Outdoor Furniture, Outdoor Patio and Outdoor Gardens

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   horses help with these questions please?
   hey i might be allowed to get a horse so I'mm doing some questions on things i will need to know as this will be a first pony ,

   1. when i put the pony in the trailer the small rounded one's that go on the back of cars , do i tie the ponies lead rope to the string or leave the pony loose in its section ?

   2. if i got to my present yard , they have lots of trailers if i asked if i could borrow one the get my pony how much would the price be ? (around)?

   3. could i use a avergage black plastic bucket capable of holding 14L for food ?

   4. can you ride your own pony in wet and windy weather ?

   5. when it is raining and ive been working my horse in the inside school and the pony is sweating after a jumping practice could i wash my pony down and then put a thick outdoor rug on ?

   6. when i have apsolutley no way of getting down the yard could i leave my pony in good weather with a rug in the field with lots of grass for a day ? then come down again the next day ?

   7. what would i need to look out for if i decided to loan a pony instead of buy , what would i need to know if something was cheesy ? or they where planning something ?

   when i think of more questions i need to no then look at my questions ONLY answer these questions if you know NOT if your just some person who thinks theyre right, i need someone KNOWLEDGEABLE who may own a horse or knows a lot about them , thanks x
   hello i know all of the things im just asking people what they think ?
   and what they would think is best .
   do not leave stupid comments just answer my questions please. i know how to look after a horse and what to use im just asking people if they think better things or if its fine.

   • ANSWER:
     Hres what I would say to your questions:

     1. Always tie your pony up in the trailer rather than leaving it loose.
     Its far safer and makes them feel more secure and also stops them trying to bolt out as soon as you open the ramp.

     2. You can hire horse lorries for £99 per day inclusive of fully comp insurance and a valet service. Plus Breakdown. Use that as your guideline.

     3. You can use a bucket for feed but its better to have a proper feed bowl made of heavy duty plastic for them. They are all colours and cost about a fiver from any tack shop.

     4. You can ride in wet and windy weather so long as you wear high visibility riding clothing, and your pony is cared for afterwards rather than just thrown back out in the field. If he has become hot and sweaty he will need to be sponged down and a cooler put on him until the heat has gone from him - and even though he is still damp - he could then be put back out in the field. Obviously dont ride in dangerously wet or windy weather for obvious reasons!!

     5. Dont put a thick outdoor rug on a hot horse - they will break out in a sweat and may catch a chill. After working and sponging them off, put a cooler on until the heat has gone out of their skin - they can stand and munch some hay in the meantime. After about 15-20 minutes with the cooler on, you can put the rug on and turn them out.

     6. It is okay not to ride every day but if you are not going to the yard you should have someone check your pony is okay. If they are fed something even though turned out you should arrange for someone else to give him this in your absence - even if it is just some hay.

     7. Loan agreements need to be looked at carefully and made sure that they have been checked by a local solicitor really if you are a novice at this kind of thing. Loan agreements can work but there is always the chance that the owner will want the pony back at the end of the period of loan. Loans can work - especially the long term ones but the shorter term ones I have seen end in tears when the owner then reclaims the pony for some reason and you are left without.

     We have had a loan pony but when they found out that we were doing well with this pony and winning lots at the local shows - they decided they would sell the pony because it was now worth money. It cost me £1,250 to stop them from doing it by buying the pony myself.
     We have picked up ponies however over the years for as little as £500 and they have been great.

     It is often a mistake to think that ponies who live out can go out for a ride and then just be thrown back out in the field. They have to have something to eat, something to drink and have a cooling off period.
     Especially if they are then going to have a rug put on them.

     Hope you enjoy your pony - we had fabulous times with ours!

2. QUESTION:
   15.3 thoroughbred? (UK) advice...read details!?
   ok, well a friend of mine bought a horse a while back. When she got him, he was lovely, in good condition, viceless and great stable manners, push button to ride, schooled in an outline, fine to hack and would happily jump round a 1metre SJ course...he had hunted, done cross-country..everything.
   However, she was quite inexperienced, and he has quickly gone down hill. He will no-longer work on the bit, bucks in trot and canter, pulls faces and is stroppy, and is really flightly and strong on hacks...he has lost condition terribly (all this in only 6 months) . He is a thoroughbred, about 12 years i think, and is 15.3. She payed £2,000 when she bought him, but this was less than he was worth, because the owner needed to make space for new horses.
   I am reletivly experienced, and have been able to get him to do what I ask. When i look at the situation, everything can be rectified easily by someone with a little experience. She (the owner) will not pay for him to have any minerals, vitamins or conditioning cubes in his feed. She also has him turned out 24/7(with only a medium turnout when he needs a heavyweight with under rugs and blakets!), even though its been snowing for weeks, because she doesn't want to muck out his stable. He hardly gets ridden, because of the weather and the yard he's at only has an outdoor school, and also she's afraid to get on his back because he's been bucking (not that badly though). she's now thinking about selling him.

   Anyway...I'm 5ft 8, and i way 9 1/2 stone girl, if i buy him (i really want to, so i can improve his condition and give him the care he deserves) would i be too big for him? unfortunately i don't have a picture, but i have ridden him, i didn't feel too big and i know he can carry my weight, but just looking for some advice from some sane sensible horsey people about the whole situation!

   thanks btw i live in england.

   • ANSWER:
     From what you have said, I do think you should buy him. You will not be too big for him. As you have already ridden him and know how he feels to you, you will be the best judge to know if he feels too small. Way too many people over horse themselves. lol.

     Unfortunately so many people do exactly what your friend has done. They go and buy a horse who is very nice and let ignorance ruin the experience for them. If she had got proper instruction and learnt how to ride this horse correctly, then he would not have ended up this way.

     Sigh... but so many inexperienced people refuse to listen to more experienced riders like yourself. I grew up on a commercial TB stud, as a teen I retrained 100's of TB's after 3 to 10 years out of work after breeding. I was a strapper and later an apprentice jockey. I have owned TB's my whole life and find them to be a highly intelligent and adaptable breed that all too often get a bad rap. I mainly do dressage now.

     If handled with confidence and consistency TB's are like any other breed. Horses sense when people are nervous and inexperienced and they will take full advantage of a situation. This horse has put the wind up your friend and this is why she is refusing to take proper care of him.

     Unfortunately these people then want to get their full money back on a horse, despite the fact that they are now a undesirable and unruly horse. You have the inside advantage of knowing his full history with her. Also knowing that he does in fact, have the education and temperament hidden under his current poor condition and behaviour. Most people would not pay much for him the way he is.

     As long as you understand (as I think you do) that it will be a slow road for a while. To get his condition back on him and build up his physical strength and muscle. Make a list of all the mistakes she made with him and ensue you don't make the same ones. If he has been allowed to get away with a lot, then he will eventually try you out as well. To which she will sit back and say "I told you so".

     Your other problem is that she might not want to sell him to you, she is probably aware already that she has made errors. She may not want it under her nose that you have done better with him. Just a thought

     I wish you well in your endeavour and I hope she does see reason and let you purchase him. Say that you will help her find another horse, who is more suited to her style of riding. She may be more willing to listen this time, as I'm sure you would have tried to steer her in the right direction in the first place. LOL Hopefully when she is enjoying riding she will take better care of another horse, or perhaps riding is just not for her.

     Even though you are experienced, engage in a quality instructor (if you don't have one already). I have an instructor and my instructor has one, and so on. She picks up things from the ground that I can't see, helps to stop bad habits developing and I can bounce idea's off her.

     Sometimes I can only get to a lesson once every 2 months, but it is enough to keep me moving forward as a rider. Every rider who wishes to improve their riding ability, should get instruction of some sort.

     Good luck

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