- Cob
- Piebald
- Mare
- 10 years
- 12.1hh / 125cm
- First pony, lead rein or RDA
- Exceptional temperament
- Qualified RIHS open ridden coloured 2025
Exceptional 12.1hh, 10 year old traditional coloured mare.
True first pony, lead rein, junior ridden or RDA pony.
12.1hh but really takes up the leg - previous owner who rode her at RIHS is 5 foot 7 and was not too big for her!
We bought Dolly for my twin 10 year olds, just over a year ago, primarily as my daughter, who rides with the Riding for the Disabled (RDA) desperately wanted her own pony. Her twin had never sat on a pony before. Dolly has taught them both to ride, including winning numerous classes over the summer, qualifying for the sunshine tour in first ridden, lead rein and in hand classes. My children do everything independently with Dolly – bringing in and turning out, grooming, bathing, tacking up, loading, feeding. She is a true child’s pony, I know that they are absolutely safe around her, no matter what they are doing. Dolly will stand for hours and hours to be pampered, groomed, bathed, plaited and cuddled.
Dolly is fantastic to hack. She hacks in gale force winds, rain or shine, alone and in company but mainly alone as we are on a competition yard with adults – with one of my girls riding, then they swap half way! She hacks on open countryside and has experienced out of control dogs running at her, barking and jumping at her and owners chasing them and stands still and calm. We have taken her up to the South Downs accidently at the same time as a cross country race and again she was completely non plussed by multiple high vis runners on narrow paths racing past her. She’s had mountain bikes zoom past, from behind her, and again not spooked or got upset. She has an exceptional temperament that is incredibly hard to find. We have taken Dolly up on the South downs, through woodlands, to the beach, to shows – both indoor and on grass and she has been brilliant. This is all with my novice daughters who had only ridden with RDA and the other never before Dolly. Dolly has been led from me in my power chair with our two dogs running alongside. My daughter hacked Dolly from the yard to the beach with a group of adults. She had to lead the group across the railway crossing as the horses were being silly. She stood on the beach whilst they had a good gallop, away from her and back towards and then they hacked home together.
After only a few months of riding, Dolly has taken both my girls to lots of shows – their first ever show she won her classes with both children! She is very easy at shows, happy to stand and eat a haynet, for the kids to walk her round, share an ice cream, be sat on bareback and played with. She needs zero working in. My daughter who had never ridden before getting Dolly is now confidently riding in first ridden and pony club classes and Dolly has competed in lead rein, in hand, junior handler, dressage, handy pony (where she was 2nd out of well over 20 entries), never coming away without a ribbon! She won her in hand coloured class at her last show. Dolly qualified for RIHS 2025 in the open coloured ridden class and would be a really top class junior ridden.
My girls mainly enjoy hacking, doing obstacle courses in the sand school, having lessons, lunging her, doing shows, trotting over cross poles, pole clinics and just generally playing with her. They do not canter and have no desire, they are both novice / nervous and have never wanted to progress to anything faster than a trot. Dolly is very well schooled and with her previous owner competed regularly in dressage and affiliated showing, qualifying for RIHS on her first attempt. Dolly would be a top junior ridden and would excel at both dressage and showing or equally as a cherished first pony, teaching tiny tots to ride or would be an exceptional RDA pony. I do not think jumping will be her forte – she will trot over very small cross poles but we have done nothing more. My ideal home is one where she is adored and pampered like she is here.
Dolly is well used to dogs and has met cattle, sheep and lots of livestock out hacking on the downs. She is not phased by tractors, bikes, motorbikes, cars and so on.
Dolly is excellent to catch, shoe, clip, bath, load. We have a single trailer but she has also travelled in company in both a lorry and trailer – she is loaded and unloaded by my children. You can do everything with Dolly without her tied up – I can clip her face etc with no headcollar. She is very easy on the ground, has no vices and is not mareish or difficult to manage when in season. She turns out alone or in company, is respectful of fencing, has been in by day and out by night over the summer and is out by day, in by night in winter. She stables alone if needed as is very content with a haynet! She is barefoot with good feet. Dolly is up to date with her vaccinations and passed a 5 stage vetting last year (2025). She has never been unsound, unwell or needed the vet, except for her vaccinations.
Any viewings, inspections and vetting fully welcomed – I have 1000s of photos and videos to show all the things they do together.
Please note, Dolly is very heavily feathered and as such these need maintence and care specific to traditionals- will talk this all through honestly with all buyers.
Ponies like Dolly are very few and far between and references can be obtained from both previous owners.
This is a devastating sale due to an unexpected and life changing medical diagnosis earlier this year meaning I am in and out of hospital and have a long, complex treatment plan ahead. Please absolutely no timewasters, or those not in a position to buy, as this is a distressing time for everyone involved. Home is of utmost paramount importance.
This is a sale only, no loans, I am very keen to stay in touch as is previous owner, if at all possible please.
Based West Sussex, excellent trial facilities. Price negotiable to very best home and a straightforward sale due to our difficult circumstances.
Dolly will come with everything - bridle, rugs etc, 6 month old made to measure Ideal GP by seperate negotiation.
We can potentially help with delivery.