Breaking in a pony

Question
We are looking to purchase a pony for my daughters.  My daughters have been on the pony and it behaves very well.  My concern is that it is only three year old, will it be ok?

Answer
Hi Vikki!

My first response is ...I do not like the idea of such a young pony for novice riders and horse owners.  We have a saying in the horse world.  "Green + Green = Black & Blue!"

I am going to assume you are all novices because you are asking this question.  I have owned, trained and sold many ponies over the years and I find them to be 99% of the time some of the most disagreeable creatures on the planet!

They tend to not even be good for anything until they are 20 yrs. old!!  While this pony is being "good" for you while it is being shown for sale....you should ask yourself "Why?"  It is not old enough to have good, solid training and years of experience that a rider can always rely on.  So, is it's true personality that amazing and awesome OR is it being drugged?  I have to say it may very well be the latter.

My advice for purchasing a horse for a child is to buy the most expensive horse you can afford that already does what you want it to do for your children AND has done it for years reliably.  An ex-trail riding horse or retired school horse is your best bet.  They have sen the world and know how to baby-sit someone.  You should not even consider anything under 15yrs. old and a little lame is just fine and even preferable.  Yes, it will not last forever and you will have retire or replace it eventually.  But, isn't the safety and happiness of your children the only thing that matters?  You rarely longevity and re-sale value out of a beginners child's first horse.  That is the trade-off though.

The best scenario would be to be able to have an experienced horse person watch your children ride and then go with you to evaluate a possible purchase.  Have a vet do a pre-purchase exam if you are spending over $2500.00 and ask for a week of trial riding at your place or theirs.

Do not buy with your heart while you are looking at big, brown, sad eyes...be it the horse's or your children's!  LOL!!  Buy with your head and the knowledge that your children will be safe and have a positive riding partnership with their very first love....a horse  :-)

Good luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange