January 2, 2013

Last weekend I went and tried another pony.   A modern build Haflinger, with the sport pony build, she was the perfect height had a cute lightly dished face.  The owners were friendly, and the teenage daughter rode her around at the walk/trot for me.  The pony was a bit snippety, pinning her ears and kicking out a few times.  I asked for the girl to canter her and the pony tried to buck her off.

At this point I was still curious, but was not impressed with the pony’s attitude.  But since I had made the drive, I wanted to give the pony a full evaluation.  We went ahead and swapped saddles, so I could ride in my own English saddle instead of the western saddle the teenage girl rode her in.

The pony continued her unpleasant attitude while I rode her, pinning her ears and bucking when asked to trot.  The owners instructed me to ride with an extremely loose rein, and said she was unhappy with contact.  I am not sure how to ride any looser than I was.  I kept letting more and more go until I had loops in my reins, and no contact what so ever.  The pony did not neck rein, so my ability to steer was nil with the lack of contact.

The owners informed me that the pony had belonged to a family with children who had let the pony get away with everything, creating a virtual monster, verging on unsafe in the hands of her previous owners.  Which is why they had purchased her.  This was quite obvious as the pony had a very bratty attitude.  And although with some additional work in experienced hands the pony has potential to make for a wonderful ride, she does not have the eager to work attitude I am looking for in my next pony.

So I passed.  Again.