Absolute disaster and injured pony :(

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katymay

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well, our first ever pony show is not one we want to repeat in a hurry, took us over an hour to get Harry loaded into the trailer, got to the show and he was on his toes the whole time, tacked him up and led him to the ring and he had a massive rearing and bucking fit I only just managed to keep hold of him and nearly got mowed down! decided that the lead rein class wasnt a good idea so withdrew, stayed another hour or so letting him graze and get used to his surroundings then decided to go home, queue Harrys second refusal to load, luckily a lovely gentleman on a massive 18hh horse offered to help, he had a dually headcoller and had done some monty roberts training so within 10 minutes he had Harry loading and walking straight through then got me to do the same, we had just got him settled on the box, the back ramp wasnt yet up and the man went to swop the headcollers around, Harry took a dislike to this, managed to get under the bum bar and escape! tried again, loaded straight away put the ramp straight up and gave him a few minutes to calm down before we headed for home, once we got him home I noticed that he has taken a sizeable strip of his fur off his back where he escaped and it looks really sore like he has scalped himself :(, ive put some cream on it, he seems settled now he is home and came up to me when I called him,
I just dont know what to do, my head is telling me sell him but would anybody in their right mind buy a pony like that? my heart is saying give him time, trouble is he feels to me like he hasnt been broken properly and needs schooling which I dont have the experience or space to do, im heartbroken all I wanted was a safe little pony for the kids to have some fun on and ive ended up with a looney, can someone give me some brutal advice, and if you do say sell what should I advertise him as?
 
How is the pony's behaviour at home? If he just creates at shows then it is probably just a lack of experience.

My plan of action would be that you know the IH method works with him, so I'd get yourself a Recommended Associate out to show you how to handle the pony, he will obviously do the job when told to, so you just need showing how to 'tell' him properly and be able to load him at home easily :)

Second plan of action would be to load him up and take him out and about as much as possible, just to see the sights not necessarily do anything, then he will hopefully get blase about the whole thing. Even going to different places for a hack if he is calm enough should help.

I know it is all traumatic when it happens, but it sounds as if he has just grazed himself and will heal quickly and practice makes perfect! :)
 
He is 9 and is 12.2hh, we travelled alone, when we brought him he travelled fine on his own and loaded fine, he just tries it on with me as he is a typical pony, but obviously now he is probably petrified!
we have no other horsey friends our level around us as he isnt at livery and although there are loads that ride around here they all have two horses so no room on the trailer if we do happen to go to the same shows,
I really dont know what to do
 
he is lovely and very calm at home, spooks a bit on hacks, is very flighty but usually safe, definately getting a Dually and some advice to help to use it,
the boys love him so much they would be devastated, think I am so gutted because it took weeks of prep and money to get ready for today :(
 
Another thought is that the Spring grass could also be affecting him and is he on any feed that could make him fizzy? Lungeing at th event if there is room could help to get the exuberance out of his system too.

I think it sounds like you are lacking in confidence in your own abilities too? When you go in with the right attitude it is amazing how different the horse's behaviour can be; I've loaded a fair few that owners have struggled with because they expected trouble and were apprehensive; when you get the leadrope and just expect them to do it they often do!

I'd strongly recommend getting a RA out as I said before.
 
Maybe send him to someone to re-school/train him with loading? He might have had a bad experience in the past and needs time and repetition.

Give it a shot and if it doesn't work look to sell but atleast you know you have tried.
 
I'd take him out in the trailer a few time, maybe hire a local school / all weather, and just get him used to going out and about without the pressure of a show.
 
TBH, this sounds like a complete, if understandable, over-reaction from a very novice mum. Sorry If I'm wrong OP but I guess amongst all the other things going through your mind was 'how can I trust Harry not to do this with the boys?'
BUT you know that he is well-behaved at home, that he travelled well when you bought him and that the boys would be devastated if you sold Harry on. What you don't know is how a different pony would react in any given circumstance.
As others have said, taking the pony out in the trailer and just bringing him back home to a small bucket feed, would get him used to the idea of travelling without any stress on any-one's part - my guess is that you were very stressed by the idea of the whole experience, before you got him anywhere near the trailer. Then you could load up and take him either to a hired school or to somewhere for a quiet hack. Get him and you used to the idea that he goes in the trailer and comes home and it's NO BIG DEAL.
If you could find a local show that you could hack to, this would help you to keep everybody calm on the way, you could pop him into an in-hand class for his first class, then if all goes well, one of the boys could do a ridden class. You might even be able to take your trailer empty and load him up to come home, knowing that if there is a problem you can hack home again. Of course this approach will be quite labour intensive but is what I would do.
Good luck!
 
I would find a local pony club and join and take harry tot he lessons. OR ring a local PC and ask them to recommend a child friendly, pony friendly instructor.
 
Agree with Susie t, get him used to pony club, good for pony & kids. If he is kept alone it explains the over reaction to other horses. And from your other posts, I do think he'd benefit from having an older child to ride him. In all honesty I get the impression he is more of a second pony type though rather than a first pony/ lr one. That doesn't mean you definitely need to sell though. Give the above a try & then make a decision, & if it doesn't work out, if he's a regular at pony club he's more likely to sell easily, and you might find an older child there who is looking for something like him.
 
Sorry it didn't go well, you have my sympathies. It can be so disheartening, but there are loads of good ideas on offer so far. Good luck with whatever you decide to do and hope next time is much better x
 
SusieT said:
I would find a local pony club and join and take harry tot he lessons. OR ring a local PC and ask them to recommend a child friendly, pony friendly instructor.
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I agree.

I'm also assuming that you have the vet out to check the wound.
 
agree with susieT and littlelegs - getting him to PC will get him used to a show atmosphere without the actual show stress, and get you a lot of support from the PC. Littlelegs comment about an older child rider or a small adult (depending on his size!) is also worth looking into and PC is a good place to look for such a rider.
 
At 12.2 he is a good size for a small adult to ride for you. Sounds like you were nervous and he picked up on this so it might be worth finding a small adult to ride him at a few shows and hired arenas with you only watching not handling the pony so you gain confidence in him and he gets a bit of a schooling session out of it.
 
Thanks for all the advice :), wound has been checked, just a graze luckily and he isnt sore on his back at all, he happily lets me rub him down his spine and apply his ointment.
It probably was a case of too much too soon and very nervous mum, he is kept on his own which I know is a massive no, no, hense why I had searched for an alternative for him and was planning on sending him to livery with a fellow HH member, the vet actually questioned this and said as long as he can see other horses he is fine where he is which shocked me a little but I would still be happier for him to go with company, we just delayed it a little due to his mild bout of colic until I knew he was fine as didnt want the livery having to stress over him when she works somewhere else for the day if that makes sense? I am preparing to send him to pony boot camp where he can be schooled professionally and they have little riders for him, a big expense but I know he is worth it, if after this he is still too much I can sell him on knowing he has been schooled (im not sure he has been broken properly) and probably just give up :( something doesnt ring true about this pony and I cant put my finger on it
 
katymay said:
something doesnt ring true about this pony and I cant put my finger on it
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Something about this sentance rings alarm bells. Something along the lines of a bad workman and tools...? Its not nice having a pony that you're worried about around your pride and joy (children) so know why you're upset. I've seen it a lot, and its usually that you're not quite experienced enough, and bought too much of a novice pony. But I do hate it when inexperienced people nowadays start blaming the pony/character/schooling etc, when it usually isn't, its the handling that causes the problems..

I'm glad he is ok, and you too. It does sound like this pony has not been kept as well as it could be, and has not been handled as well as it could have been, therefore he got a bit cheeky. It also sounds as though you're worrying a heck of a lot. I agree with a lot of the above posts. Get help, join the pc, get the pony company etc. I would also get a lower fitting for the back bar on your trailer so that he can't get out under it.


Hope that things work out for you all. Its no shame to change for an older, steadier pony, and get help. If this pony doesn't work out it doesn't mean you have to give up, just rethink the type of pony and how you keep it...
 
Excellent post from honey 08. It's suprising how much difference company can make too, at the moment there's nobody to have a turn watching for him, he's lonely & being nervous round him just adds to the stress, its not unusual for a horse on its own to have a personality transplant.
 
touchstone said:
How is the pony's behaviour at home? If he just creates at shows then it is probably just a lack of experience.

My plan of action would be that you know the IH method works with him, so I'd get yourself a Recommended Associate out to show you how to handle the pony, he will obviously do the job when told to, so you just need showing how to 'tell' him properly and be able to load him at home easily :)

Second plan of action would be to load him up and take him out and about as much as possible, just to see the sights not necessarily do anything, then he will hopefully get blase about the whole thing. Even going to different places for a hack if he is calm enough should help.

I know it is all traumatic when it happens, but it sounds as if he has just grazed himself and will heal quickly and practice makes perfect! :)
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^^ Very good advice.
 
katymay said:
Thanks for all the advice :), wound has been checked, just a graze luckily and he isnt sore on his back at all, he happily lets me rub him down his spine and apply his ointment.
It probably was a case of too much too soon and very nervous mum, he is kept on his own which I know is a massive no, no, hense why I had searched for an alternative for him and was planning on sending him to livery with a fellow HH member, the vet actually questioned this and said as long as he can see other horses he is fine where he is which shocked me a little but I would still be happier for him to go with company, we just delayed it a little due to his mild bout of colic until I knew he was fine as didnt want the livery having to stress over him when she works somewhere else for the day if that makes sense? I am preparing to send him to pony boot camp where he can be schooled professionally and they have little riders for him, a big expense but I know he is worth it, if after this he is still too much I can sell him on knowing he has been schooled (im not sure he has been broken properly) and probably just give up :( something doesnt ring true about this pony and I cant put my finger on it
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I think having him at a livery yard would be great for you and the pony. Choose one that does part livery, so that you get the best chance of support for both of you.

I'm not sure I'd be sending it off to boot camp just yet.....
 
rockysmum said:
Is he kept on his own. If so his behaviour isn't surprising.
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Why? When I was a kid we couldn't afford to have a companion pony so my ponies lived on their own with no problems at all. I know it's preferrable not to keep horses on their own due to herd instincts etc but not all ponies / horses react badly to it.
 
I would give the little guy a bit (but a tiny bit) of slack for being somewhere new. He sounds like he needs some very firm handling Duallys are great! You must not let him even get an inch of rein with this though - you set very firm boundaries and stick to it.

Next time you go to a show, try lungeing him for at least half and hour before you even think of getting a child on his back. "Magic Calmers" are good for shows too. Also leadrein work in hand is a must - take him out into the menage/field regularly (30 mins is plenty) and work on halt, walk, halt, walk transitions then work up to trot walk halt walk trot until he is really listening to you - a good jerk on a noseband Barbara Woodhouse (god showing age here!!) style is beneficial here to make him listen but not on a bit.

Ponies can be monsters but only if you let him! Just make sure you have in the back of your mind that he has 23 hours a day to behave how he likes in the field but YOU pay his livery/farrier/vet bills and he WILL respect you when you ask him to for that hour!

Good luck
 
again fabulous advice, I had ponies growing up so im not a complete novice, but they were well behaved (most of the time) and I knew how to ride them through the naughty bit, where as with Harry I cant get on him (I have and he behaved brilliantly) but I am too heavy really,
I do think that alot of his behaviour may be down to how I handle him as he scares me at times, definately getting a Dually headcoller and have friends that are experienced horsewomen who can offer advice and show me the ropes
 
just to add I take him out for a walk in hand when he isnt ridden in a headcoller and make sure he is paying attention to me the whole time, lots of halts and walk on etc so he does get worked on every day :)
 
Katymay-if you're going to buy a specialist headcollar can I suggest you get a proffesinal trained in its use out to show you how to use it? It will give you confidence and make sure youa re being fair and consistant in your handling of the pony?
 
Yes I will thank you, I am getting advice from experienced professionals that can show me both how to handle him properly and how the headcollar works etc, hoping to get to do some work on him in a round pen and in the school etc, a friend is lending me her horsetrailer (whilst we get funds together to buy one) so I can practise loading on a daily basis,
on a positive note I took him out in hand this evening for a walk, he was PERFECT, listened to me the whole way (about two miles) lots of halts and walk ons, didnt flinch at cyclists rushing past which usually has him bombing off down the road, and even the massive tractor and trailer didnt unsettle him too much, I was so proud of him and me! I just know inside there is a lovely pony, he gave me loads of kisses too when we got home :)
 
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