Hello
I am looking for a pony on loan for my daughter, aged 13. It doesn’t seem to be as common here as it is in the UK and I have had no luck. I have found ponies for rent, but not the same. So, if anybody knows anybody who is looking for a loan home for a pony, please let me know.
My daughter just started riding last year but seems to be a natural, she is taking her galop 2 at easter because she was away in Feb, but obviously I am looking for something that is not too nuts. She does want to do poney games, mind. But really, anything suitable for a first pony, as she can use club ponies for competitions, she just wants to be able to hack around with her friends (and me, I am very flattered) and ride gently when not doing club stuff. It doesn’t even have to be a long term loan - a year would be great. My daughter is about 155cm, I am looking for anything between 13hh and chunky to 14.2…
We are a very good home, our animals are all treated extremely well (spoilt…) and the pony would live with my horse, at the pony club which is also excellent and fully registered with a lot of certificates for various excellences, and they really look after and care for the horses.
Many thanks in advance for any ideas or advice too.
Kitty
Loaning is actually very common over here, as is renting a pony (which isn’t at all common in the UK). Loan ponies in France tend to be unpapered, youngsters or ponies with a bit of a problem, lease/rental ponies are usually experienced ponies with some competition experience. Look on the FFE site http://www.ffe.com in the petites annonces section for poneys à louer (to rent) or poneys à confier (for free loan). The loan season for ponies typically runs from July to July and agreements tend to last 1 year - this is because the French pony Championships at Lamotte are at the beginning of July each year. Another good source for loan ponies is http://www.poneys-de-sport.com/. If you get the chance to go to the French Championships you will find HUNDREDS of ads for loan/rental ponies posted on the notice boards.
Where are you based ? I know of a rescue sanctuary who are looking for foster parents for a number of riding horses -= I have two of them here at the moment. The nearest city is Laval
Thanks so much - Sadly we are miles away from you! We are just north of Montpellier in the Herault. Our riding centre, where my mare ilves, are very busy all the time and at the moment they have no ponies to spare on au pair or demi-pension, but they are looking for us. I have just started looking at the rescue pony option - my mare is with a trainer in the Lot et Garonne at the moment and there is a charity there that is looking at what they might have for us so the two could come back together in June.
My daughter is going nuts with excitement - its lovely. I had a pony at the same age and it was fab!
Thanks again for your response
Kitty