The $700 Pony

[Reynard_Ridge]

Driving your trailer for a first look at a sale pony is a bad idea.

If you do this, AND are arguing with your husband all the way, “No, no, honey, I am just going to LOOK!” and he keeps asking why we have the trailer, you should consider therapy.

I bought the pony. I didn’t even negotiate. Unless you consider insisting that they throw in the dry rotted bridle and the nylon halter “negotiation.”

I brought the pony home to our 130 acre farm. The one with no fencing. Except the hot wire for the chickens. Oh, and no shelter, really, except the chicken coop.

I’m thinking maybe I should skip therapy and go straight to medication.

The pony does not have a coggins (what do you WANT for $700!!??) and heaven only knows about shots, so I am frantically looking for a barn at the same time that I am trying to trailer pony over to vet to get her blood work and shots (‘trying’ because my truck is in for major brake work right now, oh, and I have two children under the age of 2).

I suppose I could have the vet come here, but since my “’”‘facilities’"’" (and may God not strike me dead for describing my chicken coop as a facility) are severely lacking she might feel compelled to notify the ASPCA.

Sigh.

All horse people are crazy, aren’t we?

The pony is 14h and I’m not too big. She’s so, so, so green (think “emerald in the rough”), but so, so patient with her weird, weird new life with the chickens.

She’s going to be an event pony for me, and then, hopefully for some very, very lucky little kid. I think anyway. I actually have no idea if she can jump.

If you don’t mind, I’d love to post here as she develops. I am madly in love and need to talk about it to someone other than my husband (who might get a little jealous).

Many thanks! Ellen

[Fallbrook]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Reynard Ridge:
Oh, and no shelter, really, except the chicken coop.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just fill the garage with shavings and you’ll be all set.

[Calvincrowe]

Man, your story brought back memories of my first pony, predictably named Flicka. Got her for $100 including a saddle, bridle and 100 pounds of grain–from a backyard in town! She was almost too small for me from the start, we had no fenced pasture, so she was staked out in our front yard (Lord, spare me the wrath of Pony Clubbers and Horseman everywhere, for I am sure to burn in hell for that!) for weeks. We had a big tree fort, built around 3 trees, so my dad just built walls around the lower half and we moved pony in. Hay went on top. It just proved how incredibly tough ponies are, since she thrived there. I miss her to this day. She was priceless–did anything we asked, gaming, halter, western pleasure, swimming rivers, showing at Fair, jumping ditches, riding double.

Toward the end of her life, she had lived alone so long (another strike against me in the book of sins against horses–I swear I know bette now!) that she just hung out, loose, at my parent’s place. Stood under the umbrella table on the deck, eating dog food, coming into the daylight basement to get out the rain (of course, she had a snug little barn by this time, but it was more fun the sleep with the dogs).

Anyway, your pony will thrive as well, because she is loved. That’s all they want, love (and lots of snacks!)

[Reynard_Ridge]

Thanks for the good wishes. I will try to get some photos. She is actually quite a nice looking $700 pony.

The ‘chicken coop’ is really a huge old barn. She is living in an old ‘horse stall,’ a description only an overly optimistic real estate agent (oh, wait, oxymoron) could attach to what I would describe as a potentially deadly mix of 2x4s, half rotted plywood and chain link fence.

It is, unfortunately, a dangerous situation for her. The barn is chock full of stuff just looking to damage her in some way. So far she has done a great job of avoiding injury.

Vet appointment is Monday (truck will be ready!). I have found a nice barn locally that will take her as soon as I get results on coggins.

Oh, and we HAVE decided to name her Emerald in the Rough. Emmie for short.

[DLee1]

Your post made me laugh out loud, and I had my husband come read it as just three weeks ago we went out to “look” at a TB gelding… umm… with the trailer.

[Dancing_Lawn]

You’re not alone! I often buy horses sight unseen, and if someone calls, I’ve been known to say, yeah, just drop him off, I’ll figure out SOMETHING to do with him.
And I’ve always preferred emeralds to anything else, anyway!
I’ve never had a horse vetted in my life. Come to think of it, I’ve never really SHOPPED for a horse in my life!
So, I want to follow along with this story, it’s sounding pretty good so far, and I can’t wait for the next installment!

[jlther]

Your story cracked me up…
I, too went ‘looking’ at a Percheron X weanling 3 weeks ago with a horse trailer in tote. I came home with TWO
My husband was with me, and I kept looking to him to say ‘no way!’, but he just kept saying ‘whatever you want, honey’. Foolish, foolish (but sweet) man

[CLB15]

So when you start competing at the upper levels “emerald in the rough” will be a very nice name Considering its a $700 pony w/no health records and who came with a rotted bridle must think of the chicken coupe as a 4-star hotel! DEF. NEED PICTURES!!!

[mygenie]

Actually, horses LIKE chickens!!

Your post made me laugh and spray Diet Pepsi out of my nose all over my key board at work!!!

You will have fun with your pony, I am sure of it. Yeah, when I first told my Husband I was going to look at Genie he said: "You are going to buy her, aren’t you?? " I was like: “Nooooooo”…Yeah, right!!!
Just pay attention to him too, and all will be well!!
It will be really cool to get updates on the progress of your pony!

[Pocket_Pony]

Pictures, pictures, pictures!!! My old retired horse prefers to stand outside in the rain and weather, stall be damned! It will all come together - you just needed the pony as a motivator to get the shelter and fence up, right?

[Sportpony]

Priceless!

But let me give you the benefit of a tip I learned many years ago … you CAN take the trailer with you but drop it someplace down the road so you don’t pull in to look at a horse with the trailer attached. I’ve found you can negotiate much better if the seller doesn’t see the trailer!

Though the $700 is probably a reasonable price for an eventing prospect!

[Salty]

Hey, no worries about the chicken coop! My retired horse and my little mule had to share the SAME half of the garage last year when the rains came before we got the shed built. They adapted just fine. (They couldn’t have the whole garage cuz the other 1/2 is home to my husband’s sports car.) And I’m sure that pony will jump!!
Keep us posted~~

[ExclusiveKiss]

Do you have any links for photos we can see??

[BarbB]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Reynard Ridge:

so patient with her weird, weird new life with the chickens.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That’s priceless!!

Taking the trailer to just ‘go look’ is perfectly normal…ask anybody here

Keep us posted.

[Reynard_Ridge]

Driving your trailer for a first look at a sale pony is a bad idea.

If you do this, AND are arguing with your husband all the way, “No, no, honey, I am just going to LOOK!” and he keeps asking why we have the trailer, you should consider therapy.

I bought the pony. I didn’t even negotiate. Unless you consider insisting that they throw in the dry rotted bridle and the nylon halter “negotiation.”

I brought the pony home to our 130 acre farm. The one with no fencing. Except the hot wire for the chickens. Oh, and no shelter, really, except the chicken coop.

I’m thinking maybe I should skip therapy and go straight to medication.

The pony does not have a coggins (what do you WANT for $700!!??) and heaven only knows about shots, so I am frantically looking for a barn at the same time that I am trying to trailer pony over to vet to get her blood work and shots (‘trying’ because my truck is in for major brake work right now, oh, and I have two children under the age of 2).

I suppose I could have the vet come here, but since my “’”‘facilities’"’" (and may God not strike me dead for describing my chicken coop as a facility) are severely lacking she might feel compelled to notify the ASPCA.

Sigh.

All horse people are crazy, aren’t we?

The pony is 14h and I’m not too big. She’s so, so, so green (think “emerald in the rough”), but so, so patient with her weird, weird new life with the chickens.

She’s going to be an event pony for me, and then, hopefully for some very, very lucky little kid. I think anyway. I actually have no idea if she can jump.

If you don’t mind, I’d love to post here as she develops. I am madly in love and need to talk about it to someone other than my husband (who might get a little jealous).

Many thanks! Ellen

[Tiffany01]

Sounds real cute I want a mini.

[chism]

Reynard Ridge - GOOD FOR YOU!!! My hubby knows that if I say I’m going to look at a horse, it’s almost a given that it’s coming home. I feel sorry for the poor man sometimes. I did the same thing, I brought my first horse home while my husband was still putting up the electric fence. The way I look at it, it’s more of an incentive to get things done. Just be careful, one horse ends up turning into 2,3 or in my case…8.
Dancing Lawn - I’m just like you, granted I don’t deal in “high-end” horses, but of my 8, only one was vetted. I figure, if they don’t work out with me, for what I pay for them, there’s going to be a job they can do somewhere.

[JustFive]

Of course your pony will jump! She has all those chickens to emmulate.

[WareMule]

Great story, boy, haven’t we ALL been there?! All your pony needs is a portable barn (i.e., waterproof turnout blanket) and she’ll be just fine, facility or not! Hey, LOVE that name…especially “Emmie” … but then…I’m partial to it hee hee

[Jaegermonster]

If you guys liked this story, go the the H/J board and read about where she took this little booger to the vet…I almost wet myself