Advice needed on first horse to buy.

[xV1]

Hia

Upcoming March I'll be buying my first pony that I will own myself.

I have had tons of riding experience before on schools and on my own..
I've had ponies and horses on Loan.

Now I've stopped riding in school when I turned sixteen, because in Holland to do a lot of dressage and it's not where I enjoy my horse riding( I like going on hacks and do some jumps from time to time. and bareback riding in summer)..
I had been doing basic dressage practising for over 8 years by than. So i decided to quit and the next time I'd ride would be when I would get another horse on loan or on my own.. Now I haven't really had any horses on loan since I quit riding in schools.. I went with my sister and with mates on some hacks.. But more not really..

So last year I was up for challenge with a Welsh D pony but because I felt so fragile, I didn't feel comfortable doing it.
I do believe it's a good thing I kind of figured out what I'm physically capable of. Because when I make the decision on a pony I want it to be best for both, as I feel like me and pony should enjoy each other and work from there not from something that I fear and that might take us apart due to my lack of experience in actually owning a pony.

In the past I had to ride stockier and bigger ponies/horses due to my weight.
Now I weigh 7st 10 Ilbs and I'm 5'2" short.

What advice would you give me to find the best suitable pony for me..
As I said I am capable of riding a spooky/project pony but up to a certain height. But I'm open to any bombproof and fun family kind horse but I'm not to sure what to look for.

Any advice when it actually comes to buying what to look at for I.e medically and physically are absolutely more than welcome!

Thanks!

[BEX101]

How old are you now and would you want to show it? (some show classes restrict age of rider to size of pony) Are you still in Holland?

[xV1]

I'm nearly twenty. I don't know whether I want to show my horse or not.. as I don't really know what this includes.. I'm not planning on doing any dressage, or show jumping myself maybe in the future my young niece.
For myself I want my horse to be suitable for mainly hacks with my dog and teaching my younger niece how to ride a horse.. I am in England since april last year.

[BEX101]

At 5ft 2 you'll get away with riding a pony (which would also fit in with your niece riding) 7 stone 10 isnt heavy so i dont think you need to worry about build. Although there's no reason why you cant ride a 16/17hh horse id say you should initially be looking for something between 13hh - 15.2hh.
There are some ponies out there that people find hard to sell because for one reason or another they arnt quite suitable for children, if these ponies are lucky enough to team up with a smaller adult then often they are a great match.

[flambards]

I would also recommend a pony. Something a little older and very obedient would be ideal, I think. I'd look in the 12-18 year age range (although, of course, don't discount a suitable younger or older horse if they tick all your boxes). Ponies tend to have longer life spans than larger horses, so most likely you'd still have plenty of years with this horse even if they're "middle-aged".

I'd probably also go for a gelding, just because some mares do tend to get a little hormonal, and most mares I know are a bit more sensitive/finnicky than most geldings (although again, that's a big generalization and there are definitely exceptions to that).

I think the most important thing if you want something to hack around on is you want a horse that is bombproof. When you try him, be sure to take him on a hack. If he gets strong going towards home or is very reactive to new things, I'd probably pass, as this will likely worsen when he's settling into his new home - will eventually improve, of course, but not fun to deal with and can really shake up confidence. He may know all the trails in his area, so ask the owner if you can try to show him some new "scary" things and see how he reacts. I'd bring an umbrella and whatever other random stuff you can find and show it to him. If he's not bothered, I'd try and touch him all over his body with it. I'd want to see a horse that is interested in new things, but not freaked out by them.

Conformation wise, I'd want to see straight legs with no swelling/lumps and bumps. I'd want a horse with good hooves and thick soles so they can walk on hard surfaces without being in pain.

I'm sure you'll find a great horse Good luck with your search!

[eeek]

New Forest ponies in my experience are LOVELY!

Good luck with everything

[xV1]

Thank you all for your great advice!

[My Crazy Clan]

I've got to agree with a NF or a NF x, they are super fun horses with a lot of charter.