Who else has a horse/pony?

[FionaH]

I ride Henry for miles and miles (record - 5hr 20mins) and it's ME that gets knackered. Have thought about growing up a few times and getting a 'proper horse', but I couldn't part with this little chap and he gets where the biggies don't (down the deer tracks on the Forestry!).

Ponies are proper horses! On the whole they are smarter than the biggies too!
*Gonna hide before the biggy owners throw things at me

[FionaH]

Bonnie - DD's pink pony 13.0hh probably New Forest cross a proper little madam and so's the pony

My new forest was called Bonnie too
Think the little Madam trait is genetic in NF and kids

[jackie j]

My daughter would love a pony of her own, she has ridden on and off since she was five. She started to go to a pony club but got bored with it trouble is lessons are so expensive. She would like to go somewhere that she can go to shows and take part but its finding somewhere that would take her.

[FionaH]

When we were kids you could help out at local yards in return for rides. I worked my butt of at a show yard when I was about 12-14.
It doesnt happen so much now. Health and safety regs have put a stop to this like so many other things.
at the end of the day though anything to do with horses ends up being flamin pricey

[jackie j]

I used to go to a stables and help out so I could get a free ride as mum couldnt afford it, but I was petrified of horses and only went to keep up with my friends. My daughter is a born rider took to it straight away. She got thrown off when she was about five but unhurt as she was caught by the owner. She got back on soon after ( same day ) and she just loves them. We have had to take her up on the moors just to find ponies.

[Glutton4...]

I think most of us learned from friends with ponies, or stables that would let you work for rides. We had six or seven really good yards in our area once. Now, I can only think of one, and riding there costs a fortune.

Our local yard was a riding and livery stables until about four or five years ago, but the owner couldn't make it pay and sold up. It was Council Tax and Insurance premium increases that were to blame.

I don't know what it's like in the rest of the country, but round here those people who want to ride are buying their own horses/ponies and renting paddocks/stables instead of paying for lessons. There are, in fact, more horses in our village now than when I was a kid!

[shirlthegirl43]

Hey Shirl, Welsh cross Arab? Are you sure?

I knew an 'old boy' who was the same cross, quiet as a baby in the stable, perfect gentleman, A1 at dressage, but take him out in the 'real world' and he thought he was bl**dy Nijinsky - no brakes whatsoever.

The woman that owned him would take him out occasionally, and he would come back covered from head to foot in froth - looked like an iced cake LOL!

Anyway, 16's not too old - if he's got no problems give it a go, you never know!

Yup, sure of his breeding - my mum bred him and I rode his uncle for many years! We tried breaking him in a few years ago but he went over in the stable and cut his head open rather badly - now he is so head-shy I can't catch him. Picture shows: lying down - my best four-legged friend, to his left his little sister, middle the one I have left and the chestnut to the right is the one I lost last week (the only one not home-bred). the old fella (Gemini) was superb - Welsh/Arab as well. I used to ride him to work 6 days a week and go hunting (so shoot me) or cross country on the day off!! When I got too old to ride him competetively I learned to ride side-saddle so we could still go to shows.

[FionaH]

Shirl they are gorgeous

[shirlthegirl43]

Shirl they are gorgeous

Thanks Fiona - sadly 3 of the 4 were gorgeous (the fourth one still is)

[FionaH]

If this works this is a pic of Bonnie, she was wonderful too and was my best friend. Take me out and shoot me with Shirl but she could hunt for hours. Was fab x country too and taught my kids to ride, grudgingly

[petal]

How do you attach a picture, I can't figure it out! durh!

[FionaH]

click on go advanced, then find the bit at the bottom that says attach pic, then browse and attach as you would in an email. Be warned though the pic doesnt show on your post till you post it in the thread! good luck

[Glutton4...]

Fiona and Shirl - they look lovely!
Shirl's look very much like the Arab/Welsh I knew!
As for the hunting issue - shoot me too - a couple of times, in my late teens/twenties. We're over-run with foxes round here now. But I understand most Hunts are better off now, as more people hunt since the ban!

[petal]

If this has worked there will be a picture of our pony....

[Glutton4...]

Ooooooooh, he looks so adorably sweeeeeeeet!