I know of a 14-year-old mare who has a two-tone personality. She can be quite excitable when doing eventing and may start rearing in the start box. However, as soon as you put a beginner on her, she is as gentle as any kid’s pony. Now at 22 years old, she is still as happy as can be and is ready to gallop around a 3ft course or just hang out with little kids.
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If she is 13 and possibly not broke, depending on your training abilities you could find another cute young pony to work with
I am whole-heartedly Team Pony --that being said, I prefer ponies to the 16h+ plus horses of my youth in middle age, I drive , and even the Perpetual Project Pony I picked up 15 years ago is still around.
My place is like the Hotel California. I’d get the pony, if I had room and she was even remotely cute, but she’d probably never leave.
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I’ve gone back and reread this answer several times now. It’s made me pause and ask myself why am I buying a horse and are my wants/requirements coming from the right place. The point about buying a a horse for me stuck with me, I’ve bought all my horses as an adult with resale in mind, maybe it’s time I buy one for me to enjoy the process instead of focusing on super lofty goals. I’m probably missing out on a lot of nice horses, and a lot of good experiences!
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So, I went out earlier this week to look at several prospects including the aforementioned pony. The other three horses were equal or better on paper. They were okay, but I didn’t feel drawn to any of them. I also found two TB mares that are definitely better on paper that I may go look at tomorrow, but I’ll admit I had a bit of a visceral no feeling because they remind me so much of my retiring gelding. As much as big, bay, leggy TBs are my type, I want some space from that so I don’t do my new horse a disservice by spending my rides comparing them to my retiree.
I loved the pony mare. She was friendly, stood with no halter while I felt all over for any heat/swellint/sore spots, and wasn’t mare-ish around the other horses. She’s not going to win a conformation class but didn’t have any obvious flaws that were hiding in her pictures. 14 hands is a little smaller than I was picturing in my head (but I measured where 14 hands was on me so I could see if the height was close, 14.2 comes right to the bottom of my chin), but I went through my old videos of me riding and found some horses of a similar size and shape. I look different on them, but not too big.
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We will need pictures when the deal is completed. Pictures of the pony, that is. Because that’s what it’s gonna be, isn’t it?
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This all sounds lovely! You get to follow your heart on this one. This one is for you. 
You know, we are all schooled in conformation, but I am glad that you aren’t letting a lack of perfection get in the way. I think we horse people can inadvertently learn to over-emphasize things that will actually make no difference to what we want to do, as long as we aren’t showing where conformation is judged. As long as the horse is basically functional for our needs, doesn’t have anything going on that we don’t want to deal with, the rest doesn’t matter - that’s my opinion. 
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I am taller than you, 5’7", and I have two ponies - 14h and 14.2. Unless the pony is really slight of build, I don’t think you need to worry about being too big.
Me and newly backed 14h barbie pony yesterday:
Your title says talk you out of buying a pony, BUT I’m the last person to say pony buying decisions must be rational. As long as you go into it with open eyes… why not buy the pony? 
They are fun. Possibly more fun than regular sized horses.
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IMO this never works out as expected. Ask me how I know. You put in your time and money and get nothing at the end of it. Owner pays you nothing for all the training you put into the horse and as soon as the horse is going nicely, they want it back. Or, the horse hurts itself somehow and owner blames you for it. Even if they can’t legally touch you if you have an airtight lease contract, the owner still thinks less of you. Or, you have to fess up to the owner that the horse isn’t marketable for x/y/z and the owner is offended.
My advice nowadays is if you don’t own the horse and the horse doesn’t know more than you, you shouldn’t be the one paying its bills.
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Ponies are definitely more fun than regular horses! Ponies are condensed. Also, you can fit more of them in a trailer.
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@Heinz_57 she isn’t quite as stout as yours, but she’s definitely on the more solid side.
@cattywampus one of my frivolous notes on the pro side of my pros and cons list was that she’ll fit in my trailer. My trailer has been sitting so long the tires all need replaced because my last few horses were giants that wouldn’t fit in my 1970s two horse. I never went to any shows or clinics because I couldn’t find a ride or a trailer to rent.
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Hey, you asked about buying the older, grade Pony for resale with a 6 month timeline and thats what I answered.
If you want to keep her as a personal horse, find a safe trailer and go get her before the weather tanks again.
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You absolutely answered exactly what I asked, and I appreciate and respect that! After asking I had some long conversations with my horse friends, family, and myself about what my honest riding goals were (versus my idealistic dreams) and took a hard look at where I’m at right now in terms of riding ability.
In a year or two when I’m ready to take on a really intentional resale project you gave me a much clearer picture of what I need to be looking for as well as the skills and connections I need to build to market that project. One thing that really stood out was how I’ve gotten really isolated from the local horse community and don’t have the connections right now to market a project horse to sell.
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Get one you want and do what you want without worrying about timelines, what buyers want or pleasing anybody but yourself. Just ride, relax and enjoy.
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Pony made it to her QT barn. The hauler said she walked right on the trailer and hauled great. She was laying down napping when I got to the barn, totally unbothered. I tried to get good pictures but once she has a halter on she’s a bit of a Velcro pony.
Now she needs a name! My husband wants to call her half-pint, I need to come back with something better before that sticks!
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Congratulations! What a lovely face. Pint o’ Guinness? Pint of Stout?
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Demi
Sometimes what we think we want and what is actually suitable for us right now are two different things There is a TON of value to be had in a sensible horse (or pony) that you can bop around on and play with. Doesn’t need to have upper level potential.
This pony will give you the opportunity to get out and make connections for the future.
She looks like a Gin to me. Ginny. Or an Astrid. Can’t wait to see her all cleaned up and carting you around!
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She’s adorable! I would have bought her too <3 I like the names Posie, Trudy and Tess lately. Or Smidgen. Or Abra lol (“Though I called another, Abra came” from the poet Matthew Prior)
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I vote Tess. Its not too cutesy or sound like a Pony for a pig tailed 10 year old. Easy to say and spell, fits on nameplates…
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