Ponies vs horses?

[Becky (ridendurance)]

I'd like any help about ponies and how it might be different taking care of them and training them from horses. I have lots of experience with horses but I am planning to aquire my first pony. Advice on best breed for disposition etc. Also any information about minis and their care.

[pony gal]

I have no experience with them but think they are just plain adorable! The mini horse looks like a baby even when he is full grown and children don't find the size intimidating. I plan to post a mini video soon. :)

[Peggy]

All I know is the usual that most people know, smaller so require less feed (which could be a good thing with the price of hay recently). They are prone to insulin resistance, ponies and minis are; that must be why ponies are easier and quicker to founder than horses. Most minis that I've seen resemble pot bellied ponies. I'll look for the web site of the minis that I think are in Florida that are beautiful..expenisve but beautiful.

What type of pony are you thinking of?? Shetland, Hackney?? I might be able to find you a Hackney though she might be a mix. I 'think' the neighbor might be selling theirs. She purchased her last summer for her daughter. The daughter is just now learning to ride and the pony is more than she can handle right now. In another season or 2, they'd probably get along fine but not a good one to learn on.

[Becky (ridendurance)]

The pony I am looking at is a Shetland mix. He is really nicely started by a trainer in the Rocford area. She has been using him at "pony camp" lessons for the last three years. Her three kids also ride him and the oldest helps keep him from taking advantage of the littler ones. That is one concern I have as I don't have any kid "trainers" and he will be too small for me too ride even briefly. I am also looking at some nice Welsh ponies but they are not started or anything yet. Would the hackney you are thinking of be right for supervised lessons and ponying a child on a longe line? I'll send you some pics of Buddy. I didn't realize until I started lloking for nice ponies that they are just as costly and then some as a nice horse right now. The lady who owns him knows what she has and so do I. LOL Did you have ponies as a kid?

[Peggy]

A hundred years ago ponies were cheap..$50. When you did find a nice mannered, well broke large pony, that wasn't foundered for the kids to ride, you paid good $$ for it. Every horse family wanted the baby sitter safe pony for the kids. So, Yeah. You'll pay good $$ for the nice ones. I wouldn't be surprised if they were even more so than horses right now.

We had a little black shetland that was broke to drive and ride. He was VERY left brain and would battle to be in charge. We had him for several years. Then we had a red/white paint that was nice. The next one was a sorrel mare that was part pony and part Quarter. She was probably 13 hands or so. I rode her EVERYWHERE. She was a doll. After that I was married and rode what ever was there that needed to be rode.

I'll be anxious to see what horses are bringing today. I'll let you know. There either won't be anything there, which there usually isn't, or there will be quite a few because people don't have the hay to feed them. Last year they had the biggest sale they've had for years..but they changed the loacation to the Louderman auction center on RT 136 west of Macomb. Come on up if you're not doing anything. I think they are to sell tack at 1pm and horses after...which won't be until 4pm I'd guess. It's more of a social event where you see people you've not seen since last year.

[Dixie]

You might consider looking at some POA ponies. They make great kid ponies and usually have been trained by an adult. They tend to move and ride more like a horse. Course the good ones are pricey like everything else!

[Becky (ridendurance)]

Thanks for your help and advice on the pony subject! It will be a learning experience. It is great to get advice from people who have owned and ridden ponies. Keep up the posts and have fun posting any questions or discussions of your own too.

[Donna Campbell smith]

Some of my best horses have been ponies;o) A good pony is worth its weight in gold. managementwise the biggy is not to over feed your pony. They can have a host of problems by being overweight (sometimes I wise I were a horse/pony - just measure out my feed and control my weight!) from lipomas to founder.
The hard thing is when your pony is to small for you to ride and keep schooled. But, that is what ground work if for. Work with your pony's leading and longeing, or round penning a lot to keep it toned up and obedient.

Resist the urge to spoil your pony with treats and letting it get away with little disobediences. You'll only end up with an naughty, disrespectful pony that can become dangerous to children and adults.

Give your pony a job. Whether driving, jumping or trail riding build on its training and work it regularly.

[Danee]

Ponies are typically very smart, thus they sometimes require greater leadership skills or you may find yourself the butt of thier sense of humor. Of course, we typically breed ponies for children so despite thier abundance of brains, you can certainly find some very nice, good willed ponies out there- often they act better for kids than adults- again, blame it on their sense of humor.

Really though the biggest differences are physical. Ponies/minis often tend to be overweight on very little food, so be prepared to work them often enough to keep them fit.

If you are looking at a pony for a child, do'nt go too small- kids grow quickly!

[Suzanne]

I know ponies are generally more hardy and live longer that the average horse. They can do fine on very poor forage - a disadvantage in these days of high fructan grasses. They are naturally insulin resistant, so are quite prone to grass laminitis. I have the same problem with my Morgans. Very easy keepers, so you do have to keep a close eye on their weight. I don't know if this is true of minis or not.

[Peggy]

From what I have read on the Cushing's/IR group, minis as a group are prone to IR. The top breeds in addition to ponies are Morgans and Arabians. BUT, any horse that is an 'easy keeper' can go IR. All I can say, from experience, is to keep a close eye on your kids and if they begin to have fatty pockets, fatty tail head, swollen sheath on the geldings, cresty neck and the eye divets are no longer divets.....you may have already crossed the line. I have a mare here that absolutely does not go to the pasture without her grazing muzzle year around. Stressed grass has more sugar. You can find a lot of info on grass and pasture at www.safegrass.com.

[Suzanne]

Glad you posted the link to safegrass.com. It is a splendid site, full of info the grass/laminitis link. My Morgans have never had laminitis, but I also have a 3/4 Quarter Horse/1/4 pony mare. She is now almost 18 and she foundered on grass when she was four. Back then they didn't know nearly as much as they do now. If they had, we would all have been saved a horrible experience. We almost lost her. :o(