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Post by hs on May 3, 2011 9:43:58 GMT
The thing is the child does not have any show success as her pony is so naughty she either cannot compete on it, falls off or really struggles and gets frustrated - spectators at a show jumping recently felt so sorry for her struggling that that strangers leant her a pony so she could have a nice go round the clear round. I think the mum just likes have the prettiest pony on the yard. Oh that's so sad HS, I really don't understand the parents who put looks and show success above the safetly and happiness of their kids! Surely your kids should come before your ambitions? Our ponies are never going to be HOYS winners - or even qualify to get there - but the kids have endless hours of fun with them, and do all the work with them themselves. That surely is what it's all about, isn't it? |
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Post by parsnip on Aug 24, 2011 17:36:38 GMT
I take on board the points here about inappropriate ponies being bought but I can also sympathise with the parents who make those genuine mistakes! Not every child has snobbish parents who buy them inappropriate ponies because they want to show off - though many do! Some parents haven't got anyone reliable to turn to and as everyone who has ever been scammed knows, people selling horses and ponies don't always tell the truth!
Everyone says 'take an experienced horsey friend with you,' to view ponies - what if you don't have one? What if the only horsey people you know are judgemental and opinionated rather than knowledgeable? What if they are waiting to dole out advice AFTER you've made a mistake and laugh behind your back?! What if they have ponies they would like to sell and don't want you to look elsewhere? That has all happened to me - and many of these people were well-regarded locally!
I bought a four(rising five) year old pony for my five (rising 6) year old daughter nearly four years ago. My daughter had never done more than sit on a pony. I grew up around ponies in Ireland but since moving to the UK hadn't had ponies and didn't know anyone off the livery yard where we were keeping our other pony. One 'expert' on that yard tried to sell me a huge Fell pony for my tiny novice daughter another wanted £3,000 for an aged pony that looked like a piece of mangled twine and was obviously unsound. I was told that the pony I was going to see was unsuitable .... not because she was but because they wanted to sell me ponies! The little pony I went to see might have seemed unsuitable on paper - in 'person' she was fab! She has done everything we have asked of her and my daughter gained enough confidence to move on to a much more sparky and forward pony.
It is difficult when a child's emotions are involved - I will admit to buying a pony I had real doubts about for my son - but he loved her (still does!) and, yes, some people saw him in tears at shows because she was misbehaving - some people also saw him having huge fun with her - riding her at the beach and cantering bareback round the fields. Most children I know who have ponies, of all types, will at sometime cry. They will at sometime want what another child has. While I don't advocate deliberate child cruelty - sometimes they need to see that ponies aren't quick-fix things and learn to be patient and work at things. There are plenty of ups and downs with ponies - and they're not all about learning to do a rising trot!
I genuinely understand, and have thought so myself, that it is frustrating to see children on ponies that obviously haven't been bought with the child's best interests at heart. However, there are other sides to the story.
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sarahp
Happy to help
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Post by sarahp on Aug 24, 2011 17:55:14 GMT
If you ask around (try the local PC DC) there are usually instructors about who for a fee would come with you to look at ponies - even better if they know your child and how he/she rides. It could well be a good investment compared to the cost of buying the wrong pony. Another point - while I would in no way countenance buying a totally unsuitable pony for a child, it's always worth paying attention to their feelings about ponies they go to see, as parsnip say emotions are involved, it's not the same as choosing something like a car which is done with the head a but a personality thing where the heart is involved too.
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Post by astrozombie on Aug 24, 2011 21:46:01 GMT
This happened to a someone on my yard, the mother braught her daughter, who was only small, a 3 year old 14 hand quite strong and spooky dales x because he reminded her of a barbie horse, personally i wouldn't trust my dales as far as i could throw him with a kid (i have horror stories believe me lol,) it would just gallop off, stand on the spot and buck, or just explode and flip out, they sold it after it threw her into the fence, they then got her a welshie which was as bad, the girl will now not ride without a battle to get her to just sit on and jump off again so sad when this happens  |
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sarahp
Happy to help
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Post by sarahp on Aug 25, 2011 6:48:00 GMT
Battling won't help anyway in the long run! She needs to want to do it, and to do that needs a pony she has total confidence in.
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Post by bomerang on Aug 25, 2011 12:44:16 GMT
the worst ones i find are the ones that ask for advice (particulaly novice adults or teanagers) and you suggest a nice cob/cobby type for general all-rounder type riding i.e having fun!! and they look at you as if you have suggested they ride a rocking horse! they usually go on then to say that they were thinking of a thoroughbred type as they want to do eventing. i usually have to walk away because either i i want to slap them or im going to wet meself laughing. Eventing?  hahahahahaha they usually havent even gone out on a proper hack yet hahahahahahah |
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hahahahahaha they usually havent even gone out on a proper hack yet hahahahahahah