Depending on your tolerance for a road trip, one of the Amish pony sale in Shipshewana, IN might be worth the trip. Chupp’s has one in the fall; I think there’s another one in the summer but I can’t find it. They have some pretty bombproof ponies and those kids do everything with them. If a pony isn’t kid safe, they will tell you.
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Aww thanks!
It’s super early days of looking and it may not even come to anything… Mom does want a pony the two can share and this auntie will be happy to help.
As I have no kids this is the only chance I’ll get of being a pony auntie. And as the kids get older they want to do more and I just don’t feel it safe to do it on my horse. The older one has been asking to canter for a year. I told her she could once her feet go below the saddle flaps. Thankfully they aren’t yet:joy: So the goal for me is to get a pony before they do!
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I think you can get that confidently for under $20k and very likely for under $10k. The under $10k with that kind is likely to go word of mouth or someone showing up with a trailer for a test ride. I’d look at the local barns in your area that don’t show much, lesson strings, etc and send them a Facebook message keeping it casual and giving some insight into the type of home you’d be for a pony. You may find a screaming good deal for someone who really values their plain Jane type who can’t keep up with doing bigger courses or has been outgrown and quality of home matters more than price.
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We have an incredible breeder who has a (seemingly) endless supply of this type that she provides to our barn. They’re not fancy (some are PF quality! Though) but they all have the BEST brains. And they live out before coming to us, so they’re used to pasture life and horse show live and seem to adapt well.
PM me if you want her info, or to just chat with her - I’m sure she’d be happy to!
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We are in Canada and I’m assuming you’re in the US? Unfortunately there will not be any travel to the US for the next little while to look for ponies. But it’s good to know there are people out there with a variety of ponies!
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We have a couple of POA (appaloosa ponies) at our barn and they are fantastic. Stock horses in general can trend smaller, a lot of QH are only 14.2 or so, we have a lot out West. But I also notice an increase in stock x draft for trail riding and packing, which runs bigger. We do also have “wildies” off the native band lands. If you get them as yearlings or rescues, they are advertised as wildies, but I think they turn into Grade QH cross once they are broke.
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I guess I’ll be the naysayer that a 4 y/o, unless abnormally heavy should be fine on a mini for a while.
I’d put the kid in lessons, which have a safe horse to canter on and plenty of saintly beast until kid has stuck with it for a bit. The instructor might have a pony stepping down you could get on free lease.
Those saintly large ponies are hard to come by as they get passed around by friends that run in the same circle.
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I saw your in Canada so instead of Craigslist check Kijiji. I just looked and there are a lot of horses and ponies listed, some that look like good options.
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Please, No.
Height limit for Miniatures is 39" at the wither (AMHR/AMHA used to measure at the last mane hair), so 9’3.
Too small, quickly outgrown & not all are kid-friendly.
@crackerjack For your kids, Hony is the way to go. Something they (& you) can ride for years.
In my part of the Midwest, the choices are 99.9% QH. If you can find a WP reject, you’d pay low 4s.
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Can you look a little farther west for a ranch type stock breed? See if you can make some contacts out in farm country where there will be more plain old farm/ranch/trail horses that are not too big and were born broke?
You can teach one of those eager to please, unambitious, friendly horses to do correct flatwork and jump 2’3’-2’6” or so a whole lot faster and easier then teach some talented, spicy, jumper to be friendly, eager to please and take care of a child rider.
Not talking the wild west here but maybe out towards the Winnipeg area? Another idea is to just keep an eye out after summer wraps for camp strings being dispersed rather than housed over winter or shipped to dude strings out in the southwest.
Kid is 4 so you have time here to make a good choice and develop a search protocol, including letting everybody you halfway trust what you are looking for and research possible sources out of your immediate area.
Price wise, no good answer as there are too many factors involved and those sellers know what they have but under 10k US often 5ish of you are buying temperament over talent or looks and a little smaller/older is often the best buy.
IIWY would go for stock breed Hony over a Pony if you want an all around kid horse at a sensible price.
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This breeder is Canadian! Her ponies live in Canada at her farm. I should’ve specified in my OP. (Although you’re correct that I’m American)
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Back in the 80’s there were POA’s at the hunter barn I trained at. Such talented ponies! Every one of them could jump and they all had tractable temperaments. Out of the five at the barn, three were used by multiple kids in lessons and then shared at shows.
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Ditto the POAs, bred to work and be more of a companion then strut around looking pretty. Kids like the color combinations and patterns too.
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Just saw an ad today that sounds like what you need.
On FB
In Central Fl. Horse
14.3 grade QH, 11 yrs old
Done loads of kid’s activities
And basic ranch stuff.
WTC,
gentle, quiet, sweetheart
$7,000
Reddick, Fl.
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OP said she’s in Canada and not coming to the US for shopping. Sounds like a cute find though.
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I don’t recall if I saw your budget listed here. I would think the price on this horse is a bit high but the Gypsy Vanners I work with are great. There is someone else on here with a Gypsy Vanner that loves hers as well.
This one may be worth looking at:
This one may be a bit smaller than what you want long term, but maybe worth looking at:
https://www.horseclicks.com/-ropersblondsandy-palomino/horses/1524926
I looked on quite a few sites and not seeing much unless you want to buy unbroke 2 year olds. The horse market there seems to be “horse” or “to young to ride” - pony/small horses at good riding age (5 and up) just don’t seem to need homes.
She does sound lovely, but $28K for a fluffy horse that has had 2 years off for littles to learn on? At least she “has jumped exes”. LOL I guess you have to pay for picture ads on Dream Horse now? It’s been years since I’ve looked at that site.
The second one has youtube links that lead to a private facebook group I don’t need to join though crackerjack might find it useful.
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Discarded husbands?
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Just what the ad says! 
Maybe someone’s auto correct took over, but I found it entertaining. 
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How about a Standardbred? Might be a little bigger than you need but some of them are saints.
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