Why?
I have never been on welfare, collected gov assistance or food stamps in my life. All I ever wanted from the gov. is a free pony.
Your post has touched a sore spot with me.
I pay and pay and pay the gov. and still no free pony.
But Harry: Is your property zoned for horses?
If you have no experience with anything equine, please do not buy a pony. Start by signing up for some riding lessons at a stable, volunteer to help clean the stable, something that will not put you in a long term situation. Find out if you like "equines" (round here, we call em horses) before committing to the care and feeding of the pony.
Is a child going to ride this pony? Have somebody who is an experienced rider ride the pony and asses it's training and temperment with someone on it's back.
Have the pony vet checked. Costs some money but never never buy a horse without a vet check.
Ask the vet about the feet. You've heard the saying "no foot .. no horse." It's very true. Good feet on a horse should be neither too flat and splayed nor too tight which is called mule footed.
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SEVEN ^
You'll get all the information you need
Buy one young enough so that, when you discover the true temperment of these animals, it will still be edible.
Have a vet check for founder and age. Most ponys often will founder. That is a problem of rich grass affecting blood flow to feet and making them lame. Alos ponies can age up to 70 years old so have the age checked. Also is the pony gentle and broken to ride.
Ponies are known to have bad manners and bit and kick. They are pretty smart.
Get a vet you trust, or a well respected one, to check the pony out before you buy.
I thought you were going to buy the OTHER kind of pony.
You know, the ones that run around in circles and somehow earns the owner LOTS of money....
Call an equine vet and get a prepurchase exam. Even though the pony is only $750, a slight lamenss that you can't detect now but worsens quickly, is a heartbreaker. A vet can tell if anything is wrong. I would also have him pull blood to make sure the pony hasn't been drugged. Don't trust ANYBODY that's selling a horse.
Harry.... honestly, the only thing I know about you is that you post vanities when you want attention.
If you have no experience with ponies or horses, getting one just so you can give kids rides once in awhile (do you even have kids?) is a dangerous proposition. Inexperience, equines and children leads to all of you getting hurt.
Ponies need a lot of care, every day, whether you feel like it or not. And being safe and responsible is a lot more complicated than just sticking a pony in the back yard and putting a kid on it once in awhile.
Harry, you are either the biggest BSer on FR or an idiot. You don't get along with your neighbors, you're an admitted alcoholic, and you give gifts to little girls in the neighborhood.
Why not get a pony? Go for it. Buy a pony and a case of beer and some Rubiks cubes and sit back and relax. Of course you'll need a shovel for the real sh#t, but I'm sure you can handle that.
Think in terms of a very large dog that can't come in the house and will live for 20 years.
I can't tell you how happy I am to see this posted here. If each of us who have had the pleasure to be owned by a horse or a pony could give really really good advice to someone who has never been a horse/pony owner, this would be it. There are many equine shelter operators who would advise the same........horses and ponies are tremendous responsibilities, not to be taken lightly and it certainly is NOT for everyone. Please don't make an "experiment" out of this creature. The pony may "only" cost $750, the boarding so much, etc, but are you prepared to care for it well, in sickness and in health????? Can you give it the exercise it needs?? You cannot put a horse/pony away in a stall for 23 hours a day and take it out when you have company from out of town. Horses/ponies are major high maintenance investments.......don't commit to one until you are well aware of what it takes!!