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

[supershorty628]

My parents surprised me with my first pony. She was 3 at the time and I was 6… I’d been riding her, but with the understanding that she was for sale and another little girl could be her rider at any minute.

I remember my parents sitting me down one night and telling me very seriously that Duckie had been sold to a little girl who was going to love her very much. I tried very hard not to cry because I loved that pony and I didn’t want her to leave.

When they then told me that I was that little girl, I was the happiest little kid in the world. We had that wonderful pony for 8 years, at which point we sold her to go on and make another little one’s dreams come true.

[albertaeventer]

My parents surprised me on my 10th birthday with a pony. They had it delivered while I was in school. I arrived home (we lived on a farm) and on the door of our house was the first note of my scavenger hunt. The notes sent me around the farm to find other notes, and eventually ended with a note pinned on a shed down near the corrals that said “If you use one of your six senses, you will be able to find your present!” Of course it only took a second of looking around to realize that there was a HORSE in those corrals!!! I swear I’ve never run so fast in my entire life:) It was pretty awesome:)

[Halfhalting]

You all have amazing stories! Thank you so much for sharing them!

[Outyougo]

I used a treasure hunt with clues. Sent the kids all over the farm. the final clue was in a special box with my kiddos name in it

“In the barn
Between two bays
you will find
something that neighs”

She cried " A Pony you bought me a Pony"

Five years with a very cute connamara cross. Best gift ever

[HorseKrazy]

We bought a Christmas pony for our daughter last year, we set it up like a scavenger hunt that ended in the barn…along the way her gifts were things like a helmet brushes cookies-typical horses stuff. As we already had horses she just thought these were going to Be her personal items, until she opened the stall door! It was very cute!

[Satin_Filly]

I was also surprised with my first pony. My story mirrors supershorty’s post - rode a sale pony, and I thought I would have died if she was ever sold.
Came to the barn one day, bunch of people there and a video camera. I was told they were going to record me riding the pony. Before I walked in the barn, I was handed a letter “from the pony”. The last line read “I’m yours, will you be mine?”. I walking into a barn filled with streamers and ballons. The pony had a halter made of ribbons, and above her stall was a banner that read “I’m yours, will you be mine?”. At that point it finally clicked! I had a pony of my very own!!

If you can, PLEASE record this event for your daughter to look back upon! I still cry when I watch that video! :lol:

[Electrikk]

I did not ever get a Christmas pony (still asking at age 19 :D) but I love reading all these stories, they’re making me cry in a good way :). I did get a Christmas puppy, but that was a bit easier to hide than a horse

[FalseImpression]

My daughter had been taking lessons for a while and was asked to ride a big Clyde x mare that was quite hot and a jumper. She clicked with her right away and had a few successful schooling shows. I heard the barn owner mention that they were thinking of selling her and I asked what they wanted for her. I convinced my husband I should get her. This was the beginning of December and we kept the secret until Christmas morning.
There was a box under the tree, no wrapping… inside there was hay, carrots, a halter, and Babe’s passport… my daughter just sat there not processing what this all meant and finally looked up, with tears streaming down her cheeks “You bought her for me???” We drove to the barn and she was in a stall, happy to have some treats, but happier to go back outside with her friends!
And this Christmas, it will be 13 years!!! My DD is 25 and the mare will be 21 next year! They have an amazing bond!

The funny part? when asked what he had got for Christmas, my son (after telling his sister got a horse), could only reply “a toothbrush”… He had received great gifts too, but all he could remember was the toothbrush!

[LuvMyRide]

The back story, my DD has been taking lessons with one particular girl for 2 1/2 years now. Both myself and the other girls parents were horse shopping. My daughters last horse had to be retired due to navicular, and she had been riding a lesson horse for almost a year at this point. We had made several trips and even after we knew which was going to be her perfect horse, we told DD that we were going to take a break and reevaluate what we were looking for. Really, we were just waiting for my trainer to have the time to take the trailer up and pick up the horse (3 hours away).

When we got to the barn for my daughters normally scheduled lesson, she was walking through the barn to get to the stall for the lesson horse she had been riding, right next door was her new horse decked out in ribbons and bows, with a sign that said “Will you be my new girl?” and DD thought the other parents had bought the horse for THEIR daughter. She was trying to be so happy for her friend, but I could tell she was crushed because she wanted him so badly. When I told her he was hers, she started sobbing. She was so happy she didn’t know what to do with herself!

[LockeMeadows]

We purchased DD’s pony last November and told her it was a boarder. We went as far as asking her to “ride the pony for the owner” to keep him in work. He was her dream pony - palomino with four stockings and a blaze, and she loved him from the moment she met him. On Christmas, we wrapped a box up with his papers and let her open it. I think I cried more than she did!

[giddybiddy]

These stories are making me tear up! So sweet!

[myalter1]

i love these stories. It brought me right back to my daughter’s first pony that Santa claus brought. Said pony is now at the rainbow bridge, waiting for her. All of these happy posts brought a tear to my eye. Thank you, everyone

[pryme_thyme]

My mom bought me my first pony when I was about 12.
It was a pony I had been riding in many lessons who I raved about 24/7.

My mom, one day out of the blue, came to watch one of my lessons and asked after my ride if I were to ever buy a pony of my own who would it be?
I said his name … and my mom asked me then “Isn’t that this pony?”, I said yes, she turns to my coach and says, “Well, I think we can work that out…don’t you think?”

A pony gift any way is amazing! And something they will remember forever.
Good luck!!

[nikelodeon79]

[QUOTE=albertaeventer;6650047]
My parents surprised me on my 10th birthday with a pony. They had it delivered while I was in school. I arrived home (we lived on a farm) and on the door of our house was the first note of my scavenger hunt. The notes sent me around the farm to find other notes, and eventually ended with a note pinned on a shed down near the corrals that said “If you use one of your six senses, you will be able to find your present!” Of course it only took a second of looking around to realize that there was a HORSE in those corrals!!! I swear I’ve never run so fast in my entire life:) It was pretty awesome:)[/QUOTE]
THIS was always my dream when I was little. I imagined on Christmas morning, finding a note that was the start of a scavenger hunt that would end in the barn, with a pony for me!

[trubandloki]

Great stories.

[maigenesis]

I love these-even as a Jr with only a couple years left-I am still hoping

[SmartAlex]

By the time I was three years old I wanted a pony so badly it hurt. My mother and grandmother each kept a broodmare at the family dairy farm so I was a horse girl.

That autumn, my father began to build a “shed” at our house. He said it was for storage. It just so happened to be in the corner of our fenced in back yard right by my bedroom window. On my fourth birthday, the pony was delivered on the sly while we were out. When we got home, the pony conveniently whinnied and I looked out my bedroom window. There she was. No ribbons or bows, but the memory still sparkles.

That was the week before Thanksgiving. So as not to spoil me all at once, the saddle and bridle came for Christmas

[HannaLeBlond]

My father surprised me the best way possible when he bought me my Taco horse when I was 12 years old. He was an older lesson horse I rode at a local lesson barn and I just loved him to death. I always wanted to ride him in lessons and spent way too much time grooming and loving on him when I was with him. So, one day, my father hooked up the trailer and said: “Come with me, I gotta ship a horse for Lee [the owner of the barn].” I was happy to go along but my world sank when I saw that the horse being shipped was Taco. Instantly, the tears started flowing. “NO,” I said, “you can’t sell Taco.” My father said it had to be done and Lee agreed, so off he went onto the trailer. Of course, I did not see the ruse coming. When we were about half way home and I was no longer horribly crying, my Dad said, “Well, what do you think, should we bring him home.” I said, “We can’t, Lee sold him” and my Dad replied, “She did, to me.” My response to that was priceless…“Does Mom know???” One of my fondest memories–and the nicest thing my father ever did for me!

[I_wear_horse_hair]

I have been lucky enough to surprise both my kids with ponies!

The first time was my son. He had attended his first ever horse camp that summer. When we drove up to the farm the first day he spotted a small paint pony in the pasture and said he wanted to ride that one. I explained he had to ride whichever one he was assigned. Sure enough, that was the one he was assigned to ride! He loved camp so much he started taking lessons and always wanted to ride the little paint pony. They both loved oatmeal cream pies! At Christmas we found out the pony was for sale, and that went to the top of his list! On Christmas morning I realized I had “forgotten” to take the trainers present to her, so we decided to deliver it. When we pulled in my son realized the pony wasn’t in the pasture and got very worried. When we walked into the barn there was a big red bow on the stall and the little pony was waiting inside for him!

The second kid was my daughter. She inherited the little paint pony after my son outgrew him but fell in love with another pony at the barn. We decided to lease that pony for her for her birthday. When she got to the barn our trainer said that for some reason my daughter had gotten mail at the barn. My daughter opened up the envelope and inside was a glittery pink certificate telling her that she was getting a 6 month lease for her birthday. Once that kind of sunk in her friend led the pony out from its hiding place. The pony was bedecked with a huge tulle bow and butterflies. I rarely see my daughter speechless, but this time she was! She also got a leather bracelet with both the ponies names engraved on a brass plate.

[Spotted_Pony]

[QUOTE=rabicon;6648791had boys and ribbons on him.[/QUOTE]

Don’t we give them ponies so we can keep boys away just alittle longer?