What it says on the tin?

[mountainsandhorses]

I feel bad and I have never posted in this area before...basically we have a mare for sale (an advert is on here )
She needs further schooling but I feel the viewers we have had don't understand this...I ride with a light contact (can stop her with little fingers) but, as I am tall I have pointed out that her buttons are in a lower place than some. I rather thought we had moved away from the pony club kick these days, my horses all go on from a little squeeze and don't understand the "kick". Anyway we have taken pains to ensure she is safe and bombproof.
Yesterday had a viewing with a lovely family who wanted her for hacking. My yard is in the middle of a town and next to a sports club. They were having ( a peter kay style) family fun day with fairground rides, archery with balloons, a VERY loud PA system bellting out Rhianna etc etc. A bit like riding thru a county show. Additionally we have a dealing yard that "breezes" it's horses p and down the lane we used. The viewer ( a small girl) rode her p through all of this and back, having a trot etc and the mother deemed that she "didn't seem confident" whilst I have no problem with her opinion as she knows her own daughter I do wonder what pony they would find that would do all this. The other horses on the yard had t be brought in from grazing as spooking so much.
I rabbit on but, do I go back and school princess to go on from a pony club kick and harden her mouth so she doesnt just stop when someone takes a hold? I think not but all opinions welcome.
Princess is very attached to me and that is something we can work on (we have put a seven year old on her who got a very nice tune though) but I feel that if a buyer cannot recognise that a horse is safer if it stops when confsed by signal rather than reacting then I am in the wrong market??
For reference my own mare would have gone mental if ridden with such a short rein/kicking and would have made her thoughts VERY clear. Please understand I do not blame the viewer but just wonder what more they wanted when I think the advert is very clear?? I need to stop loving her so much or I will end up talking myself into a hunting welsh cob for the Winter and my own mare will be most upset! Sorry for ranting but I hate seeing such an honest caring mare confused as she she has provided such safe carriage.

[owston]

Stick with your own style and your own beliefs.... there will be the perfect family out there somewhere who will understand her and be able to 'ride' correctly!! I don't know what is happening to youngsters' style of riding over the past few years, I hate to see this where they ride on the back of the saddle with knees under their chins.... what's happended to the straight line from ear, shoulder, elbow, hip and heal?? Or am I old fashioned??

[mountainsandhorses]

Thanks owston, in fairness to the little girl her stirrups were too long in the school and I need to make sure I have shorter ones available next time- it was nice that an instuctor friend of mine rode her the day before and said that "all the buttons I would expect are there" I know what you mean by old fashioned but I am more upset by the bewildered look on her face saying " I don't understand this short rein and kicking mummy, I think I will just stand still and then nobody will get hurt" I have to give her a lot of credit for that for if I were a mother thats what I would want.....I should have videoed the "fun day" as she was like a Police horse and we have had soooo many "but she is Welsh comments" I have taken pains not to wind this one up (not shown her inhand etc) but it seems, thus far, that people want a "buzzy" pony.

[honeybees]

I wonder what pony that little girl will end up with?
As a mother, if I was in this situation and seeing Princess take care of my daughter, my only question would be, when can I collect her?
Princess sounds like she is worth her weight in gold, bless her, for looking after her young jockey so well.

[suzee]

Hope you find a lovely home for her with a correct rider,Agree with owston is correct light aids out of fashion?why do riders kick continually,if they had done that with my pony years ago they would have been on the deck quick smart!!

[Julie(luke3)]

mountainsandhorses I totally understand what you are saying!

I used to bring on and sell horses/ponies and made them very 'soft' to the aids!

Poor animals didn't have a clue what to do when someone got on and kicked and pulled on their mouths

The right person WILL come along for your mare

[mountainsandhorses]

Thanks everyone- selling a horse is a a bit like cheffing- you are always putting yourself up for the critics and have to learn to take that but I thought the rest of the world had moved on from the short reined kicker.
I was thinking about it last night and I may change her ot of her dressage saddle and plain reins for viewers as, to conceed, not a lot of people ride in a dressage saddle every day...( or hunt in one!!)

[amumwithapony]

Your little mare sounds very sweet and genuine and somewhere out there there will be a family who will be able to get on with her. I think a big problem with kids first ponies is that quite often the child comes from a riding school and has ridden ponies dead to the leg and rein.

So when they get a private pony its a bit of a shock. I remember riding a livery pony when I was younger. He was very lovely but very different to the riding school plods I was used to. We went WHEEEEEEE all the way around the school, I got bucked off for hanging on his mouth and kicking at the same time, and his owner (a much older girl) had to explain to me what I had done wrong.

Its a personal bug bear of mine to see kick, kick, kick, pull, pull, pull so it sounds like your princess has had a lucky escape! Ponies that don't react to what was going on around her are like gold dust so hold on you will get your right buyer eventually!

[mountainsandhorses]

Just got in after riding her myself- carried a schooling whip just in case she was being a little dead to the leg (never used a stick on this girl as I don't ride with one generally) She was ace, as I often find her...responsive, soft and willing. Agree with you all the the right people will come along who appreciate the fact that she doesn't turn a hair at the football match we hacked past before schooling and is so elastic and sweet to school on a light contact with a squeeze rather than a kick. She even wuffled of me for cuddles the whole time I was tacking up. The ones you have to sell are like my hair the day before the hairdressers- fall perfectly into place with little coaxing. Made me cross when I think of the ponies I had to ride when younger- but maybe things were harder in the "olden days"...pretty sure I learnt more that way though(?)x

[hs]

How have you advertised the pony, maybe advertise it as a second pony as lots of first pony people want something very kick along and not too reactive or sensitive to the aids.

Riding schools often are very cautious and so children may learn to ride on older, forgiving and sometimes not very sensitive ponies, which can make the jump to a more responsive pony a big learning curve as they are having to learn to ride in a different way.

[mountainsandhorses]

Hi hs here is her advert; needs a little updating as has done more canter work now and proving to be pretty much bombproof after her experiences lately which I wouldn't have trusted even the old 20 odd year olds on the yard with. We have actively told the two viewers that she needs schooling on, not for the first time horse keeper, but more as we want someone to enjoy her rather than struggle with the "higher" level movements like walk to canter etc. ( I could get this but I know her) I would understand more if she were as Suzee and Amumwithapony described and she was hot on the aids and got faster and faster but she is more like "er help- no idea what that kicking and pulling means, I'll just stop here then and then nobody gets hurt" I came off her in the early days when I asked her to turn and she turned sharply (wouldn't have hit the deck ten years ago ) She was MORTIFIED. Stood there nuzzling me with a very worried expression. My own TB mare would have run about kicking and f@rting! Anyway here is the ad-
Derwen/Thorneyside/Nebo lines had prev bred two foals before becoming a career girl! Bay (dappled) with three whites and a star/light stripe.
Extremely pretty with straight, expressive paces and a very sweet, calm nature. Works in a natural outline. She is now completing lateral work, popping around small courses and has attended a couple of shows for experience where she was very well behaved. The dressage judge loved her. We haven't done a lots of canter/gallop work with her but only as limited access to space large enough to do it regularly.
She hacks out alone or in company through traffic and built up areas whilst being safe in open spaces (rubber snaffle mouth, never pulls). I have even had my young nieces on her.
Not shown to date (not our thing and we have not wanted to rush her) but she would do very well in both ridden and workers. She is keen jumper but does not put in much effort when they are low- she would love to hunt/xc.
Good to handle/trim (barefoot)/load/lunge/bath. Any questions please ask- 5* home wanted for this gem of a mare who will be someones best friend. Would obviously suit expereinced home with lessons going forward but would do happy hacker etc now. Does what she says on the tin. £2950 to include tack/delivery within 50 miles. Lancaster/Morecambe area

Read more: horsegossip.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=userrecentposts&user=mountainsandhorses#ixzz1WdPKhY30

Thanks for the feedback- on reflection deffo change her tack for next view (?)

[sageandonion]

I am beginning to think that buyers ought to submit their riding CVs together with references and forward a video to the seller before they are ever invited near their precious ponies.

Thank goodness I don't have to sell because people would be coming on here telling you all just how rude I am when I tell them to get off, have some riding lessons, etc.

[mountainsandhorses]

Oh yes I shall add that into the advert at the bottom " Minimum Prix St George only should apply"
My original question was not questioning the riding skills of the buyer but whether I have schooled my horse to suit that market....?

[hs]

If you want to sell your pony to this type of person then yes but if you don't then no!

[laurajazmine]

I truly believe the right person will come along and accept the pony for what it is. ( A real diamond by the sounds of yours)

Best of luck - It can be so frustrating.