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Member
Posts: 18
| I have been out of horses for about 5 yrs because of college/grad school. So I was looking for some advice. I had planned on going to buy a pony this weekend for my 2 and half month old daughter. I know she wont be riding until she is about two yrs old, but I thought it would be nice to go ahead and start training a pony for her. Plus I just love messing around with horses and I finally will have some free time on my hands. I also plan on getting back into barrel racing myself. Anyway, I found an adorable 3 yr old registered Shetland for $150 that is 36'' tall. The owner, which is an old friend of mine, has already worked her in the round pen and saddled her numerous times without any problems. Her 5 yr old daughter plays with the pony all the time and she said it has never bitten, kicked, or bucked. I was showing my father the same photos I have on this post and he says that the pony doesn't look good conformation wise to him. He said the pony looks cow hocked to him, but I guess I fail to see that in these pictures. My friend rescued this pony from a bad situation, so it was malnourished when she bought her. She just wants to find the pony a good home. What do you guys think of this little pony?
Edited by Gocowgirl7 2014-02-27 12:31 PM
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  Fact Checker
Posts: 16572
  
Location: Displaced Iowegian | I would "assume" that you mean "conformation"? In the second photo, it does show that the pony toes out and the hocks are close together...BUT that being said, it is very hard to really tell by those photos. Additionally, what would THAT matter for a safe and gentle pony???? |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
 
Location: Gainesville, TX | Is she cowhocked? Yes. Does that matter to a two-five year old who will likely walk and trot mostly? No.
Conformation should matter primarily for performance horses who are going to have a lot of stress on their bodies or breeding. Your daughter is not going to ask that much of her, and you probably don't need to breed her. Otherwise, enjoy her. |
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Member
Posts: 18
| I am so used to hearing writing composition that I didn't even notice. Although, they are synonyms. Personally, I thought it was hard to tell from these photos as well. But like you, I do not believe it should matter, especially for $150. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I agree who cares if the conformation is not perfect.
The part that concerns me is the age I wouldn't be buying a 3 year old for a kid especially the age of yours as this pony has not been alive enough to be exposed to everything |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Mountains of VA | I vote for a much older, been there done that type of pony. Safety should be the main concern. It will be a long time before your baby is ready to even be lead around and you need a completely bombproof quiet pony. |
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 Desert Diva
Posts: 4946
Location: The birthplace of Honest Abe | I dont like how the back pasterns almost touch the ground in the pictures, if that is case I would be worried about how sound it would be with riding period. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Where is this pony at I will buy it, I could care less about a pony's conformation, as long as its gentle and good around the kids, now if it was going to be a show pony that would be a different story. And this is a really cute little fella. |
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 Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | Three year old full grown horses can be gentle as dogs. This pony has not been truly tried. I probably spent a good 18 months looking for the perfect pony for my daughter. We found that pony just before her 3rd birthday.
Cheap does not equal bargain....I just think that if you are patient you can do better. |
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 I Want a "MAN"
Posts: 3610
Location: MD | I'd much rather have the pony in the back ground. The paint looks too wild eyed and his back legs kill it for me. Too many nice ponies at auctions for $200 to buy a half broke crooked one. |
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | Having dealt with lots of ponies over the years, working with one for a couple years does not guarantee a bombproof, kid-safe pony. MY opinion is I don't like the way this one is built at all. Yes, it's a pony for a kid, but her hind pasterns don't look good at all. I'd be worried about long-term soundness.
I think it's a much better idea to wait until your daughter is old enough to walk and sit on the pony, and by that time, you can find an older, been-there-done-that pony.
My opinion is this pony is nothing special, and you can find better ones all the time. |
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Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | For reference we have bought several ponies over the past few years. My daughters like to break and train them...we have paid prices all over the board.
The yellow mare - $75
The roan mare - $150
and then there's the white gelding Captain Jack who will be with us for the rest of his life - $2,000 and he's worth a million.
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Regular
Posts: 91
Location: North Dakota | I just have to say that that little white pony pictures is absolutely ADORABLE!! OMG! I too have been in the spot of looking for the perfect pony! My advise to you is to take your time and not buy the very first one you come across for a good deal!! There are so many awesome ponies out there - they are worth waiting for! |
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Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | jhanlan - 2014-02-27 3:25 PM I just have to say that that little white pony pictures is absolutely ADORABLE!! OMG! I too have been in the spot of looking for the perfect pony! My advise to you is to take your time and not buy the very first one you come across for a good deal!! There are so many awesome ponies out there - they are worth waiting for!
The white pony "Captain Jack" came from Pete and Jill Houck. www.houckhorsecompany.com in Minnesota. They are a great source for wonderful ponies. Their daughter Lana rides them all. I bought him on this site but they send theirs through the Billings Sale as well.
This is the video from Captain Jack's sale ad, you can see why I couldn't pass him up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLk7-0Y76e4&sns=em
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Regular
Posts: 91
Location: North Dakota | How how awesome is he! LOL. To cute! I am from North Dakota so may have to look into them for a niece!! |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 365
| Everyone's right about being able to find a better pony. Personally I can find a dozen cheap broke ponies on Craigslist. But you have a few years to mess with it and get it better. My second pony the good one who didnt take advantage of me was 3 when I was 4. Bought green broke, my mom trained him he was a deadhead.
As for conformation, a good pony is a good pony. My step brothers pony that my son will inherit is foundered and blind in one eye, plus she's 15 this year. Everyone wants that pony and has offered good money for her. |
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 Grandaughter of a Champion
Posts: 2956
Location: left field | We have bought, trained and sold lots of ponies. My kids ride really well and they turn out awesome little horses, and they sell for a lot of money. Anyway, the paint pony in the pic doesn't look the greatest in the left hind, his pastern is really long and his ankle is way low. Now if you are dead set on him, I'm sure he will be fine. All he has to do is walk around or maybe trot a little. I see no reason why he couldn't tote a little kid around. Now my advice for a little tiny kid learning to ride, find one that's about 20 yrs old, half crippled and super broke. They don't want to run off, they want to stop, you're kid has to make them go, not worry about making them stop. Nothing will scare a kid and ruin them on horses faster than scaring them on something they don't feel in control of. My kids learned on a 30 yr old mini who was blind in one eye. We still have her and she's over 40 yrs old and still going strong. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1218
Location: Great NW | I would let the paint pony go to a home where he is a horse companion. His left pastern just doesn't look like he will hold up under any work.
I started saving when my son was born. when he was 2 I had plenty of money to go find that been there, done that pony that was proven to take care of the kids. I actually found the pony after Many months of looking. I talked to the owners and verbally agreed to pay a certain amount for the pony when they were ready to move up. It was a win, win. That pony raised both my kids and was worth his weight in GOLD. |
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | Buy the pony. By the time your daughter is two. That pony will be five. In that time you could have a well mannered pony.Plus there are plenty of kids around that have no problem in breaking that pony to ride. I think that pony is pretty cute. |
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I Need a Xanax!
Posts: 2774
| awest - 2014-02-27 5:41 PM We have bought, trained and sold lots of ponies. My kids ride really well and they turn out awesome little horses, and they sell for a lot of money. Anyway, the paint pony in the pic doesn't look the greatest in the left hind, his pastern is really long and his ankle is way low. Now if you are dead set on him, I'm sure he will be fine. All he has to do is walk around or maybe trot a little. I see no reason why he couldn't tote a little kid around. Now my advice for a little tiny kid learning to ride, find one that's about 20 yrs old, half crippled and super broke. They don't want to run off, they want to stop, you're kid has to make them go, not worry about making them stop. Nothing will scare a kid and ruin them on horses faster than scaring them on something they don't feel in control of. My kids learned on a 30 yr old mini who was blind in one eye. We still have her and she's over 40 yrs old and still going strong.
The highlighted part is the best advice on this thread IMO. I wouldn't buy the pony....too young and now matter how many years you spend riding it it still may not make a good kids pony then you have wasted a ton of valuable time. |
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