Any ideas, pony going 0 to 60mph with daughter

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Lou23

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We have had our pony for a year and he's quite a lazy pony.

On monday daughter fell off show jumping so freinds daughter offered to jump in the next class but when in practice field she jumped the practice fence the pony took off and ran back to other horses, put head down, arched his back and rider somersalted off still at speed. Rider ok just had sore back. My daughter then jumped back on and walked, trotted and cantered around us.
Rode pony in field at home and he was fine on Tuesday.

Today was preparing to practice dressage test and pony took off again, put head down, arched back and my daughter fell off. Thought the first time he was napping to other horses and didn't think much more but he did it again today at home in school. YO jumped on and he tried it again but she was able to pull him and stop to his surprise and worked fine afterwards. Then daughter got on again and walked around but couldn't do much as she hurt her back and pulled a muscle in chest.

Believe its some way of evading work as had back checked, and saddle has also been checked and had teeth done recently.
My worry is that my daughter isn't the most confident of riders and i don't want her to lose her nerve as taken a long time to get to where we are today.

How can i stop him doing this again (I'm too heavy to jump on him)
 
First of all pelham! - is there someone that can ride this pony, it sounds as though it is taking the pee and needs a stronger rider? for couple of months....ponies just know instantly so unless daughter gets on top of it if she is able, get another rider on it pronto and teach it some manners....nappy little so and so!!
 
If he has just started to do this out of the blue & has been absolutely fine for the year that you have owned him then i would think he is tryin to tell you he is not happy about something. Has he changed shape/put weight on/dropped off? Is there any chance his saddle may not fit now?
 
He has lost weight and has moved into a stable to keep weight off as he only has to look at grass to get fat but we did this last year and he's happy in the stable. Had saddle checked since he has lost weight.
 
Get a stronger bit and get your instructor to show your daughter how to use it!
It's vital she understands to release any pressure as soon as he responds.
This naughty pony has discovered if he charges off firstly he is in control and secondly he avoids work, so he needs teaching your daughter is the boss.
This is best achieved on a lesson in an enclosed area.
I would also not put anyone on him who doesn't have the capability of ensuring he behaves, if you nip this soon enough the trick will disappear.
It wouldn't do any harm for you to long rein him either and if he tries to sod off use the reins hard.... he needs a little discipline that's all
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I cant believe how many people are advising you to put in a stronger bit!!! whats happened to good old schooling! If your pony has only just started doing this out of the blue then there is something he quite clearly he is not happy with. Go back in the school with him, take him back to basics and get your daughter to just do lots of walk halt transitions and if he is behaving himself then encourage her to do some walk trot transitions, make sure she is being soft with her hands and rewarding him when he is giving to her. Lots of serpentines, increase and decrease in circles figure of 8 etc to keep him interested rather than wanting to find something to be naughty about. The other thing to bare in mind is the spring grass, my horses are sharper than normal at the moment so make sure you are not over doing his feed whilst his gut is coping with the spring grass. Don't just put a stronger bit in his mouth, try to work through this blip in his out of character behaviour. Good luck
 
I would normally agree but we are dealing with a childs pony so for the short term i would put it a stronger bit but with lessons and schooling gradually go back to your hanging cheek.
 
I have to agree with Dressage_babe don't just got straight to changing his bit.

I think it might be a good idea for you to see if you can find a rider who is stronger and perhaps more confident than your daughter, to ride the pony for a while...just so it starts to understand that it can't pee around and get out of work.

Good luck
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There could be various causes, for example:

1. Physical discomfort - I know you say saddle, back and teeth have been checked, but have they been done within the last month? Alternatively, could be a physical problem somewhere else - legs, feet, poll etc., which is causing him discomfort when ridden.

2. He is feeling very well/fresh because of new grass/feed/stabling. I would ensure he is worked everyday and has plenty of turnout, using a grazing muzzle to stop him getting fat. I would try lungeing before riding as well to get rid of any excess energy. I presume as he is a good-doer he isn't getting any hard feed anyway, but if he is then cut it right out.

3. He is taking the mickey and has learnt he can intimidate his young riders. I think a different bit is justified in this case, because children lose confidence so easily and a slightly stronger bit can help them feel back in control. Obviously, this should be alongside a lot of schooling, with the aim of returning to the snaffle eventually.
 
You say he has lost weight? Maybe he is fitter, and feels better now that he has lost the weight and is feeling rather good about himself. Therefore he has the energy to fight your daughter and get her off.
Get some lessons with your daughter on the pony and like people have said I would go back to basics with the pony and get lots of schooling into him! Or maybe have your YO school him once a week and then ask her to give your daughter a lesson say once a week. Your YO will have been on him and will know exactily what he is doing on order to help your daughter get her confidence back.
For me bit changing is a last resort.
Hope this helps!
Izzi x
 
You have posted on at least three threads about wanting your pony to go faster or have more oomph - including suggesting that your daughter might use spurs.

I suspect that perhaps your feeding him to get this effect may well have caused his behaviour. Cut out all hard feed, keep him on not too much grass, take the spurs off and see whether he reverts to his normal self.
 
Tell me dressage babe, do you have any children?
I'd bet you haven't!
You can replace said sh**ty little pony a million times, you can't replace your child.
The poster has already said her daughter isn't a confident sort, so she needs help.
Although your advice is sound if this were a confident rider in this case she needs some guarantee it won't tank off with her.
I'm not advising a stronger bit for ever, just short term until he learns not to whizz off.
As for not being happy, in 20 odd years of owning a riding school I've seen a few ponies in my time with this trick, and sorted them all.
It is nothing to do with being happy at all, it's evasion on a major scale.
Bu**er the spring grass etc, he has a job to do and has devised a very good method of getting out of it.
In this case you and I will disagree over the advice I'm afraid.
 
did you give him hard food to get him to go faster in the first place??

and was she wearing the spurs the instructor suggested??

if yes to either of the above, there's your answer...

if no, then get a 2 ring gag on the bugger and a daisy rein to stop the little [****] from getting away from her!!!
 
Have I missed something here?
The poster hasn't said anything about extra feed or spurs in her initial post, is there a thread going somewhere else?
I thought she was asking how to stop it hurtling off not make it go faster, am I in a parallel universe?
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HH................


I've been watching this post with lots of interest because we have exactly the same problem, although our pony can put weight on looking at grass. We've managed to get his weight down over the winter and will stable him in the summer. We've tried D&H stay power muesli and didn't really see any difference and now thinking that we will try spillers instant energy mix, possibly thinking of trying fake spurs.
 
HH

ad then further posts to say that they have been feeding tiger oats

...seems to me they might have finally had the desired effect but now the pony is feeling too 'well' for the rider
 
Sorry hh, what happened was I checked back over the user's previous posts because I thought I remembered her asking for help to gee the pony up a bit. I was right, she has done so, or commented on needing to, on at least three occasions over the past couple of months.

I therefore wondered whether the enhanced diet - and the use of the spurs she'd also suggested might bee needed - had resulted in this behaviour.

In any case my first reaction to any problem of this sort would be "Cut out all hard feed and restrict new grass!"
 
Poor pony.
Of course knowing their previous problems I would advise cutting out all hard feed and possibly lunging the pony before being ridden until he settles down again.
Sadly they will probably need to use the stronger bit anyway to stop the barging off problem, even thought it's been caused by their own mismanagement.
I do wish people would post the ful story when they ask for advice!
 
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Ah ha, makers of their own misfortunes then..
JM07, my advice to you is you aren't feeding enough then, try a whole sack of instant energy a night plus a few shots of oxyshot, that should sort the problem....
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me personally...or my pony??

i could do with ALL the help i can get at my age, Sue!!!

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Both!
With the workload I've got on at the moment I'm tempted to try instant response myself believe me..
(HH goes off muttering to fill 8 hanging baskets, 14 tubs and planters, plant all the sweet peas in tubs etc. Then I've got to fit in a bit of housework, clear the rest of the utility room for the builders to start in there, deliver daughter's horse 30 plus miles back to where she works, squeeze in some office work plus play on here..)
A woman's work is never done..so I shouldn't be wasting time swapping jokes with you
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Personally at this time of year I wouldn't be feeding a pony any additional feed at all, it would be out on grass (and in at night with hay if tendency to be a fatty). I have not read the previous posts but you can't have everything, you can't moan about a pony being lazy one minute then feed it energy feed and then moan cos it's started acting differently. Def first cut out the feed and what on earth is a child doing with spurs on anyway (if that is the case)? Surely there is no need for them and ceratinly if they are not being used properly.

For a child without much confidence I'd much rather have a pony who was a bit 'lazy' but did the job (maybe in his own style and at a set speed) than something far too fizzy or unpredictable. My first pony (I was 10) was a little plodder but he was great and I got soo much confidence on him cos he was basically safe and i could have fun. That should be the major requirements for a kids pony surely?
 
I've just looked back over the tiger oats/spurs/energy feed posts and it never ceases to amaze me why people think that a strong bit, spurs and some energy feed = a well schooled pony
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Surely if the rider lacks confidence, it will do her good to have to use her legs? What happened to good old fashioned 'riding'????
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HenryHorn! Most definately disagree!!! and yes I do have a child, I also teach children to ride the correct way!!! not in a riding school led by numpty's on ponies with ill fitting tack and ridden so hard that they don't put a foot wrong and if they dare then a bigger more agressive child is stuck on to teach it a lesson. Horse/pony handling, good manners and good schooling is achieved firmly but simpathectically and if a change in character after a year of good behaviour has just started it is not from naughtiness it needs to be addressed correctly, not with a stronger bit that a child can then control for a few wks, what happens a bit further down the line when all the strong bits don't work!!! I was suggesting getting the childs confidence back by only walking and halting, giving both the pony & the child exercises to concentrate on takes their mind off what causes the fear! And for your spring grass comment - I had this conversation 5 nights ago with one of my pupil's parents. they have 4 competition ponies 11.2hh - 14.2hh they too have started fuelling up on spring grass to the extent that their 10yr old daughter was carted around a XC course with no brakes and then bucked her off on a hack 2 days later. They have totally dropped all hard feed and restricted grazing to find that all 4 ponies have come back to their usual sedate characters, maybe a coincidence!!!!
 
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Most definately disagree!!! and yes I do have a child, I also teach children to ride the correct way!!! not in a riding school led by numpty's on ponies with ill fitting tack and ridden so hard that they don't put a foot wrong and if they dare then a bigger more agressive child is stuck on to teach it a lesson. Horse/pony handling, good manners and good schooling is achieved firmly but simpathectically

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well, that's where you were going wrong HH

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Yes we tried Tiger oats in the winter but made no diffrence and he hasn't had it for over 2 months.
NEVER went down the spurs route beccause my daughter's not ready for them.
Thats why i never mentioned previous posts as we have not gone down that route. We have been trying lots off transitions and lots of leg work and since he has lost weight thay have been improving.
The pony is not going forward and off the leg and is still lazy but thats him but yesterday he was lazy until he decided to go 0 to 60mph.
Don't shoot me down for asking advice on previous posts, as we were having difficulties and still have with him moving forward off the leg and decided just to put hard work in but can't except behaviour of shooting off when he feels he;s had enough.

He is not on any hard feed only has equibites for vitamins.
 
I have left him in the field today but need to watch his weight. He is in a field which has been constantly used so he has no grass but obviously what is growing they are eating.

Decided to take daughter up tonight and try walking round with lots of transitions and circles etc.
Also have asked an older girl to school him for a while.
 
Ok fair enough. Tbh I'd be inclined to agree with dressage_babe in that it's unusual for a pony to just change from being a well behaved lazy pony to one that clears off at high speed when it gets the opportunity. How long ago were his back/teeth/tack checks?
I had my horses teeth done in Feb, he was still not feeling right a few weeks later and normally he is well behaved. I called back the dentist and he came to check if he'd missed anything. There was a sharp edge right at the back of his mouth, which my EDT sad shouldn't really cause any problems. Sure enough though, once it was removed, my horse reverted to his good behaviour
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Just an example to show that it might be worth double checking. I'd been advised to strap his mouth shut with a flash/drop, but I didn't want to do that as it was out of character for him.

If your pony really has had a personality change and this is unlike him, there must be a reason. If you are convinced he is just being naughty, then schooling is the way forward. How about trying her on the lunge a few times to get her confidence back? As d_b said, walk/halt transitions will help. keep a close eye on them so that if pony does try to clear off, you are ready for him.
 
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