# Pony for 10-year old?



## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

I would suggest your cousin gets riding lessons before attempting horse ownership. A trainer will be able to teach her the correct way of riding, get her comfortable in her abilities and then (in the case that she enjoys it) will be able to help her look for a proper mount.


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## Ebonyisforme (Oct 23, 2013)

I wouldn't get a pony at all. Maybe a 13 or 14hh horse. Ponies are great and everything, but a lot of the time, they are trained by kids because adults can't get on them so they will have little things or sometimes, big things that make them not so fun.


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## melodyhscarlet (Mar 5, 2014)

Incitatus32, Her mom is really experienced with horses, so I'm super glad she'll have someone helping and teaching her. 
Ebonyisforme, that makes a lot of sense. I'll tell them about that. 
Thanks, y'all!


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

If her mother is really experienced with horses then she should be able to find something suitable. 

It is not a matter of breed but of training and temperament.


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

As Foxhunter said, a breed or a type is absolutely secondary to personality and training. For a 10-year old, I would absolutely focus on a small horse rather than a pony. This child would be set to do a lot of growing over the next few years, and a horse would be better able to accommodate a growing child for a longer period of time. Otherwise, you hit a growth spurt and the kid's ankles are suddenly under the pony's belly


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

My children (and my DH & I) learnt to ride on Welsh section A's, we also had cross breed ponies. I wouldn't put a small child on anything over 12.2 - but then I'm British and children over there work up through the heights and height classes because the country has so many great small ponies available
Even an 11.2 pony can be ridden by a small adult to break and school so they aren't all trained by children - though there are some excellent capable children out there that can do the job
What I like about a small child with a small pony is that they can easily handle it and get on it - helps boost confidence


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Those that say a small horse rather than a pony do not know ponies.

I agree with Jaydee, I would be very wary of mounting a small child on a small horse/large pony, there is just to far to fall. 

Ponies can be naughty of they are allowed to get away with it. If they have respect for an adult then they are good. 

Ian not a fan of Shetlands purely because they are usually very wide for their size.


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## Ebonyisforme (Oct 23, 2013)

Foxhunter said:


> Those that say a small horse rather than a pony do not know ponies.
> 
> I agree with Jaydee, I would be very wary of mounting a small child on a small horse/large pony, there is just to far to fall.
> 
> ...


Didn't mean that ALL ponies are that way, because I currently own one.  But, you have to make sure you find a good one.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

isn't any horse under 14 hands a pony?


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## freia (Nov 3, 2011)

I recently got my 10-year-olds a 14.3 hand stock horse with a sweet, gentle, calm, tolerant, and forgiving temperament. She's perfect for them.

My kids have ridden since they were 5. They are skilled, but not experienced. I discussed pony vs horse with them extensively before finding their horse. We all agreed that they like how a horse moves vs a pony. Because they both bond very closely with horses, we also agreed that a pony would be painful to part with when they outgrow it after just a few years. 

At 14.3, their horse is small enough to not intimidate them, yet is tall enough to carry them comfortably through their teenage years. I do have to help them put her bridle on for now.

Note that my kids have always had lessons on horses, not ponies, so they are comfortable with the height.


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

My daughter gets so mad at me when I call her Caspian a pony! 

She reminds me, rightly so, that his hair is not thick and coarse like a pony and his proportion of legs, body, neck and head are that of a horse, his gaits are also that of a horse, thusly, at 12hh he is not a pony, but a type 4 horse. 

I think the technical definition and the common use of terms are not necessarily always one in the same.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

In the UK 14.2 is a pony of riding type and in pony show jumping rules
In ridden and working hunter classes 15 hands is the max pony height because those classes go upwards in full hands not half hands but they must look like a pony
A pony is not a small horse even if it does have TB or Arabian blood it must retain pony chacteristics
With exception of the miniature horse breeds who are horses by type and not small ponies
We went through the heights because we competed in each individual height classes. When we outgrew them they were sold, leased or loaned.
We also competed in gymkhana where a 13.2 is really the biggest as you want them to be especially when you have to vault on at the canter

.


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

How about a quarter pony? Short enough that height won't be an issue (11.2-14.2), stocky enough that when she hits that inevitable growth spurt, she won't outgrow them. They can easily carry an adult for training. 

Breeds of Livestock - Quarter Pony


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## crazeepony (Dec 8, 2013)

Just find something that has been there done that- x ranch horses are great or something older, been there done that. I agree that taking riding lessons- and not group lessons- on different horses is the best idea. That way, they and know if the kid will hold an interest in the horse or not. If you do find something then make sure that she spends some time riding it prior to purchase if possible, like a lease option.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Where I'm from, you don't see ponies hardly ever. Everyone learns to ride on horses. 

This young man has been showing at our local schooling shows for the past four years, at least. These pictures are of him four years ago, at age six. He shows his 15hh paint gelding successfully in halter and WP. (Yes, I have permission to post these)





I wish the pic I had taken of him at one of the shows last year had turned out. His size now on the same horse at 10 or 11-years-old is well-proportioned.

Also, look at Chayni Chamberlain. She's 9 and riding full-size horses, competing professionally in barrels. Flo Jo looks to be at least 15hh. 

As someone else said, it's less about size and more about training. 

There's a girl who boards at my old barn. Her parents bought her a 15hh former ranch horse who was broker than broke for her first horse when she was 9-years-old (the gelding was only 9 at the time, but was just an amazing horse). He could do it all: rollbacks, slide stops, sidepass, rope, you name it. She still competes in gymkhanas and schooling shows with him now, four years later, and consistently ribbons.


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## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

tinyliny said:


> isn't any horse under 14 hands a pony?


Only for showing purposes. Genetically speaking, ponies are group of related breeds.


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## melodyhscarlet (Mar 5, 2014)

Thank you everyone! She's been on my horse before, and she was pretty comfortable and thoroughly enjoyed it. My horse is well over 14hh. 
I agree with everybody saying that the training is more important than the breed and size. My neighbors boarded a draft horse who was the most gentle and sweetest horse I've ever been around. However, the quarter horse they owned was a wild as they come.


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## Pebbles42 (Mar 6, 2015)

Incitatus32 said:


> I would suggest your cousin gets riding lessons before attempting horse ownership. A trainer will be able to teach her the correct way of riding, get her comfortable in her abilities and then (in the case that she enjoys it) will be able to help her look for a proper mount.


Yes. Wait until she knows enough.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Ponies, in the UK are anything under 15 hands. This is rather odd as there are only two show classes for 15 hand and under that are classed as ponies, the Working Hunter Pony and Hunter Show Pony. 12 h and under 13 h 14 h being the lower sections.

All other classes are 14.2 and under, again divided into height sections.

When children start to ride here they are mounted on ponies of heights to suit them. If I had an average 8-10 year old child then they would be riding 12.2 or maybe if they are fairly tall a 13.2.


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## Luv equins (Oct 10, 2014)

Maybe a Welsh Pony or Cob pony. That's how I learned! See it, want it, get it, ride it! Good luck.


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## Paintedponies1992 (Nov 17, 2013)

Anything less than 14.2 hands is a pony.


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## Paintedponies1992 (Nov 17, 2013)

Shoot, I should never type on anything past 10pm, totally missed that there was a whole other page of replies I hadn't read it...


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## nikelodeon79 (Mar 3, 2008)

I got an 11 hand Welsh pony when I was 11 and learned to ride on him. He had his crabby pony moments but it wasn't too far too fall. 

I "graduated" to a 15 hand QH when I was 16. Thankfully I got to keep the pony and he went on to teach my cousins, brother and friends' kids how to ride.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## 40232 (Jan 10, 2013)

I agree on buying for training, not for breed/size.

I started lessons when I was around 7, on a 14hh-ish Arabian. He was the perfect beginner's horse.








I moved up to a paint horse in the next couple of months, and I would guesstimate that he was 15hh. 








The smallest horse I ever rode from the time I was 7 to 9 was a little Paso Fino, who I would guess was under 13.2hh.


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## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

I believe, yes, it should be about the training but because of her age, I think the size should matter too. I wouldn't go put a 10yo on a 16hh horse, even if he was the best trained and bomb-proof. The distance from them to the ground is great and could be very scary for them.

OP, four years ago I was in the same situation as your daughter. I wanted a horse, and I was ten. I only had book knowledge and only knew how to ride from the few times I was on my cousin's horse or horses from vacation trail rides. Anyways, all I knew how to do was walk. Only a few weeks after we bought my then 14yo 15hh Arabian, I fell off him. Lost a WHOLE lot of confidence and was terrified when it was my turn to get on him after that. It took 2 years for me to bring up the courage to trot. It took another year to trust him to ride outside the corral. I have gained back my confidence, Roman and I have ridden bareback in a halter down the ROAD! But it has not been easy. He still doesn't know things and I'm training him. He spooks, kicks, and even attempts a buck sometimes when I'm on him. Its been a tough but rewarding road.

I've started lessons since last year and would HIGHLY recommend your cousin take some. They are a LOT of fun and I enjoy riding. Plus, she'll probably get to ride lots of horses and then perhaps the instructor can help you find a horse in a few years.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Certainly that distance between A (horses back) and B (the ground) when you do that 'flying dismount thing' can matter a lot in terms of how much more damage you can do to yourself!!!


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## Textan49 (Feb 13, 2015)

In all due respects to the child's mom who may very well be capable of teaching her, might not some lessons before hand still be an advantage in finding a suitable pony/horse for her?


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## FrostedLilly (Nov 4, 2012)

I started taking lessons at age 4 on regular sized horses - they were Arabians and the majority were between 14 and 15 hands, so nothing too huge. My older sister was 8. We bought our first horse from there when I was 6 and she was somewhere in that height range. The very first horse of my own was 14.2 and we bought her when I was 9. I don't think being a child automatically means they need a pony, but I don't have anything against them either. That was just my experience. I was also quite tall for my age growing up, so that may have had something to do with it.


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