Advice please regarding naughty pony and how to get over it

[ladylady]

We have owned this Connemara pony for nearly 2 years - he is 11. Since moving to our new yard he has been separated from his companion of 16 months, because he needs to gain his own confidence (instead of relying on the other horse) which will also allow us to do more with the other horse.

Since moving he has become very badly behaved - booting him for the field is a nightmare, he strikes out, sweeps sideways trying to run you over and tries to kick and bite you - he has never shown this sort of behaviour before.

Also, he comes to the gate happily when getting him in from the field, but refuses then to leave the herd and walk up the lane and just plants himself. If I try to walk alongside him and flick the lead rein behind me, he just flies backwards. 20 minutes in the pouring rain the other day and he would only come in when another horse was collected from the field. Again he has never done anything like this before.

Any help or guidance would be appreciated, he is acting like a naughty teenager and I expect is sulking because his friend is not in the stable next door, but we really need to get over this.

 

[nikicb]

Very briefly I think it sounds like he is finding the 'cold turkey' separation a bit too much. I would reintroduce his companion and then gradually separate them for short periods and build it up. Good luck. x

 

[ladylady]

Thank you for your comment, but unfortunately since moving I cannot do that. Before we left the old yard, we had separated them into different fields, but they always came together at the end of the day. They were in different fields for about 3 months and even if he could not see the other horse across the fields, he would tear up and down the fence line stressing, which is why by taking them out of sight I thought would be better for him and enable him to get over it more quickly.

 

[Cortez]

Has his feed changed since moving? If he's getting more then that could explain the stroppy behaviour.

 

[ladylady]

Has his feed changed since moving? If he's getting more then that could explain the stroppy behaviour.

No his feed is basically the same, albeit slightly smaller as he now has more grass.

 

[Shay]

I wonder if he needs to have a bit more confidence in -and respect for - you? Horses either lead or follow and your lad seems to have decided he wants to lead rather than you. Do you have access to an instructor who might be able to help you with groundwork etc to get him to respect your space? If not you could try a local natural horsemanship practitioner (I don't want to start a NH v Parelli debate. I am no fan of Parelli!)

 

[AdorableAlice]

We have owned this Connemara pony for nearly 2 years - he is 11. Since moving to our new yard he has been separated from his companion of 16 months, because he needs to gain his own confidence (instead of relying on the other horse) which will also allow us to do more with the other horse.

Since moving he has become very badly behaved - booting him for the field is a nightmare, he strikes out, sweeps sideways trying to run you over and tries to kick and bite you - he has never shown this sort of behaviour before.

Also, he comes to the gate happily when getting him in from the field, but refuses then to leave the herd and walk up the lane and just plants himself. If I try to walk alongside him and flick the lead rein behind me, he just flies backwards. 20 minutes in the pouring rain the other day and he would only come in when another horse was collected from the field. Again he has never done anything like this before.

Any help or guidance would be appreciated, he is acting like a naughty teenager and I expect is sulking because his friend is not in the stable next door, but we really need to get over this.

A job for the blue pipe.

 

[Angus' yard]

Or a dually!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Or a dually!

Or both, the dually can hang onto the pretty little Irishman's head whilst the blue pipe talks to the pert Irish bottom !

All joking apart OP, I think you need some help with him, at 11 years of age he should know better than to throw his weight around.

 

[Angus' yard]

Or both, the dually can hang onto the pretty little Irishman's head whilst the blue pipe talks to the pert Irish bottom !

All joking apart OP, I think you need some help with him, at 11 years of age he should know better than to throw his weight around.

Totally agree. A bolshy pony just can't be tolerated.

 

[thewonderhorse]

Or both, the dually can hang onto the pretty little Irishman's head whilst the blue pipe talks to the pert Irish bottom !

All joking apart OP, I think you need some help with him, at 11 years of age he should know better than to throw his weight around.

Agree with this ^^

 

[ladylady]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I have taken on board your comments and am going to put out some feelers to find somebody to help me. Strange though as he has not been a problem until now and his whole demeanour has changed. He was never a problem to put boots on, just since he got mud fever and his legs were obviously sore.

 

[TarrSteps]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I have taken on board your comments and am going to put out some feelers to find somebody to help me. Strange though as he has not been a problem until now and his whole demeanour has changed. He was never a problem to put boots on, just since he got mud fever and his legs were obviously sore.

Two points . . . every living thing is in constant flux. People don't behave exactly the same in every situation and they can reason things out. It's not reasonable to expect it from horses. He has moved, all sorts of things in his life have changed, even if you think they are unimportant. He may be behaving as he is to you for all sorts of reasons but the fact remains much of his behaviour is unacceptable and you have to train him on that basis. How he was before isn't necessarily germane.

I don't think the mud fever is inconsequential. He effectively learned that getting his legs handled hurt - the fact that it had not been the case before is neither here nor there. He may also have learned what the appropriate response was, which was to threaten you to stop.

 

[AmieeT]

Mine was a bit of a nightmare for me to bring in and out- previous girl had him on loan for 7 years and was very accomplished, whereas he is my first horse and at that point the only one I'd ever ridden.

He'd either plant himself (I'd have to pull him off balance to get him to fall into pace) or bolt, go eat some grass and bolt again every time I got near.

Tbh if it weren't for a friend shouting at me for being pathetic (she later told me that wasn't the case but it's the only way she knew I'd be stubborn enough to stick it out!) I'd have given up.

Took him out to the field when everyone else was in, wrapped the lead rope around his nose and used it as a pressure halter- after a couple of days he got the point, and then I started doing in bringing him in, took about 2 weeks but I've not had a problem (with that!) since.