- Connemara
- Grey
- Gelding
- 9 years
- 14.1hh / 145cm
- Heartbreaking sale of a hopelessly outgrown Once in a Lifetime Pony
- Forward going, Genuine and confidence giving, Bold and Brave SJ and XC
- Lovely paces. Kind and honest responsive schoolmaster
This is a heartbreaking sale of our daughter’s Once in a Lifetime Pony due to him being hopelessly outgrown.
If you are searching for a pony who will give your child a forward going ride with ultimate confidence and reliability jumping and give 100% effort every ride then Don is your pony.
He has taken our daughter from jumping 60cm to competitively up to 85/90cm, and a huge amount of ribbons SJ, Arena Eventing and Eventing, always in the top placings. He excels in all competitions, and produces a lovely dressage test, and he has competed with lots of success in Pony Club Area teams, the Cotswold Cup, Hunter Trials, ODE’s and showjumping competitions and attended many Pony Club rallies and Riding camps.
Don is genuine and honest to all jumps - showjumping and xc, not phased by any filler or solid fence and will jump off any stride, giving his rider ultimate confidence; in the time we have had him he has never stopped at a fence and gives his rider a great feel.
Don was originally marketed for sale for £20,000 during the summer holidays and sold to his first viewing. At vetting he passed all the flexion tests and his general vetting but a query was raised as to a slight unlevelness trotting in a small circle on the hard. Buyers requested he be medicated and, although our vets felt there was nothing of concern, as the buyers required they medicated his hocks with the preventative SMG on our insurance. They have subsequently been unable to proceed due to their own circumstances.
Don has never taken a lame or uneven step during the 2.5 years we have owned him, he has been re-checked and is 100% sound and he is fit and ready to go, but for this reason, which now forms part of his vetting history, we offer him for the very bargain price of £15,000 with negotiable tack and rugs including a made-to-measure bespoke FCS Event saddle.
We hope to find him a new rider for the Autumn/winter and see Don give her or him all the confidence, experience and success that he has given our daughter and settled in a perfect home.
Don is a responsive ride who absolutely loves his job and gives 100% to everything asked of him. He loves XC, covering the ground and tackling any obstacle put in front of him, he always makes the time and gives a bold and confident ride. He produces a good dressage test. We feel his sweet spot would be to take his rider to BE80&90 where he is super confident and competitive. He would also be an excellent Junior Pony Club Tetrathlon pony as he is incredibly brave XC.
However similarly he would happily take things steadier at Pony Club, camps, fun rides and unaffiliated events. Don is happy when he is out and about, but he doesn't mind if he is hacking, going on fun rides, jumping 60cm or tackling beefy XC fences - he gives the same effort and enjoyment!
Don absolutely loves hacking and seeing new routes and will happily hack for hours alone or in company, he is a forward going hack great in all traffic and farm machinery. They also tried hunting last winter and he was mannerly, safe with the hounds and happy to stand politely with the field and go in front or behind.
Although he is very genuine and honest, and does step down to his rider’s abilities, he is not a complete novice ride, but perfect for somebody coming off a smaller forward going pony, or a small adult. He rides bitless and tackless, he enjoys liberty work as he loves to build a close bond with his rider with his gentle character.
He is great to load (on trailers and lorries) and will stand in the lorry quietly on show day. He turns out in a herd, mixed or split, does not get herd bound, and is content left alone in the field while others are ridden out. We do use an oral sedative to clip him but he is great to shoe (front and back).
Don is up to date with vaccinations, worming and teeth and open to full vetting etc. He is fit and ready to go and we would love to see him enjoying the autumn/winter season with his new rider.
Home is an absolute priority for us. Don’s ideal new home would be to give confidence and success to a rider coming off a smaller pony, or a small adult looking for a mount to give them the enjoyment, experience and reassurance of knowing they are riding a pony who you can always rely on.
We are looking for the perfect loving home who will give him a varied life and enjoy building a relationship with him, keep in touch with us and previous owners (he has a fan club!) and share his future successes.