Horse Ponies - Your Guide to Buying a Pony

Horse ponies are rather small horses that have thicker, smaller legs but larger heavier bodies and think bone structure. People who are not familiar with horses often confuse a pony with a foal. The difference between the two is that foals are horses that are generally a year or younger, while ponies are a type of adult horse and can be ridden on and used for carriage purposes.

Ponies come in different sizes and breeds and are known to have a a bit of temperament but can actually be pretty friendly and intelligent when trained and handled properly. At the end it all depends an individuals experience with a specific pony.

Horse ponies are often a passion of young riders and some girls always pass through a pony phase that either lingers on or passes away as they grow old. Horse riding can actually be extremely educational and enjoying for the kids as well as adults. Most pony riders, young or old, at some point decide to buy a pony of their own. Whether you are experienced or a new rider, there are certain things you must assess before buying a pony.

1. Buying a pony is a huge first time expense and is a year round job. Ponies might be small in size but the cost of buying and taking care of them is not much different than regular horses, with ponies starting at $1000 and above. One advantage though is that you should be able to save on the feed expensive as the feed has to be of good quality hay but usually not much of it is needed. Make sure you or your child is well aware of the fact that they will be taking care of the pony as well and not just ride on it. If you are a complete new rider, it is a good idea to take some classes with a good instructor and spend some time around horses while you get familiar with their different needs.

2. On the other hand if you or your child is a long time rider with enough experience around horses then make sure you have enough space for the horse living in a close proximity to a stable. Also keep in mind that besides the initial expense and feeding, you will be paying for the veterinarian, dental care, farrier and board also.

3. Good places to look for ponies is classifieds, advertisements in horse magazines, bulletin boards at a feed store, or your local horse stable. You can also ask different horse breeders and search online as more and more online classifieds get indexed everyday on the Internet. If you happen to live in the UK, a good website to look for ponies on sale is horseandponysales.co.uk.

4. Have you or your child try different ponies, but make sure not to fall for the looks only, as the attitude of the pony can have a big impact on your child or yourself. The horse has to be dependable and safe. There could be injuries because of this reason and you want to be careful about making this a good experience rather than it turning into a tragic one later on. So if you have to choose a pony that is not so good looking but is well trained and intelligent, don't be sad as looks won't matter much when you develop a love for your pony later on.

5. Horse ponies come in all sizes, so make sure that the pony matches the size of the rider. If the rider is a child it might be too hard to saddle it, or reach up to groom it.

6. The age of the horse ponies is another factor that needs to be considered especially when buying for a child. You might like to choose a younger pony that the child can grow up with, but the fact of the matter is that younger ponies are usually not trained well because of their age. On the other hand, older ones, 10 years of age or above tend to have spend more time training and dealing with instructors. A good way to find a pony that is old and well trained is to look for advertisements from individuals who might mention that their pony has sadly out grown. This shows that the horse is well mannered and that they had developed a special relationship with their horse, making it a good choice for a first time buyer.

7. Remember that if you still have any reservations about buying your own pony you can always find people who will loan it to you or you can find a stable that offers part-boarding where you have access to a specific horse for a determined number of hours sometimes in exchange for some voluntary work like mucking out stalls. In either case you should make sure that all the responsibilities are made clear to you in an agreement form. Another option is leasing where the pony will be yours to use any time and in turn you will be paying for the veterinarian and other maintenance costs.

8. If you are not satisfied with the part-boarding, leasing or even loaning options, you can join horse clubs or summer camps that will let you learn about horse ponies in a unique healthy environment.

9. When you do finally decide to buy one, make sure to ask for a trial exam as this will give you or your instructor time to try it out even more. Be sure to also get a pre-purchase exam done to check for any unsoundness or illness and defect that might effect it's performance in the future.

Start your journey to buying a horse pony with all of these options in mind not forgetting that if you love your
mount, it will love you back and if you handle horse ponies with respect, they will show you loyalty and respect as well. The three main things you should never overlook is good health, good manners and well trained. If your horse pony possesses these three basic qualities and you truly love your horse, its hard to imagine that you wouldn't enjoy riding your pony and taking care of it.

Sources:

1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, "Pony." Wikipedia.

2. Katherine Blocksdorf, "Purchasing Your First Horse or Pony." About.com.