First Ponies - Lasting Lessons

Top equestrians remember the ponies who taught them about sport—and life.

STORY BY GLENYE OAKFORD

Equestrians never forget their first ponies. Woolly or sleek, magnificent or mischievous, they are the teachers who reveal the most fundamental and enduring wisdom about life with horses: that it is joyous, that it is hard work, that it is a partnership which demands compromise but also makes us stronger.

These special animals arrive from a remarkable variety of sources—sometimes handed down from siblings, sometimes expensively acquired, often bought cheaply from an auction or an ad or leased from the local riding establishment. They’re not always vetted. Sometimes they’re bought in haste by a non-horsey parent finally worn down by years of their child’s requests for a pony. Sometimes they arrive in an equestrian’s adulthood, a gift from spouse or to self, a dynamic and potentially life-changing force in a package no bigger than 14.2 hands.

The outsized effect they can have is extraordinary. They test our resolve and teach us to try again. And they reward us not just with ribbons and trophies, but with less tangible victories, too, like the whinny when they see us, the quick response to our signal through the reins, the shared language and confidence they inspire. Those are gifts equestrians never forget, whether they go on to a lifetime of happy trail-riding, competition at local shows, or Olympic glory.