17h ex-hunter rides like a whizy pony club pony: advice & bitting pls?

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mutley1987

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Hi, I've got a 13 year old 17h chunky hannoverian mare we bought as a broodmare in foal nearly 2 years ago. She gave us a lovely filly who we love to bits but we couldn't get her back into foal and decided to bring her back into ridden work.
We were told when we bought her that she had hunted, done x-country and hacked out but not done much of 'that fancy dressage stuff!'. The lady we bought her from was selling up and going through a messy divorce had stuck all her mares in foal and is now un-contactable. I have no reason to disbelieve anything she told us but I'm trying to bring my mare back into work and she is quite a fizz bomb and I don't feel I know much about her ridden-wise.
I'm much more into dressage and to be honest she rides like a 'stereotypical' pony club pony - she's not keen on a contact (she doesn't seem to understand it or really be too keen on learning!) and prefers to go hollow and quick. I'm currently working her in an egburt snaffle but feel my brakes are pretty limited!! It doesn't encourage me to jump her or take her out of the school but as i know all she has ever really done is bomb round and jump I think I'm winding her up more by sticking to flatwork and softening work and she's likely to eventually explode with boredom. She doesn't make you feel unsafe but I'm just not used to something so hot so any advice would be muchly appreciated. I'm also wondering whether if she was generally hunted etc what bit people think she may have been worked in to give a few more brakes? I'm not one for over-bitting but a 17h chunky monkey who thinks she's a 12.2 speed class jumping pony is not all that helpful....
Sorry for the long post but any thoughts are welcomed. Thanks!!!
 
what are you feeding her
have u had everything checked? saddle bridle teeth back etc?

are you having lessons on her?

im riding one like this a tbxcob at 18hh she runs backwards though not forwards!! *doh*
 
she is on a tiny handful of hard feed and chaff cus she's a very good do-er and her teeth and back have been done and the tack seems to fit fine. I ride with a sheepskin half pad under the saddle just for a bit of extra shock absorbing. My dressage trainer basically said you have far too much on your hands with your others so why bother - sell her on to someone who wants a pony club pony in XXL! but she is such a lovely natured horse and has a lovely jump on the lunge I'd just like to see what I can do with her before I look at having to sell her.. they're just big monsters when they're 17h+ when they go quick either backwards or forwards!!
smile.gif
 
If you didnt want 2 reins what about something like a kimblewick?
true gags/running gags/dutch gags etc are difficult (I find) to get a contact with....

Pelham may be helpful, and is likely to have been used out hunting, or a gag (as might not have been arsed about outline out hunting!)
 
"tack seems to fit fine. I ride with a sheepskin half pad under
the saddle just for a bit of extra shock absorbing."

first of all i'd get someone out to check your tack

my friends horse's tack "seemed to fit" it took me 2 years for me to convince her to have his back/tack checked - saddle didnt fit
now hes a diff horse
no more bucking bolting or rearing!!

the sheepskin half pad, can actually make your tack "not fit"
does that make sense?
if its a good fit to start with..adding extra padding is going to raise the saddle OFF the back/whiters


hope this makes sense?
x
 
If she tends to come up and hollow when you take a contact steer well clear of gags and anything with "leverage" as it may well make things worse.

You need to think about what she actually does to work out the best solution. I've ridden a few like this, but they have different problems and need a different solution.

If she actually takes hold and/or leans on the bit try a twisted snaffle or cherry roller.

If she opens her mouth and/or crosses her jaw try a mexican grackle.

But remember that a lot of it will be purely lack of education and lack of muscle. She will need working like an unfit baby. Try lunging her in a pessoa to build up muscle over her back and do lots of steady straight forward work to soften her and build her strength in the right way. Lots of changes of bend and direction will help.

Or you could get a confident hunting person to take her out and then sell her on to hunt if she goes well.

If you know who she hunted with you might be able to find some histroy via the hunt secretary - you might even find her a new home! If she was known at her local hunt and a good hunter you might sell her to someone who is prepared to taker her on because they remember what she is like.
 
thank you all for the advice and thoughts - i definately think more heads is better than just one when it comes to something like this! She tends to feel quite light in the mouth because she hollows and doesn't take the contact and I wouldn't really say she pulls per se its more that she gets quicker and quicker and when you try and check her or steady her she is just totally solid and it just has no effect. I can stop so its not total brake failure but its definately her speed within the pace. I hadn't really thought about a grackle as I haven't had to use one before but I will make a concious effort tomorrow to really work out exactly what it is that she's doing i.e. crossing her jaw etc. I don't really know many hunting people otherwise I think it may well be a good idea to let someone confident hunting take her out and see how she got on. I think I'll ask around on that score and find out if anybody knows of anybody locally that might be interested. (I'm warwickshire based if anyone has any ideas!!)
 
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