We are looking at making our first horse purchase - a miniature pony.
Anyone have any experience with horses, I am after some buying advice. I know very little about owning a horse. This is the start of our education!
We saw a miniature pony this morning, the 3 kids (4yo, 6yo and 7yo) were all over it and it was excellent with them. They were leading it around on a rope, it was quite well behaved and tolerant of them.
The lady has owned it and another shetland for about 4 months. She bought them for her 10yo daughter while in between horses as she has been trying to find the right horse, which she now has.
This lady has been working with horses for 30 years.
The lady did say it does have a bad habit of nipping, that is better now than when she first got it. It was perfectly happy to have the halter put on. Easy to catch, it came up to us for it. She also put on a chain attached to its halter that went over its nose, along the nose halter part (see I know nothing!). She said that has helped stop the nipping.
It did nip at me a couple of times, my leg and foot. It didn't nip the kids at all but was nosying around my daughters foot at one stage.
She said she would just give it a bit of a pull on the rope which tightens the chain across its nose a bit, or tap on the face if it went to nip. She did do this a couple of times, then put her hand right near it's mouth and it then wouldn't do anything.
She also said it would push a bit with its head and body, and just to push it back ie it leaned on her a bit and she just pushed it back a bit.
It has never kicked her daughter and she has been working with it for most of the those 4 months.
My three kids all sat up on its back and went for a little walk on a lead rope, it was quite good with them all, as far as I could see.
She also offered that if we take it, we could all go over there a few times and they (her and her daughter) would go through some basic training and tips with us.
I was very honest with her about us knowing nothing, being novices etc.
She just lives a street away from me, I appreciated her honesty.
Based on what I have said, would this be an OK pony for us to start with?
Is there anything else I should ask or know?
Do all or most horses have some idiosyncrasy that needs managing?
Or is it possile to get a better behaved pony, that we should go for as we know nothing?
She said it was like any other animal, it would turn to bad habits if we let it. So even getting a perfectly behaved horse, it could develop bad habits.
She is asking $750 for it.
Thanks for any advice!!
Anyone have any experience with horses, I am after some buying advice. I know very little about owning a horse. This is the start of our education!
We saw a miniature pony this morning, the 3 kids (4yo, 6yo and 7yo) were all over it and it was excellent with them. They were leading it around on a rope, it was quite well behaved and tolerant of them.
The lady has owned it and another shetland for about 4 months. She bought them for her 10yo daughter while in between horses as she has been trying to find the right horse, which she now has.
This lady has been working with horses for 30 years.
The lady did say it does have a bad habit of nipping, that is better now than when she first got it. It was perfectly happy to have the halter put on. Easy to catch, it came up to us for it. She also put on a chain attached to its halter that went over its nose, along the nose halter part (see I know nothing!). She said that has helped stop the nipping.
It did nip at me a couple of times, my leg and foot. It didn't nip the kids at all but was nosying around my daughters foot at one stage.
She said she would just give it a bit of a pull on the rope which tightens the chain across its nose a bit, or tap on the face if it went to nip. She did do this a couple of times, then put her hand right near it's mouth and it then wouldn't do anything.
She also said it would push a bit with its head and body, and just to push it back ie it leaned on her a bit and she just pushed it back a bit.
It has never kicked her daughter and she has been working with it for most of the those 4 months.
My three kids all sat up on its back and went for a little walk on a lead rope, it was quite good with them all, as far as I could see.
She also offered that if we take it, we could all go over there a few times and they (her and her daughter) would go through some basic training and tips with us.
I was very honest with her about us knowing nothing, being novices etc.
She just lives a street away from me, I appreciated her honesty.
Based on what I have said, would this be an OK pony for us to start with?
Is there anything else I should ask or know?
Do all or most horses have some idiosyncrasy that needs managing?
Or is it possile to get a better behaved pony, that we should go for as we know nothing?
She said it was like any other animal, it would turn to bad habits if we let it. So even getting a perfectly behaved horse, it could develop bad habits.
She is asking $750 for it.
Thanks for any advice!!
.
