Finding a Suitable Pony for Children

The Pony Quest

When we began the epic task of finding a first horse for our four- and five-year-old son and daughter, I was bound and determined that it would come in a small package. The undeniable fact that there is less distance for a child to fall from a pony versus a 15-hand horse was foremost in my mind. I also promised myself that I would keep in mind these three key words as we began our search for a suitable pony for the kids--Temperament. Temperament. Temperament. I vowed to make it my mantra and to not deviate. No matter how cute any of the little critters were.

Now a pony with an excellent, even, and reliable temperament is just about as mythic as the Holy Grail, unless you have several thousands of dollars to spend. And my epic quest included a modest budget. $1,000 or less, to be exact. Many ponies, because of their diminutive size, have had years of handling by little children (think of how some of them tease their dogs and cats), and the petite equines are either spoiled, or ruined, or both. Or more.

I had no idea where our pony quest would lead us.

As the first seller on the weekend's list led a licorice-colored Shetland pony out of her barn, I was off to the races, imagining my children cantering around the backyard on the picture-perfect pony like Rhett and Scarlett's Bonnie Blue in Gone With the Wind. When I asked the adorable mare's owner if I could ride her for a couple of turns around the arena, she looked mildly surprised, but when I told her the ages of our children, she agreed that a test-drive was a good idea.

So I swung my leg over the Shetland pony's back, grabbed a handful of her deliciously thick and glossy mane, gathered up the lead rope that was fastened to the halter rings in both hands, and asked my tiny mount to move forward. No response. I squeezed and released, very lightly with my legs. No response except the thwack of her wavy tail against her hindquarters. (A clear expression of equine annoyance.) I clucked with my tongue, three times in quick succession--at which point the pony princess swung her head around, tiny ears pinned tight against her head, glaring at me with an evil eye, and sunk her teeth into my thigh.