Did you ever surprise your child with a pony??? How's the best way?

[Halfhalting]

So after many month, lots of trips and tries, and some failed vettings, I have finally bought my 8yo DD a pony! It’s not been easy. And right now I’m waiting for the shipper to pick up tonight to deliver her to us! The shipper issue has been hard - a few backed out, a few rescheduled, a few were not nice, etc. Cross your fingers that my shipper pulls through!

Anyway, I want to surprise my daughter… she has no idea that pony is on her way (or should be). She LOVES the pony. I would love some recommendations on how to make this surprise extra special!!!

[rustbreeches]

My mom surprised us with a pony. It was the pony we had been riding in lessons. One day we showed up to ride and he was in the stall with ribbons and bows all over him.
You are an awesome mom! Can you arrange to have the pony delivered while she is at school? Then have her come down to the barn? Or deliver to a friends house, have them trailer her and be outside the window with a bow on or something?

[rabicon]

I took my dd to the barn he was at. He was all dolled up and had boys and ribbons on him.

[WannabeDQ]

When I was 10 my parents secretly bought the horse I was leasing. On Christmas Eve my trainer trailered the horse and a round pen to our house and set it up in the back yard. I think to wake up Christmas morning and have a horse in the backyard is every little girls dream! I rode her around the neighborhood until we had to take her back to the barn. I’m sure it was against our neighborhood by laws but oh well!

On a more practical note, a lot of parents have brought their kids to the barn to give horses carrots or take a lesson or whatever and pony is waiting for them with a big bow. No matter what it will be a great surprise!

[Inese]

I was the child. My parents brought the new pony into the farmhouse kitchen on my 6th birthday, after buying that Shetland stallion at a neighbor’s auction. I learned to ride on that little bugger, and we had him for many years!

[JumpingAddict93]

I was also the child who got the Horse. For christmas my parents got me a halter for someday when i did get a horse. About a week later around 8:00 pm my dad sent me, my brother, and sister out to shovel the drive way. He said a carpet cleaning man was coming so it had to be shoveled good. Now my dad had built a small run in and pasture and wanted a trail to it as well. He had put a whole bail and bucket of water down in the barn…for someday when i got a horse… the man couldnt fool me. My grandma had come over for the “carpet cleaner” and the cameras were out. Sooo i think it was maybe 10:00 pm when someone pulled in. My brought me out and a man was unloading a little mustang filly. I was sooo excited!
Apparently while i was at the barn i took lessons at my dad went up to cornell where they were having the mustang sale. He got to talking to the guy who ran it and made the deal that when the filly was old enough to leave her mom he would deliver her to our house from Albany. She wasnt all dolled up… but it was a surprise. I think he planned it well even if i kinda knew!

[Foxtrot_s]

Me - we had been looking all over for a pony for our 10 y.o. daughter- found a 14.l TB/QH who she fell in love with. This beautiful pony was so sour and gnashed her teeth up and down the bars of her stall, pinned her ears and swished her tail. Our daughter loved her instantly.

After that there ws no other pony tht could compare.

So we gave in and had her delivered during school hours on her 11th birthday.
Pinned a bigh Happy birthday sign in the living room. Told her to go to the barn, and there the pony was, Dolled up with Christmas ribons, etc.

Her face - she couldn’t believe it.

That pony took her to the ‘A’ circuit, PC rallies, eventing, etc. amidst lots of trials and tribulations, one day brilliant, another not at all. (If we had only known what we know noe about chiro, etc…things would have been easier), but it taught her to never quit, keep trying and take your ups and downs.

The pony became the best family pony.

[overthemoon]

[QUOTE=rabicon;6648791]
I took my dd to the barn he was at. He was all dolled up and had boys and ribbons on him.[/QUOTE]

(Bolding mine.)

That is quite the image. I picture little boys hanging all over the pony. Only after I enjoyed that mental image did I realize that you likely meant bows.

[Manni01]

![]( have to confess, I didn´t really do anything, just brought the Pony home…
But I have an 11 year old son, so I don´t know about bows…
But he loves the Pony anyway…
[IMG]http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad152/Gretaundlucky/IMG_2096.jpg)

[outside_line1]

Don’t do what my parents did: after leasing a pony for a year (and falling in love with him despite many warnings that he wasn’t really “mine”), my mother sat me down and told me that the pony’s owner had called and told my parents that she wanted to sell the pony. Then my mother said, “and someone has already bought him.”

I immediately burst into tears, not understanding that WE bought the pony. (I was about 8 years old, and thought my mother was calmly telling me that “my” pony had been sold to someone else.) After I calmed down, my mom explained that he was now my pony for real and we went to the barn for some celebrating. Forgot the camera - I would so love to have a photo of that day, but I don’t.

I wish she had just stuck a bow on his neck and carted me off to the barn. I know your situation is different (not leasing) but do yourself a favor and go with the tried-and-true ribbons and bows! If the pony is coming to your home, maybe send your daughter to a friends house or something until the surprise can be revealed? And whatever you do, make sure you get the special moment on video or take pictures!!!

[KentuckyTBs]

My parents got me my first pony for Christmas many years ago. I had been riding and leasing ponies for ages and finally we started horse shopping. Tried several ponies, fell in love with one but my parents told me that she was too expensive and the owners weren’t willing to negotiate the price at all. So Christmas morning, I had no idea and was unwrapping presents when I unwrapped one with a wooden stall plate my dad had made for me with the mares name on it. Next gift was a new halter and lead rope. We went over to her (old) owners barn and they had wrapped her stall door in wrapping paper, put a big bow around her neck and ribbons in her mane. Definitely the best Christmas as a kid I ever had - I was actually a kid who really got a pony for Christmas!! LOL All these years later, I still have the neck ribbon and ribbons that were in her mane.

Soooo that was how my parents surprised me with my pony. No matter how you surprise your daughter, she will be beyond thrilled!

[Bravestrom]

My younger son when for his pony club d testing and when I returned to pick him up I had a pony in the trailer - she was a green 3 yr old welsh cross - he trained her from the ground up, had lots of ups and downs with her but actually learned a lot and the pony has been a fantastic pony for a few young girls.

My older son needed a PPG pony - so while he was in China on a school trip we found one and it was in the barn when he returned home.

[ottbee]

One of my secret ‘things’ that I don’t tell a lot of people about, is that when I am in a bad mood I watch YouTube videos of parents surprising their kids with a pony for birthdays or Christmas. One of my favorite setups is when someone rings the front door, with the pony on a lead with a bow on its halter. Watching those kids go from shock, to excitement, to pure bliss … just kind of makes some chronic emotional hurts in my life go away for a minute. I hope someday to have the opportunity to surprise a kid with a pony.

[ljcfoh]

I surprised my daughter with a pony when she was about 5 – it was Christmas and I brought it to the house (in town) late on x-mas eve and made a little stall for it in the cold room of the basement. First, this was a century house with a walkout so getting her in was easy – the little room was right in the back and had windows so it was pretty cute. I then made little hoof prints on the floor (glitter stuck down with hairspray) that went from daughter’s bedroom to the basement. It came together to be one of those “great” moments, but was mostly just luck and an extremely cooperative little pony! (FWIW, my in-laws, who are not horse-people thought I’d officially gone crazy!) I think you can surprise them anyway, the hoof prints down the barn aisle to a bow-laden stall and pony would be cute too!

Good luck!

[danceronice]

It wasn’t my parents, but our neighbor, who’d run his horses on our land with the previous owner and for a while after we bought the place. He’s like a grandfather (I don’t have any real ones) and he and his wife would always let me and my brother come over to play with their animals, especially the horses. (Though we even rode the milk cow!) One day in December, we were out playing and saw him in the driveway. My parents were coming outside (I don’t even know if he’d had the chance to tell THEM-I know he didn’t ask in advance!) and he told us to go look in the corral, and there was the bay three-year-old POA filly with a big red bow on her halter! (And unbeknownst to us, with a little bonus present who arrived in February!) She was never a fancy show pony–lived at our place or over at his place when we weren’t up there-but she happily carted us around at an amble, and she’d done it for many years since for another neighbor’s kids. Produced four foals I know of, too–two for us, that were sold for kid’s mounts, too, and two with the neighbor that I know for sure. Weirdly, her colts would have the “pony” look, very stocky, while her fillies (and her) looked like small horses as far as build goes. All bays, too–the fillies had very small, faint white stars, but no other white. (And for a pony with a leopard POA dad and a blanket Appy mom, she was solid bay, no white, no white eyes, solid black hooves.)

[galloping-gourmet]

Yes, our daughter was 8 (3rd grade). We lived about a mile from her school and bought her an older Appy mare named Mackie. I told the principal and teacher that on her birthday, I would pony the horse over to pick her up. Had some friends in on it, so they could bring her stuff home. At 3.05 p.m. she came outside to a GREAT BIG surprise. It was a hit with everyone…

[DressageOverFences]

my first pony was a surprise.
with very non horsey parents, I was thankful for weekly lessons and despite my pleading, I was convinced I would never be getting my own horse until I had saved up my own money.
then, on April 1st, we went for what I thought was a weekend drive, but then we kept going, and going, until i asked what we were doing and they just said we were looking at a horse.
long story short, I thought it was an april fools joke, but when we pulled up to a barn, my mom grabbed my boots out of the back and waiting in the arena was a pony. best surprise ever!

[McGurk]

As an instructor and trainer, I HATED the “Christmas pony” scenario, and probably lost some business because I refused to play along.

However, ONE TIME, I did. I had a really cute 10 yo pony jock as a student who had already leased school ponies and showed. Her Mom was determined to do the Christmas pony thing, and I was determined that it be a good fit. So we told the child I was looking for a new school pony, and took her along to test ride a lot of different ones. Found the world’s most perfect first pony/short stirrup/local show pony, brought him home on trial. Christmas Morning the child opened up a ton of gifts, and then went to the barn to feed treats to the horses and found pony in his stall with a big red bow and a gift tag addressed to her.

Pretty great.

Pony jock later confessed she was a little suspicious of the whole “barn needs a new school pony” story, but was afraid to believe the alternate explanation until she saw the pony with the big red bow.

[gothedistance]

[QUOTE=Halfhalting;6648751]
Anyway, I want to surprise my daughter… she has no idea that pony is on her way (or should be). She LOVES the pony. I would love some recommendations on how to make this surprise extra special!!![/QUOTE]

My son was 3 at the time. I told him there was something special in the barn just for him. He ran down to the barn and I heard him yell excitedly “It’s a PONY!!!”

A darling sweet gentle been-there-done-that retired Welsh Section B former show pony. He adored her, and she was so sweet to him. I taught her to drive so little son and I could both enjoy more than leadline activity…and she ended up being the catalyst for us getting into the Welsh pony breed for driving.

[Farm_girl]

I was also one of those spoiled kids that got a pony for christmas lol. My parents didn’t do anything really special but it was still very exciting. Last black friday the local Amish produce auction barn offered a special holiday auction. They had everything from goats, ponies, plants, food and so on. Well I was not in the market to buy another horse but I saw the cutest shetland pony mare. She rode and drove and she was also bred. I thought how wonderful she would be for my little girl for an early christmas present. I convinced my husband and was the highest bidder. My little girl just so happened to be at my parents house and when they brought her home that afternoon I asked her to go in the barn and toss in some hay for my horses. She saw that pony and was so happy and excited! So no matter how you present the pony it will be exciting and something she/he will remember the rest of their life.