A Child's First Pony Part I

My first horse was actually a pony. An equine is considered a pony if it measures 14.2 hands or less at the withers. One hand equals 4 inches, so a pony can be up to 14 hands and 2 inches, or a total of 58 inches. A horse is technically 14.3 hh (hands high) and above.

I loved my first pony, but should you decide to buy your child a pony, please don't follow my example. You see, my dad didn't know much about horses so he had a friend do all the shopping. My first pony ended up being a young, Welsh Pony stallion. Yes, that's right - a stallion! It is preferable that the words "young" and "stallion" are not descriptive of your child's first pony.

I called my pony Clyde. His breeder had a sense of humor. His registered name was Clyde's Dale Review. He was out of a mare named Cinnamon Bon Bon; the pair was known as Bonnie & Clyde. And did you catch the play on words? "Clyde's Dale"...a Clydesdale is a large draft horse while Clyde's Dale Review was a little pony.

Clyde was supposed to be gelded (castrated), but my dad never got around to making that particular appointment with the vet. I dunno..maybe its a guy thing. Fortunately for me, Clyde was a gem of a pony and we got along great and I had no trouble with him. Although he did break out of his stud pen a couple of times and impregnated a pony mare in a nearby pasture. Yeah...don't get a stallion.

In my next post, I'll share my thoughts on good qualities to look for in a child's first pony.

I do miss Clyde and sadly have no pictures of him. Take lots of pictures of your ponies!