So You Think You Want A Pony

You've seen movies, maybe seen them at camp, taken a few riding lessons, and you're hooked. You have a common girlhood ailment, Horse and Pony Fever. You think they're adorable, cute, majestic, and beautiful. You love to ride. And now you want to take it a step further. You want a pony of your own.

But you honestly need to think about it. Do you live on a ranch or farm with a stable and loads of open space? If not, then either your parents need to build a stable in the backyard (not likely), buy a ranch (not happening), or you need to rent a place for the pony to stay (a possibility).

You'll also need to care for your horse or pony. Daily. You will need to give up around an hour or more every day or two to care for your pony.

So if you are in after school activities from 3:00-8:00 every day of the week, and aren't prepared to drop out of most of them, get a fish, and get over it.

And horses are expensive! Very expensive. If your parents are like mine they're gong to want you to help pay for your pony. So you better start looking for neighbors with dirty cars, restless dogs, and little kids, because it's time for after school jobs galore. Some horses go for up to 30,000 dollars. That's expensive for a horse, but 15,000 dollars wouldn't be. And unless you get a hundred dollar a week allowance, or you’ve won some sort of kid lottery, this is money you don't have in your piggy bank. So before you even ASK for a horse, make a plan.

Now I know that your parents won't say yes to a pony right away. Especially if you simply say: Can I have a horse? So figure things out.

First know where your pony would stay. Is there a place in your yard? Probably not. (Most girls with stables already have horses.) Do you have a relative nearby who owns a ranch or stable? Could you keep your horse there? Probably. Call up and find out. If they say yes then you’re set. Otherwise you should look up local stables in your area. Contact the people in charge and ask about openings, costs, and how the stable works. Find out as much as you can and write it down. Keep the information somewhere safe. Try a few different places so that you will have options.

Now that you know where your large pet might stay, try to find away to fit them into your schedule. Say school gets out at 3:00 and you need to spend three hours at home doing homework, eating dinner, and the hour before bed. If bedtime is 9:00 that leaves three extra hours. Add in travel time and you're at two to two and a half hours. If you're in one short (1 hour or less) activity at or near your school you will probably have time to see your pony that day. More, longer, or further activities will be days that you won't be able to visit your pony. If you’re in more than two of those types of activities on school days, you'll need to cut some. If you aren't prepared to do so, you aren't prepared to own a pony. Also be sure that you have time on weekends to spend with your pony. If these are your least busy days, then you may want to spend two or three hours with your pony on both Saturday and Sunday. If you aren't free to care for your pony four or five days a week, you could ask a friend or relative to help out one day. If you need help with more than two days, it probably won’t work.

Now, about that money. You could consider baby-sitting, dog walking, or taking care of people's houses when they're away. You could also do work around the house and instead of getting money, it goes to the horse. Tell your parents how much you’re planning on putting in towards the pony. 1,000 dollars, 1,500? It will take a while to earn the money, and you may want to start before you propose the idea to your parents. "I've already raised 200 dollars!" is better than "I'll start raising money soon." If they say no you could always use the cash for something else. Plus you could keep one after school job to continue to pay for monthly costs such as food, vet bills, grooming, etc. Look online to see what most horses are going for and make a list of one-time fees and then monthly fees. Figure out what percent you'd be paying of each.

Try to figure out where you could buy a horse. Breeders often have colts, but you will have to hire someone to train them. It's MUCH easier to get a horse that’s already trained. Do you have any relatives that race or jump horses? After a while horses get too old to jump and race and maybe you could get a horse from them for a cheaper price. They'll also have some tips on caring for the horse.

Finally, you'll need to find out about caring for this horse. You'll need to groom it –clean out it’s feet with a hoof pick, a brush and a comb for it's mane and tail. You'll need to feed it, and clean it's stall. You'll need to exercise it, and train it. You'll probably want to take a class on riding your horse. Find some classes in your area for beginners with new horses. They can help you and your horse progress together. Don't forget to add this to your list of costs.

Check out books from the library and look on the Internet. Find out as much as you can about horses and caring for them. Caryl Henderson wrote a great book about horses that you could look for at your bookstore. It talks about riding, contests, grooming, horse types, and lots more. It’s a great place to start learning about horses and caring for yours. So learn as much as you can, print and save things, and let your parents see you reading plenty of horse books. Don't stage it but don't hide your books either. Your parents will probably begin to see you have an interest in horses, if they haven't already, and that you’re committed to learning about them. It will help when the time comes.

And when it has make a presentation for your parent(s). Use a few big pieces of paper and a clipboard. It should go something like this:

Lastly, if you read through this and realize you can't own a horse or pony, or you get a no from your parents, don't freak. If you do get a no, ask why, and talk it over. You may change their minds, you may not. But if you can't have a horse of your very own there are other things you can do.

If money is the object, you could try renting a horse, monthly or yearly. It's cheaper than buying one, for a short amount of time.

If the problem is not being able to care for the horse, and money too, you could sign up for a riding class where you don't need your own horse. They will have one there for you, that you could love like your own. You only have to care for it when you have classes, maybe once a week. You don't have to pay for anything but the class, and riding gear. If it's permitted you could bring small treats for the horse, or even ride it out of class.

Just remember that it isn't ever fair to take responsibility for an animal without fully understanding what you getting into. So get information. Best of luck!

- Rachel 12 California