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 No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
   
Location: Texas | 3canchaser - 2017-07-19 9:39 AM we paid 2,000 for a pony that I knew would take care of my kid and teach her to ride. We have had her 6 years, she started out as our lead line pony. I wouldn't back down having to pay 1,000-2,000 for a great kids horse to learn on. Kids safety comes 1st.
The hard part is finding that right horse/pony. I bought my non-riding granddaughter a pony that I thought would be safe for her and probably paid more than I should have. We stayed in the round pen for a long time until she felt ok. Well, he bucked her off last week while she was trotting the barrels in the arena. He is now off of the prosparity diet and it is back to square one. |
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  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| This is the pony we bought for Ian last year. Ian's five and doesn't have much confidence riding yet, but he will climb all over her to brush her out.
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 Regular
Posts: 84
| Kids horses are so hard to find that if you do find one it won't be out their long. I know somebody that paid 5k for a barrel racing pony. good luck
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 Expert
Posts: 2489
Location: somewhere up north | The kind that will take care of your kids are aboslutely priceless. We have the coolest horse ever at our place. Cashyerchexatthebar "Bailey" was ridden by Kassie Mowry. She ran him at the NFR and then he went onto win for our friends daughter Chloe Fruth. Chloe lost her battle to cancer at the age of 16. Now he is teaching my kids to ride and he is a God sent angel! He has an old stifle injury and we have spent thousands keeping him as sound as we can. I am not sure I will ever find a horse like him again....he's now teaching our 3 1/2 year old son to ride at home. I cannot begin to describe the confidence he has given my kids. My daughter went from a lead line pony to walking the pattern on Bailey to loping him through in a year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QBx0rYAH9k
Carlee age 4, Bailey 22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwnyMuPfZfk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxIsRCQR9Dw |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | We just got one for free... I know everyone "boos" Craigslist horses, but "free horse" caught my eye. Didn't have much of a description. Just said 20 year old kids horse. Called the lady and drove out to get him the next morning. He's about 14.2 hands. At a good weight, albeit, out of shape. Supposedly worked on an army base in his younger years...has a touch of arthritis in a front knee.
We've only had him about two weeks. But our daughter, who's 8 and extremely timid, has been riding him in our makeshift arena. She competed in the local, 2 day gymkhana over the weekend and trotted all the patterns and loped him home the second day. I'm happy as a clam and our daughter is excited about riding again.
That being said, we would very willingly pay $1500-1800 for what we got, we just got lucky. |
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No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
Location: Texas | ~BINGO~ - 2017-07-19 11:35 AM We just got one for free... I know everyone "boos" Craigslist horses, but "free horse" caught my eye. Didn't have much of a description. Just said 20 year old kids horse. Called the lady and drove out to get him the next morning. He's about 14.2 hands. At a good weight, albeit, out of shape. Supposedly worked on an army base in his younger years...has a touch of arthritis in a front knee. We've only had him about two weeks. But our daughter, who's 8 and extremely timid, has been riding him in our makeshift arena. She competed in the local, 2 day gymkhana over the weekend and trotted all the patterns and loped him home the second day. I'm happy as a clam and our daughter is excited about riding again. That being said, we would very willingly pay $1500-1800 for what we got, we just got lucky.
I would say that that was one lucky find. Craigs List does have some amazing things if you really look. The best barrel horse that we have ever owned came from Craigs list. |
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 Loves to compete
Posts: 5760
Location: Oakdale, CA | KindaClassey - 2017-07-17 1:40 PM Danged near what ever is asked within reason. What is a child's safety worth??? I wouldn't run backwards at $2000 or more. True babysitter horses are worth their weight in gold.
ditto! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1430
Location: Montana | The right kids horse is truly priceless. And the wrong one can cost everything. I'm always amazed at people that don't want to pay a decent price for a true kids horse. The ones that can afford it . . . I understand for some it is a struggle.
And, as much as I hate to admit it, when you get older, again a true old person's horse is also priceless. |
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 Party Girl
Posts: 12293
Location: Buffalo, Wyoming | Thanks everyone! The friend that had him for her boys is one of our BB's and I doubt I would ever find someone as good as her family that I would ever "loan" him to again, in all honesty they probably took better care of him than we are plus he had 2 little boys to love on him all the time. The plan when we got him back was to let me niece ride him but that is not an option right now. I would love to find Mr. Woody his forever home but until that comes along we will keep him and make sure he is being taken care of like he deserves. I will not let him to go anyone that I do not know personally or know someone that knows them personally. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 915
Location: SE KS | It's nice to hear all the good comments about the kids horses, as I have a younger mare that is kid suitable and can't get any bites on her!!!! |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | UTAHCANCHASER - 2017-07-19 2:28 PM
Thanks everyone!  The friend that had him for her boys is one of our BB's and I doubt I would ever find someone as good as her family that I would ever "loan" him to again, in all honesty they probably took better care of him than we are plus he had 2 little boys to love on him all the time. The plan when we got him back was to let me niece ride him but that is not an option right now. I would love to find Mr. Woody his forever home but until that comes along we will keep him and make sure he is being taken care of like he deserves. I will not let him to go anyone that I do not know personally or know someone that knows them personally. Â
It's nice to see someone take care of an oldie that has given his all taking care of precious cargo---thank you for that. . . |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | lhighquality - 2017-07-19 2:37 PM
It's nice to hear all the good comments about the kids horses, as I have a younger mare that is kid suitable and can't get any bites on her!!!!
Keep the faith---there are those out there will look at younger horses for kids!! Faci, the horse I mentioned buying for $3500, had just turned 5 when I got him. He just happened to think he was 30  |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | UTAHCANCHASER - 2017-07-19 2:28 PM Thanks everyone! The friend that had him for her boys is one of our BB's and I doubt I would ever find someone as good as her family that I would ever "loan" him to again, in all honesty they probably took better care of him than we are plus he had 2 little boys to love on him all the time. The plan when we got him back was to let me niece ride him but that is not an option right now. I would love to find Mr. Woody his forever home but until that comes along we will keep him and make sure he is being taken care of like he deserves. I will not let him to go anyone that I do not know personally or know someone that knows them personally.
Those old horses love to have kids pamper them! My 24 year old was still running bottom 2d/top 3d with me but last Christmas, one of my students' younger sisters needed a step up horse and I offered Joker to them. It took a while for her to make the jump from a pony to the big horse and for him to gear down to her speed, but we went and watched them last night at a youth rodeo and they cruised through smoothly about 2 seconds off. She lost a stirrup at the gate, ran without it, he hesitated leaving each barrel to make sure she didn't get left behind, and she came out with a big smile on her face. Joker seemed to think he'd won the NFR when I went back behind to love on him. I may never get him back, but this has been the best thing for him since I don't have kids, nieces or nephews to ride him, and he's turning her into one more crazy barrel racer in the process! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
| rockymountainranch71 - 2017-07-19 10:35 AM
Kids horses are so hard to find that if you do find one it won't be out their long. I know somebody that paid 5k for a barrel racing pony. good luck
I know of one that sold for $12,000. Honestly- I'd honestly say he was worth it. He ran a super consistent 1 sec off tough barrel horses. pulled 1d checks in tough pole classes virtually every run.
But I still say that a true babysitter is priceless. |
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Go Get Em!
Posts: 13503
Location: OH. IO | Whiteboy - 2017-07-19 11:32 AM
 This is the pony we bought for Ian last year. Ian's five and doesn't have much confidence riding yet, but he will climb all over her to brush her out.Â
ADORABLE!!!!! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 933
Location: north dakota | I always figured the cost of an ER visit is usually more than what people say they want to spend on a first horse.
I've got ponies for my kids and I also bought an older rope horse for my older daughter to learn to rope on and he will also work for the younger kids too. A person might find a bargain but a good kids horse to me is worth their weight in gold. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 113
Location: Tx | We were super lucky in that my daughters first horse was my sisters barrel horse. He stepped way down for her and has been babysitting her since she was about 20 months old and he was 7. My daughter is now 5 and we just bought her a step up horse that loves to lope and is a little more catty for her (her first gelding was 16.2 and big so she only got him out of a trot coming home). This new mare is 18, no maintenance, 14.2 hands, easy keeper with slight club foot and we paid 2k for her. She will run in 3D 4D with an adult rider in the open. We feel very blessed to have found her and feel like that we under-paid for her. |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | KindaClassey - 2017-07-17 3:40 PM
Danged near what ever is asked within reason. What is a child's safety worth??? I wouldn't run backwards at $2000 or more. True babysitter horses are worth their weight in gold.
I don't have babies but I'm with you. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| ~BINGO~ - 2017-07-19 11:35 AM We just got one for free... I know everyone "boos" Craigslist horses, but "free horse" caught my eye. Didn't have much of a description. Just said 20 year old kids horse. Called the lady and drove out to get him the next morning. He's about 14.2 hands. At a good weight, albeit, out of shape. Supposedly worked on an army base in his younger years...has a touch of arthritis in a front knee. We've only had him about two weeks. But our daughter, who's 8 and extremely timid, has been riding him in our makeshift arena. She competed in the local, 2 day gymkhana over the weekend and trotted all the patterns and loped him home the second day. I'm happy as a clam and our daughter is excited about riding again. That being said, we would very willingly pay $1500-1800 for what we got, we just got lucky.
That is awesome, he found a great home with kids to love him! I love Craigslist! |
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Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | This is our free Craigslist horse...
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