I have a question for those welsh pony breeders.Is it common for breeders to not do much handling with their youngsters? There is a some what local breeder that I am interested in however, they have weanling- 4yrs olds available(some of past ponies have gone on to pony finals/ or done well on local show circuit). I am a short and petite adult looking for a project for myself. This breeder is very hands off in their approach in terms of handling and lets the ponies live as nature as possible. Ponies will stand tied to eat, but are not handled much else( not used to picking up feet, being brushed, or really used to being approached by people they don’t know). These ponies feet do not get trimmed rather they allow them to self trim(they live in big pastures), they do not worm regularly either. Ponies get a EWT/WN but do not get rabies, botulism, PHF(which is a concern in our area). Is this common for breeders to not worm regularly or at the very least vaccinate for rabies? I did find a pony that I like there(curious/bold personality, cute mover etc) but should I look elsewhere? Breeder agreed to get any vaccines I would like and coggins before the pony would leave the property. I have another two year old welsh that when I got him already had well established ground manners(leads well, respects space, picks up feet, crossties etc), but previous put owner put alot of work into him already.
Thanks for any responses! Admins I originally placed this in the hunter jumper category/ but now am thinking this is where my question should go
I am a long time Welsh breeder and also a long time Warmblood breeder. I originally started breeding warmbloods and then added Welsh and hunter ponies to our program. Yes, what you are asking is true among “some” Welsh breeders, especially the older breeders. But, the same can be said for many breeders or backyard breeders regardless of the breed or discipline. In my opinion, the truly dedicated Welsh breeders DO spend time with their animals, teach them to lead and tie, get their feet done, etc. I find the ones that don’t do the essentials are either short on time or money, or both…or are simply hoarding ponies. The latter happens more than I care to admit!
Whether you purchase the unhandled pony or not will be up to you. I did the same thing as you for many years (purchase project ponies). What I learned during that time was that each new pony I bought to turn into a resale hunter pony took the same amount of time and money to develop. BUT, the ones that came unhandled took much more of my time, money and sanity than the ponies that were well-handled, loved and looked after by a caring breeder. Eventually, I came to realize that it just wasn’t worth it to put all of my time and effort into the unhandled ponies when there were so many other talented, well-handled ponies that would put me much further ahead. Again though, it is an individual decision and each person might choose differently. Personally, I would take the well-handled two-year-old. 
It should be noted that things like not deworming or lack of trimming can potentially lead to problems later on. Buyer beware!
I agree with Daventry having been a Welsh breeder for many years in my not so distant past. I started out buying project types, mostly purebred Welsh for many years focusing on yearlings and two-year olds. Those with well grounded manners were always my preference. I didn’t care if they had much more handling but being exposed to halters, leading, tying and feet having been handled were definitely important and a plus. Having said that I’ve also taken on multiple Welsh that didn’t have the most glorious beginnings and ended up doing quite well. Like was already pointed out, it just took me longer. I wouldn’t sacrifice on sound health care; but, the younger and greener they are never bothered me - I looked for disposition (I prefer bold, confident types that were sensible), conformation and movement - handling was farther down the list. I did transition into breeding my own which has been probably the most satisfying and successful venture.
