Polo Pony
Note the polo costume
The safest and most reliable pony, from my experience, for a child to begin on is an old polo pony which has been ridden for some time by a woman and has not had the excitement of the polo field for many a year. If one wants, however, a smaller pony
than this for a child, the best type to my mind is the Welsh pony. They are far more gentle and better for children’s use than the Shetland pony, and are much more reliable. I consider the kind of Shetland pony that one finds in this country a treacherous and stubborn little beast. Of course a pure-bred Shetland pony which has been properly broken is ideal for a child both to ride and to drive, but the pure-bred ones are kept on the other side. It is almost impossible to find them in this country and
very few of them are bred here. My experience with them is that they are not safe for children to ride or drive. Of course, they are so small that if they have a good load behind them and a reliable man to drive them, they cannot do much harm, and they certainly have great capacity for work. They live to a great age and require but little care.
Welsh Pony. The Best Type for Children
CHAPTER XI
THE SELECTION OF A SADDLE HORSE
Having decided on the type of horse that one wants, the next thing is where to find him. One of the most important points to bear in mind, and one often overlooked in selecting a saddle horse, is not only that he can be but that he should be becoming to the rider, and this becomingness depends largely upon the horse and rider being in proper proportion to each other. It is better that the horse should be too large and too heavy rather than too small and too light. For instance, while a tall woman looks out of proportion on a small horse and a stout woman ridiculous, a small woman can look smart on a large horse and a woman who weighs little may look well on a weight carrier. Still, other things being equal, I would advise that the choice be given to a horse proportioned to the rider’s size and weight.