for Butterfly Betta

[BettaBoyz]

hi there i've seen your numerous posts about your Arabian, Aurora, and i'd like to ask you some horse-stuff

in April about we moved from the city down to a 5 acre farm, and when my mom gets enough money she's going to be buying an Appaloosa mare. now, when i used to ride lessons i was dead scared of all the horses- i don't know why. i'd ride them, but i preffered being on Dushka or Peanut or Popeye- some of the nicest ponies. they weren't actually that small though, and Peanut had some serious SPUNK.

well, our neighbors sell smallish ponies, and they say that people buy them as companions for larger horses. because not everyone has enough land for two horses, but the ponies take up less of everything and serve the same purpose- as friends for the horse so it doesn't get spooked.

got any ideas for convincing my mom to get a pony as well? i love riding horses, but i'm terrified of the big guys, or even the little guys but my mom sees no point on ponies, since they're "Too small to ride."

 

[Butterfly Betta]

Ponies are amazing.

My uncle has tons of them to calm his Arabians [which he breeds] and my father has some for the little kids.

They are useful... More so than many give them credit for.

They are strong, espiecally the smaller ponies like Shetlands.


Tell your mother, that she should at least try to get a pony. They are cool, they are very dolice... [good for you to get used to horses and get to love them]

Appaloosas are classed TYPICALLY dolice. But they can get a little high-strung. A pony would be best of the horses, espiecally if you are not always around it.

The pony can be a play buddy for the animal.


Get a Shetland [i think, i'll have to make sure] if you can, they can CARRY a full grown person for some time.

 

[Butterfly Betta]

Okay. I just reread your post... I'll write what I know about my own experiences with ponies.

1. Ponies are great for getting confidence towards the larger horses. I used to have a pony, a little grey, called Sugertop. That's how I got to love horses.

2. Ponies are great for calming other horses down. My uncle uses them all the time to calm his Arabians [breeding].

3. They take up less space, need "less" food, and are easier to handle. They can put up with almost anything short of straight out neglect and abuse. [Hundreds of Shetlands were sent to England to work long and hard hours in the coalmines many years ago]

4. Not all ponies are "too small to ride". A Shetland for example is capable of carrying a full grown man [in 1820 a Shetland carried a 170 lbs man for 40 miles]. I am not sure if this is true any more.

5. Even if the pony was too small, it'd benefit your horse. I'd be very uncomfortable if I was a horse, seeing people only whenever they wanted to ride and having no body to play with. Horses are SOCIAL animals. They do best with at least a companion.

6. If your mother isn't into a pony, at least get a goat or a sheep or some other four legged grazing animal that can keep the horse company.


I hope this helps.