Find new opportunities with an outgrown pony

By Marty Metzger
North Forty News

While a tiny, young rider grows, its pony doesn't. Yet this sad reality needn't end in tearful separation.

Several options can keep the pair happily together or at least offer a less-stressful alternative to sale to a stranger. After all, many ponies are part of the family and have helped raise multiple children, or even two generations. Who wants to sell a member of the family?

If it does come to sale, however, owners should be cautioned to absolutely avoid consignment auctions. Horse slaughter remains a thriving business despite closure of all U.S. kill plants. Thousands of American horses, ponies, donkeys and mules annually are now shipped to slaughter facilities in Mexico and Canada.

Sale through an Internet web site or print advertising is somewhat safer. However, there's no guarantee that the "good home only" buyer will provide safe, permanent quarters for the pony. Situations change, as do people's minds and children's interests. The pony could then be in jeopardy of re-sale or dispersal at auction.

The first alternative to outright sale is lease. This method offers great flexibility because the leaser and lessee can make any arrangement agreeable to both. A trial period can be built in. A lease can be for one year, two, renewed annually and so forth. Vet bills, farrier and other fees can be shared or the liability of either party. When the lease ends, the owner can set up an arrangement with someone else but still retain ownership --maybe until a grandchild is born. Meanwhile, the little equine is teaching other delighted children to ride.

A second option is to donate the pony to a nonprofit organization that teaches handicapped or troubled youth about horses. Once the group has been thoroughly researched and found to be legitimate, a tough decision becomes a bit easier. Some groups might also consider a temporary situation after which time the owner gets the pony back.

Perhaps an outgrown pony can just stay home. If its child rider has graduated to a full-sized horse, maybe Shorty can serve as a pasture pal or barn buddy to the newcomer. Equines are herd animals that do best with a companion of their own kind. In this fellowship, size doesn't matter.

With or without the big horse addition, Shorty staying home needn't be simply as pasture potato. If the pony is sound, it can be trained to harness. Larger ponies should be able to pull a buggy or sleigh even with an adult passenger or two.

There are ways to earn a few extra dollars with the decision to keep a pony. If you're an experienced horseman or horsewoman, or the growing child is old and responsible enough, give private lessons to one or two children. This can range from simply teaching them how to groom, lead and saddle Shorty to basic riding instruction. Many people have horse-crazy kids but not the finances for private lessons at large equine facilities. Shorty could keep his home, make some new children happy, earn a few college fund dollars for his overgrown owner, and patiently wait for those someday grandchildren to step up into the stirrup. Just be sure to check out liability and insurance issues first.

Pony mare owners might be tempted to give the outgrown gal a new role as mother. Overall, this is a bad idea. Huge numbers of backyard breeders' mistakes end up at slaughter. Only the very best quality animals should be bred. Even in that best-case scenario, there are no guarantees. But breeding a grade or mediocre registered pony to another down the road is a worst-case scenario. Besides, if a pony mare is outgrown, what role could her tiny foal fulfill?

If the little equine in your family has served as doting babysitter, adept teacher and loyal pet, there's no need to put out the "For Sale" sign. Just as that growing child who rode it will eventually have a different role in life but remain part of your family, so can that beloved pony: not rejected, but retained and repurposed.