great news trakky!!!! we will need pics of the lovely pony please 
Another vetting on Thurs...wish me luck
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great news trakky!!!! we will need pics of the lovely pony please
i'm excited for you and your daughter, good luck
Update from me.
It's been up and down. As is to be expected with a new mostly tb 5yo I guess.
We have cracked the entry and exit gate code thing have hacked alone for 40 mins, totally chuffed with him on that.
Had napping issues....out hacking both alone and in company and heading up to the school. And he is VERY uncertain when things happen like jump wings suddenly being outside the school or the poles being somewhere new in a pile.
He's decided one half on one long side of the school by the chickens and pole storage is terrifying. Really finding it hard work to keep him straight/not spooking down there. Instructor is helping with that.
Mostly hacking and going in the arena twice a week. Once for a lesson and once for practice.
It's been up and down. As is to be expected with a new mostly tb 5yo I guess.
We have cracked the entry and exit gate code thing
have hacked alone for 40 mins, totally chuffed with him on that. Had napping issues....out hacking both alone and in company and heading up to the school. And he is VERY uncertain when things happen like jump wings suddenly being outside the school or the poles being somewhere new in a pile.
He's decided one half on one long side of the school by the chickens and pole storage is terrifying. Really finding it hard work to keep him straight/not spooking down there. Instructor is helping with that.
Mostly hacking and going in the arena twice a week. Once for a lesson and once for practice.
Ah sounds like you've done a great job though getting him past the code issue so well done! The rest will come in time, well done for persevering!!!
Our little pony is an absolute dream, my daughter adores him and he is the ideal first pony, such a good boy I can't believe after all that searching and vetting heartache we finally found a diamond! She's got her first pony club rally at the weekend on him which will be our first trip out in the trailer so fingers crossed 🤞 Haven't hacked much yet as we've been in the school 3-5 times a week just getting her confidence on him but plan to do more of that once the evenings are lighter xx
Our little pony is an absolute dream, my daughter adores him and he is the ideal first pony, such a good boy I can't believe after all that searching and vetting heartache we finally found a diamond! She's got her first pony club rally at the weekend on him which will be our first trip out in the trailer so fingers crossed 🤞 Haven't hacked much yet as we've been in the school 3-5 times a week just getting her confidence on him but plan to do more of that once the evenings are lighter xx
Just think though, it is mid winter! I would expect an extra blip in spring with the grass, then a settled summer.
It does all sound very normal for a rising 5yo, in a new home, mid winter.
The important bit is... are you enjoying him?
It does all sound very normal for a rising 5yo, in a new home, mid winter.
The important bit is... are you enjoying him?
I'd say this is absolutely normal at this stage, but I'd give up trying to make him stay straight or you might just seal it in his mind forever that it's a problem area.
With my PRE mare, who took a similar objection to one side of my arena, I had to let her spook and then pretend she had never done it. Then she forgot about it. If I insisted on her staying straight it could be 45 minutes before I got what I wanted. With other horses, the right answer was to shoulder in past, and with one or two, just to stay away from the area until their brain was back in their head.
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With my PRE mare, who took a similar objection to one side of my arena, I had to let her spook and then pretend she had never done it. Then she forgot about it. If I insisted on her staying straight it could be 45 minutes before I got what I wanted. With other horses, the right answer was to shoulder in past, and with one or two, just to stay away from the area until their brain was back in their head.
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Yeah, this.
I was also reading an article from Jessica von Bredow-Werndl about essentially ignoring and keeping calm. As in not making a big deal, being too forceful, and/or stressful. I've sat cool as a cucumber through spooks then just carried on normally. Nothing to see here. There can only be one drama queen (my horse), not two! Just on with it like nothing happened.
There are times when there's what we feel would work for our horse(s) and what the instructor says. Sometimes we need to listen to our feeling and either do it, or say, I'd like to do it this way because I feel this could work better for this particular horse. If the instructor doesn't agree, then you have a decision to make for yourself. Some are open to "ok, let's try it" others won't agree with you and will fight for their way being the only way.
I was also reading an article from Jessica von Bredow-Werndl about essentially ignoring and keeping calm. As in not making a big deal, being too forceful, and/or stressful. I've sat cool as a cucumber through spooks then just carried on normally. Nothing to see here. There can only be one drama queen (my horse), not two! Just on with it like nothing happened.
There are times when there's what we feel would work for our horse(s) and what the instructor says. Sometimes we need to listen to our feeling and either do it, or say, I'd like to do it this way because I feel this could work better for this particular horse. If the instructor doesn't agree, then you have a decision to make for yourself. Some are open to "ok, let's try it" others won't agree with you and will fight for their way being the only way.
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I was thinking exactly this.
Setting a new horse in winter is always going to be a bit trickier than in the warmer, brighter months, so you really are doing a great job!
Setting a new horse in winter is always going to be a bit trickier than in the warmer, brighter months, so you really are doing a great job!
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Update from me.
It's been up and down. As is to be expected with a new mostly tb 5yo I guess.
We have cracked the entry and exit gate code thing have hacked alone for 40 mins, totally chuffed with him on that.
Had napping issues....out hacking both alone and in company and heading up to the school. And he is VERY uncertain when things happen like jump wings suddenly being outside the school or the poles being somewhere new in a pile.
He's decided one half on one long side of the school by the chickens and pole storage is terrifying. Really finding it hard work to keep him straight/not spooking down there. Instructor is helping with that.
Mostly hacking and going in the arena twice a week. Once for a lesson and once for practice.
It's been up and down. As is to be expected with a new mostly tb 5yo I guess.
We have cracked the entry and exit gate code thing
have hacked alone for 40 mins, totally chuffed with him on that.Had napping issues....out hacking both alone and in company and heading up to the school. And he is VERY uncertain when things happen like jump wings suddenly being outside the school or the poles being somewhere new in a pile.
He's decided one half on one long side of the school by the chickens and pole storage is terrifying. Really finding it hard work to keep him straight/not spooking down there. Instructor is helping with that.
Mostly hacking and going in the arena twice a week. Once for a lesson and once for practice.
I agree that a slightly different approach may be better, as you haven't made much progress.
Sometimes I will do as @ycbm says but, if it now sealed into his mind that there is a problem area, I use a different approach. I would allow him to shy away from this area, then work hard wherever he feels OK. Then I invite them back to the scary area, to rest. So, they can go to the scary area and just stand. But, of they want to leave, that is good, we can go work hard elsewhere. When we dismount at the end of a session, that is also in the previously scary rest area.
I have used this for a number of horses. Soon, they want to go there.
Sometimes I will do as @ycbm says but, if it now sealed into his mind that there is a problem area, I use a different approach. I would allow him to shy away from this area, then work hard wherever he feels OK. Then I invite them back to the scary area, to rest. So, they can go to the scary area and just stand. But, of they want to leave, that is good, we can go work hard elsewhere. When we dismount at the end of a session, that is also in the previously scary rest area.
I have used this for a number of horses. Soon, they want to go there.
Today we went for a hack with a friend, and then I went in the school in hand and just walked him up and down that side, asking him to stand and touch the "scary" things....for a touch he got a treat. He's smart...he started just punching everything with his nose! So then we went outside to the scary chicken area, and did the same thing there. Hoping that will help and is something I can extend to when I'm on him.
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I bought a mare that used to nap to the right every time I passed a right hand junction, or field gateway. Even a touch on the left rein made her stiffen and threaten to rear so my sister used to just come up on her offside and steer her round it. After a while she forgot about doing it. She was the sort who would always escalate things if you got too tough with her. Always better to find a way round things than have an argument.