Question: I want a safe and enjoyable pony for my child. Where can I find a good pony for my child?

Finding a child’s pony can be a real challenge. You want a pony that is safe and fun. And sometimes that can be hard to find.  With some persistence, it is possible to find the perfect pony for your child. Here are just a few ideas to help you find a good child's pony:

Answer:

• Ask at the riding stable where your child takes lessons or at other local riding stables. Outgrown ponies or school ponies ready for semi-retirement are ideal. The benefit of this is that you can meet the pony and see it ridden by a variety of riders. Your child may be able to take a lesson on it, which is a good way to see if the pony and child are a match. Ideally, the ideal pony may be one your child has already ridden and fallen in love with. 
   
  

• Ask at Pony Club or horse club meetings if any members have outgrown their mounts. Pony Club ponies have to be versatile and child-safe. Ponies used exclusively for mounted games by older children may be a bit too much for a young beginner to handle. So make sure you see the pony ridden and handled. 
   
  
• Classified Ads may yield a selection of ponies. Ads with a phrase similar to 'sadly outgrown' can be an indication of a good pony that will be missed by its owner because it has been a safe and fun ride. 
   
  
• Dealers with a good reputation can be a good resource. Some specialize in ponies. Not all dealers are just out to make a buck on an unsuspecting buyer. Many take pride in making good matches between horses and riders. 
   
  
• Bulletin boards at tack and feed stores often have ads from individuals selling ponies. These ponies will be local, so it will be easy for you to see them in person. Someone you know may also know of the pony and be able to recommend whether or not it's worth looking at. 
   
  
• Breeders may have ponies for sale.  Most breeders want their ponies to go to good homes, where they will be well cared for and they care about their reputation for breeding and raising good ponies. They  like to see their ponies do well in the show ring, or be spoken well of amongst the horse community.  These ponies may be higher priced since they will be purebred animals.
   
  

• Online classified can make it easy to 'shop from home' for a pony. Because of the distance, and because online ads can make things look better or worse than they really are, it's hard to make a good decision based on an ad alone. Online ads can help you focus on what you really want and research the types of ponies available and the price you can expect to pay. 

 

It's important to shop carefully and if possible 'try before you buy'. Research a variety of sources to get a good overview of what you can expect and plan to see as many ponies in person as possible.

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