Advice pls, bucking new pony

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showley1

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Hi looking for popular opinion pls, we v recently (last wed) took delivery of our new lwvtb pony, she is 14.2hh and rising 5, whilst riding her at her old home she seemed fine, a little green but nothing excessive . With the snow last week the girl's did not ride her till sun , at the moment they are having trouble with her bucking in trot and refusing to canter, am in 2 minds wether to leave her another week as it obviously early day's or enlist extra help with schooling immediately? Any advice welcomed :-) .
 
I'm not very knowledgeable with this stuff but my mare has been a bit like this plus tanking off due to the weather and lack of working, I have to admit I have changed her bit this week also but I have started doing lots of small schooling sessions and basically got her going again and every day she has been improving! She just needed to get back into the swing of things!

Also, being a new pony she could be testing everyone?? My mare did that too!
 
To be honest, I think you'd be lucky to bring on a young pony without bucking sessions. My 12 year old pony bucks. It's a pony thing.

So you have 3 choices:

- Bring the pony on yourselves, if you are confident to do so.
- Pay someone to help school the pony (if you can keep up the good work at home).
- Send the pony back.

That's how I see it based on the information you have given and not knowing more about you or the pony.
 
Hi no we have not had her backed checked as yet, but I have got a saddler coming next week to check saddle fit, it is the same saddle we tried her in ,she is in most of the time at the moment due to boggy field and was in through the snow.
 
Well I think you have answered your own question there - if pony has had lack of turnout and you aren't lunging before your children ride its a matter of pony being very fresh!
 
OK.

It could be that she's full of beans having had so little turnout.
She could be confused (young, green horse in new home) or unbalanced/is finding what you are asking difficult.
She could be testing her new owner/rider.
Her back might be sore due to saddle no longer fitting (young horses change shape a lot).
 
I would say she is just fresh as with being in and not being ridden, I would lunge her before they ride and try and get her turned out she should calm down then.

Sorry didnt see your last post op, lunge for longer ten minutes is not enough, lunge until she is tired then see what happens.
 
If she's had no turnout then that's probably the cause of the bucking, combined with the fact she is young & in a new home. I think there's 2 choices. If children aren't bothered by it & are experienced enough to bring on a youngster keep it. If they aren't send it back. Third option is paying for schooling, but tbh by the time you add the cost up you might as well just get a pony that's already schooled. And if you are keeping, regardless of whether the kids are bothered about the behavior, turn the horse out more for its own sanity. Can't say I'd be lunging a horse of that age till its tired either, if the kids can't ride it after 10mins on the lunge its clearly not suitable.
 
Thanks don't want to over do it as clearly she does need to settle in and she is still young, the girl's are confident and overly bothered it is the fact she is not listening/ understanding what is being asked of her I find more concerning. Think best maybe to get an instructor round and take their advice. I was also wondering if she could maybe be a '1 owner ' pony and needs more time
 
I wouldn't worry she isn't concentrating right now, imo she has every reason not to. Last winter a tree smashed a section of our fencing, which meant instead of all day turnout ours only got out while we were there watching they didn't get out. Because ground was very wet, it was a couple of weeks till tractor could put new posts in. At the time daughters pony was a late 4yr old, backed the spring before. Although she's always been a sharp & forwards thinking sort, up to that point she had only ever done a couple of small bucks when first learning to canter under saddle, & generally paid attention. In those few weeks with little turnout she was just hyped & it took major concentration to keep her attention. She was leaping about, broncing & bucked plenty, breaking into canter constantly etc, rather than putting her energy into work. Once she was back out all day again, she settled down quickly enough.
 
I'd be inclined to long rein on a circle so you are working her properly from the ground before they get on. That should allow you to work on canter transitions as well. If you aren't experienced enough to feel confident doing that, I'd probably send her back. Instructor a must as is turn out. Good luck.
 
Just a thought, seeing as she is young could she still have wolf teeth that are bothering her? My 5yo had his out a month or so ago as they were causing him to buck a lot on trot
 
If she is reluctant to canter, I'd be inclined to say it isn't just her being fresh. A pony with pent up energy will want to canter. It could be a simple lack of balance as she is young - so motoring about in trot is easier than canter. Or it could be saddle restricting her movement. Bucking in trot is actually quite difficult for them as only 2 feet on the ground. In canter there are 3 feet on the ground so a buck is much easier. I'd be inclined to say she in uncomfortable. Are your daughters letting her go forward freely or are the holding her back as they're nervous?
 
See what she's like when she is outside rather than cooped up in a stable all the time. Even if you cant turn her out 24/7 for some reason at least give her a few hours even if it is snowy/muddy/raining or whatever. We have a 24 year old pony who is normally a dobbin but keep him locked up even for one night and even at his age he is a different pony altogether, snorting and broncing around.
 
Look at her work regime previously, feed and turn out. If you have suddenly and massively changed it all then you can expect fireworks. My 6 year old is incredibly over the top at the moment and bucking but I expected that as he was in for nearly 2 weeks and his work suddenly cut because I could not get him out. His feed was cut right back but for now, he is on back a gradual increase in work to get him upto where we were fitness wise. He is not by any stretch of the imagination a bucker under normal circumstances (in fact, I think he has been remarkably restrained considering his age) either!

Build up the pony workwise again, lunge for a bit while the pony settles down and get your instructor over to get all back on the right track.. and get your pony turned out too. That way you will have your chilled out horse back again.
 
Thanks everyone you have put my mind at rest, she is a truely lovely pony , just made me feel better to have you all confirm what i thought ie turnout etc, we have not changed her feed or cut it down ( she is on grass nuts and chop), but i have myself wondered if the girls had tensed up and held her back without realising, instructor is coming round at the weekend so untill then will just keep to lunging her and see how we get on, roll on spring!!!
 
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