only two kinds of ponys. Ones that have foundered and the ones that will. Get a horse and then call me when you need horseshoes.
It depends entirely on the individual pony.
One that's a bit too much of a handful may not be suitable, cos no matter how long you've been riding, one fall and that's enough to lower your confidence forever. Try and get a sturdy pony, 5 or 6 would be a good age, as you'll have time to continue his training and you can learn together. Also, the other upside to getting a young pony is that you can build up trust.
Just make sure you get one that will be safe, sturdy and a confidence giver, not all ponies like that are plodders!
good luck!
xx

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