Many of them are saints! We had one that was “interesting” to race, but after my daughter put a couple of rides on him, she had a friend of hers who had never ridden before ride him all around the backstretch and down the back road through the track property during a big dog walk and he was a peach. We tried a couple more races with him and results weren’t any better, so we sent him home to my SO’s partner and his late 60’s wife started riding him and he was a saint for her! Unfortunately he coliced and had to be put down a couple of years later…The problem is they tend to have a pretty active trot which would be hard for the little ones to sit (I know mine was the first few rides since I was so out of riding shape) and canter might be iffy depending on the training they’ve had after racing. It takes a good rider to get that sometimes under saddle even if they have a lovely canter out in the field.
They are incredibly sweet and often pretty bombproof! Agree that the way they move (trot and canter) may be a bit jostling for a new rider, however.
Oh man, I forgot about the canter thing! I should know better as I had one 
. He was the best kid’s horse. I’d have another if I could. I think I was thinking more about disposition than the need for a horse to teach the canter.
I’m really surprised that Baronial Smidge hasn’t sold. But her size and her gaitedness go against her. There are older adults looking for good trail horses, but she’s too small for most of them. She’s one I’d like for myself, but no new ones for me.
On Morgans… So much depends on the horse. I do think they run a bit hotter and more forward than one would necessarily want for children, but there are some old campaigners toting the littles around in leadline and walk-trot classes. But many also don’t have a great canter, and they tend to be rather … enthusiastic jumpers.
Yeah, I spent some time looking at quite a few sites and this is all I found - suitable, partially suitable…like I didn’t even find any “20 yo, looking for a new home, good horse”.
I think I found one more in the right size/age but it said “want’s it’s own person” or something - kind of led me to believe it wasn’t a lesson horse prospect.
As far as spelling, I don’t judge. Many people are very intelligent but spelling is not their strength, especially words more common in verbal communication than written - like X’s (exes). Also language is fluid so as long as the message gets across, who cares?
And yes, if I remember correctly, it costs money to put pictues on Dreamhorse. If I remember correctly (this was some 20 years ago), you could put one picture up but more would cost money and they may have changed that to all pictures cost money.
Just browsing Kijiji for Ontario and here are a few that look interesting:
halflinger x mare | Horses & Ponies for Rehoming | Leamington | Free local classifieds - Kijiji
large pony for sale | Horses & Ponies for Rehoming | Peterborough | Free local classifieds - Kijiji
Pony for sale | Horses & Ponies for Rehoming | Belleville | Free local classifieds - Kijiji
18 yo Grade QH Gelding | Horses & Ponies for Rehoming | Trenton | Free local classifieds - Kijiji
Charm- 15.1 QH mare | Horses & Ponies for Rehoming | Owen Sound | Free local classifieds - Kijiji
Horse for sale | Horses & Ponies for Rehoming | Gatineau | Free local classifieds - Kijiji
It’s such a timely topic! My first horse/hony when I returned to riding was/is a 14.3 Welsh Cob cross who I evented, hunted, and showed. She also was My First Eventer and My First Foxhunter for numerous adults and kids until I sold her to a Pony Club family. Both kids rode her through
Recently my farm owner found herself in need of a been there done that hony, and guess who was brought out of retirement at the age of 28? Yes, my beloved Little Debbie. If you can find a good one, know you can always rehome them safely and easily.
I had one that had a lovely canter out in the field, but never had the time for me to work on it under saddle though my daughter did canter him a couple of times. It’s funny how his trot looked so slow when he was in the jog cart but under saddle you definitely posted! His mind was second to none though. Even the combo of calves and wild turkeys spooking out of some trees when we rode past one day didn’t upset him. He was great to throw green been riders up on even if he was 17 hands to go for a ride at the walk, once you got into a trot it would have been a different story to stay aboard just because it was a strong trot.
In 2012 or so I finally bit the bullet and bought my 12-13 year old her own horse. Smiley was a 14.3 hony. Quarter horse/paint cross. He was a saint. Previously a western trained star who had landed at a sale barn and been converted to English. Little guy jumped like a superstar. Easily jumped 3 foot knees to chin. First year my daughter showed she was year end reserve champion. Low hunter. He was at a barn on full board and often used in beginner lessons. He taught so many young riders how to ride and jump. Pony camps etc
When my daughter was 16-17 she lost interest in horses. School and other activities were too much so I sold him to a huge H/J barn that kept him and used him in their lesson program and he continued to teach children and small adults to ride jump and show.
Fast forward to a couple of years ago I got a call from that barn/trainer. Smiley was like 23 and was ready to retire. He’d strained a suspensory and needed a soft landing. He’d worked his whole life and deserved to just be a horse. So I brought him home to my house.
First two pictures are from early days. Last two are when he earned his retirement. My riding horse loves him.
Love me a good quarter horse / paint hony!
I don’t know what type of riding time you have, but finding a young quiet pony and training it yourself is a good option imo. My friend did that with her kids pony and I’ve done it with a few lesson ponies. The ones I trained all go on voice commands and are great canter starters. A lot of pony hunter breeding programs have cheap young ponies that are not up to their breeding standards for whatever reason but are great ponies.
Sometimes you get lucky finding them through ads but really nothing is better for trustworthiness than having something you trained consistently over several years, well yourself. If your kid is 4 you still have awhile before they will probably ride on their own.
I grew up with my beloved quarter horse/paint hony and he was the best all-rounder there was. One day we would throw on western tack to go do western pleasure and the next day, put on an english saddle for some jumping and dressage! We would also go for hours out on the trail with a sack lunch and explore. He was a great guy and I’m so thankful for those experiences!
Sadly, I never knew where he ended up. I owned him from when I was 10 to 17, and then gave him back to the person I bought him from, who told me she would give him a good retirement (my parents were completely non-horsey). She ended up completely cutting off contact with me and never told me how he was. This was almost 20 years ago and I still think about him and wonder what happened.
Our kids’ first horse learned voice commands which lead to an interesting event at a Class A show where this horse was loaned to a new rider. She had the horse entered in a fun class at this show called a Command Class where there was not any order in gait changes, it was sort of an equitation class that was being judged on how the rider responded to the changes.
This horse was well seasoned, a professional kid’s horse who had been the mount for the high point youth at this show the prior two years. My daughter was trying to make a point to others that it was the Horse that was winning those awards not the rider, that is why she loaned the horse to this kid who had only been riding for several months but always wanted to be in a horse show.
During that class the judge noticed the horse was changing directions and gaits as the ring steward was calling the changes to the ring announcer, the horse was listening to the steward. The judge then really started mixing up changes from any known order, horse followed each change. At the end of the class there was the command to line up on the ring steward who kept moving . Horse would set up in front of the steward who would move then horse would follow setting up again. Rider was along for the ride. (This kid with her loaned horse became high point youth at that show marking the horse’s third straight year of being the mount for three different kids to become that show’s high point youth)
After the show the judge tracked us down to say she had seen this horse for many years as she had been shown nationally for a long time, she just wanted to say the horse was really nice. And she was.
Another vote for POAs here (though I’m not sure how common they are in Canada?). They’re super popular here in their “birthplace” in the Midwest and make great “family horses” that can be used by both kids and smaller adults.
I have two in my lesson string: both 13.2 geldings with great minds, easy, non-extravagant gaits (which is a huge plus for beginners). They’re not flashy, but they reliably get the job done.
One piece of advice: I’d steer clear of those that have spent years on their breed show circuit. The ones I’ve seen for sale in their early teens after coming out of that world often end up a bit fried mentally and/or need a lot of maintenance (all those yearling longe classes, futurities, etc. take a toll).
Instead, look for a “solid” one that either didn’t make it into the registry or won’t place well at their shows (usually because it’s not loudly colored enough) or one that outgrew the max height for registration. A neighbor of mine has a 15h 4-year-old POA that their dad - in his late 60s - trail rides regularly. It’s probably one of the safest 4-year-old I’ve ever met.
Happy shopping! 
My wonderful Buddy occasionally got us in trouble with this. OBV we should change gait when the announcer said to do so, but he would hear the steward on the walkie talkie to the announcer and immediately comply 
They did not have the longe line classes back in my day, but I did know a few ponies that were pushed way too hard for the 2yo under saddle futurities. I actually bought one as a 4yo, and it took him a solid year to get his trust and regain his confidence. That being said, he became a superstar and was winning in his late twenties, after which he ‘retired’ to giving lessons to the children of his previous riders.
This is the only comment I find strange. While POA does have a ‘most colorful’ halter i.e. on-the-line class, I vehemently disagree that color was ever considered in a performance class.
I strongly agree with @Kirikou that if you can find a POA breeder with solid or over-height (that is over 14hh, so still pony size for the rest of the world) you can probably get quite a bargain.
*Disclaimer: I have not really been involved in the POA breed since 1993 (OMG that’s 32 years 
) but I do keep in touch a bit.
We have found a couple of potential QH/Paint crosses I think are worth looking at. One looks like a mini version of my guy and sounds like exactly what they need. Good on trails, could be used in a school and a bit older (16). No auto changes but those are not needed. I await the videos.
When the older one was younger she slept with a framed photo of my horse. She is obsessed. I made her a tshirt with a photo of his head that’s now been worn by the younger. I think mom’s in trouble!
I’ll jump in and suggest also looking at Arabs. If you go with good, solid working lines instead of halter lines they are awesome. All the Arabs I’ve grown up with and worked with liked kids and had a babysit mode. I bought a former 6 year old show mare for my 9 year old daughter last summer when her pony started flirting with retirement. On paper she was not what we were looking for but we were trying other horses at the same barn so gave her a try. She and my daughter fell in love with each other and so we brought her home. The plan was for me to put some trail miles on her since she’d never really been ridden outside of an arena. Turns out she’s so incredibly happy to have a little girl all her own that the mare will do anything for her. We’re now doing multi hour trail rides, including creek crossings, with my daughter being the only one riding her on trail. She has such a good brain and loves her girl so much that I didn’t get to put any miles on her. She also has a solid enough canter that she’s been teaching her girl how to canter by calmly offering it every so often, the pony had a great trot but not a good canter so we’re behind on that aspect.
Hopefully you find the perfect horse that really enjoys kids and watches out for them.
I am not directly involved either with this world but of the two geldings I have, one couldn’t be registered with full papers due to “just being a roan” without the other identifying coloring/markings preferred (I believe they have since changed that and can test for ‘color’ or something?), the other is a non-descript blanket roan with small gaits - a super star in a lesson string, fabulous mind. I was told by POA circuit people who were selling him that he was safe but wouldn’t “win” in their world because he didn’t look the part. I assumed, perhaps wrongly, it was due to his coloring? (his conformation is correct).
They have recently, I believe, gone down the ApHC route of testing for color. Back in the olden days last century 
You had to be able to see a spot from 40??? feet plus have at least one or 2 App characteristics (mottling, sclera, striped hooves).
I think they are fabulous ponies for kids. I don’t like the idea that they are allowing solid ponies now.
I DO seriously wish we had genetic testing back in the day that would have told us our superstar broodmare would not produce color out of the 2 stallions (half-brothers) that we used. Gorgeous, gorgeous babies. No spots, mottling, sclera, not even striped hooves! Plus they had great manes AND tails!
If your boy was more of a head up, huntery mover, that is probably what they meant. Have to do the head hanging shuffle if they are supposed to get ribbons out of the local club.
