Asking for a friend and livery

[ILuvCowparsely]

New pony 14.3 cob x connemara.
Mother daughter share
2 stage vetting

Pony arrived 6 weeks ago was a bit hyped up and spooky after the drive, the lorry got here very quickly so assume he drove faster than he should due to the time he left and arrived. Since then daughter nervous of her at first as she is a nervous rider.
back checked
saddle checked
teeth checked
farrier rebalanced feet and changed shoes

Saddle altered a few weeks back and pony bucked the mother straight off, so assume it was back, as chiro had to reschedule appointment till after the incident.

Pony no top line not schooled much, she has since been ridden by trainer and the family have had lessons.

Tonight the pony bucked the mother off 4 times. Only difference today, is the pony did not give her hay before ridden. Not much grass out there

Will do a worm count on Friday, but I am guessing towards ulcers.


What do you think???

To add the mare has lost a small amount of weight due to being ridden 5 times a week, but still bodily good.

 

[be positive]

How old is she and what is known of her history?

 

[WandaMare]

Is the pony on any hard feed? Any significant change to routines?
Could be ulcers but could also just be trying it on and testing them.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

How old is she and what is known of her history?

she is 7 or 8 history not much known seller only had her 3 months

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Is the pony on any hard feed? Any significant change to routines?
Could be ulcers but could also just be trying it on and testing them.

Just on hifi and herbal calmer due to they don't want her fatter and they want to keep he calm, no change of routine since she has been here 6 weeks, trainer rode her Monday and she was fine, but they usually give her hay net before ridden work. Also damp hay at night out in the day

 

[paddi22]

cob connemara crosses can be very very clever. it could be be what Wanda mare said and it has sussed them out ilmm mediately and is reacting to a nervous rider. it could also be a change in feed or turnout triggering it. or just settling in issues. or it could be getting used to a new saddle and dislike an unbalanced tense rider?
what does the trainer think? is it just the mother having ridden issues with it?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

cob connemara crosses can be very very clever. it could be be what Wanda mare said and it has sussed them out ilmm mediately and is reacting to a nervous rider. it could also be a change in feed or turnout triggering it. or just settling in issues. or it could be getting used to a new saddle and dislike an unbalanced tense rider?
what does the trainer think? is it just the mother having ridden issues with it?

It has not done it with the 13 year old. Mother has had a horse years ago when I had my first mare, we had horses together, hacked etc and her last meare was strong and bouncy. She has ridden her for the past 4 weeks in walk trot and canter, and even rode her Monday on a half schooling with trainer followed by 1/2 lesson with her , no issue

She has been on hifi since she came here, saddle been used for past 2 weeks no issue since the first bronc off, and chiro been since and said, no top line, under schooled. Which is what they have been working on.

One trainer who taught her tonight not sure what trainer said, the other trainer who rides, not sure i wasn't there

 

[paddi22]

you'd want to rule out its not the mothers riding, since the daughter and trainer doesn't get the same behaviour. is there a chance it's the mothers riding style just annoying the horse, I've known some mares just to dislike certain riders. or maybe the mother is heavier on her, so the saddle is pinching somewhere and it's not on the daughter? the trainer would be the best bet to get their opinion on what's going on.

 

[Ownedby4horses]

I'd be stripping the hi-fi at least temporarily, coild it be a reaction to Alfalfa? I had a mare who reacted very badly to Alfalfa.

 

[paddi22]

yeah good point about the alfalfa, some just go loopy on it

 

[honetpot]

If its being ridden five times a week and worked it will just get fitter. The temptation is always to work the legs off them, whereas a long slow steady hack twice a week makes them tired but not too fit and gives everyone time to relax with not too much pressure. I agree about mum, mares are clever soon work out a way out. It's not a horse, working and schooling it for more than 20 mins will make it eventually work out an exit plan. I have a full Connemara who know exactly how to scare or dump people who ask too much of him.
I would give more forage and cut out all the extra's, you do not want it lean and fit.

 

[Goldenstar]

They need to get a vet in before someone ends up hospitalised .

 

[hock]

So many variables! What’s the pony like to tack up? For me if she’s needed an adjustment and a new saddle I would treat the work after as if she has had time off and needs fittening again. Is the chiropractor any good? The saddler? But if the pony is only doing it to mum it sounds like she’s doing something she does t like whether sitting differently heavier or more demanding. One for the trainer I’d say.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Ok try to answer questions.

The mare has bronked mother off, always as soon as she mounts not when ridding i hear, saddle was checked by saddler.
Bridle is bran new and we made her change brow band as although full Gallop bridle, we found it only had a 16 inch brow band on.
Hifi she is on 1 scoop only and been on it 6 weeks, and it is only when mounting she has done it she is not going loopy but not ruling it out the alfalfa.
The mare with the daughter on just walks and trots, and only now doing 1 small canter
Same with the mother, they ride her vary steadily, due to confidence issues

The saddle is good
Chiro is amazing as she has done my horses and most of the yard and working along side my vet with my mare

She bought the saddle as it was the same make and model as the one being used prior purchase Thorowgood pony 16 saddle




MY personal view is get vet
get second opinion on saddle or get a nice saddle kent and Masters
cold backed
kissing spine

They don't want the sell her as she is good to catch, handle, getting on with field mates. as She was the buck of all the old field mates beating up and she came battled scared.

At the moment they don't want to ride her

 

[ihatework]

Did they try her before buying?
Was it a dealer?
Dare I ask how heavy mum is? Is she a balanced rider?
Have you considered girthing might be a cause?
Has the vet examined?

 

[paddi22]

is the trainer a similar weight to mum? does horse do anything when trainer gets on?

it seems odd that thats when the bucking appears and just with one rider. it would make more sense for the pony to be bucking when a novice child goes into canter if it was just being bold? is the mother digging the pony in the ribs are nothing, or very unbalanced getting on? or just too much weight wise for the horse?

 

[Polos Mum]

If after only six weeks a 'coming back to horses' mum and a child don't want to ride because of the behaviour then it's an amazingly long road to come back from that. And a very easy slippery slope to putting them both off altogether.

You could do any one / all of the good suggestions above - IMHO starting with a very honest conversation about whether she's the right pony for them. It doesn't matter if the trainers can ride her, if the owners can't get on safely.

I would have expected a good physio to have required a vet's Ok before treating the horse.
I'd add ulcers to your list of potential issues - they can make them funny to mount but OK when on - in my experience.

 

[southerncomfort]

Is mum very nervous? As in, could her nerves be frightening the pony?

Might be barking up the wrong tree but ive certainly been guilty of frightening a horse when I was going through a crisis of confidence after being bolted with.

 

[TheHairyOne]

If its only with 1 rider then Id be looking hard at whats different with them?

A 16" saddle is quite small for an adult rider. Is she sitting too far back on it when she gets on and the pony is just saying 'ouch, nope!'? And as someone else said does she weigh more than the other people riding the pony? My sister had a saddle fitted for her horse who then got a bit stuffy. I only weigh a stone or so more than her but the fit not being quite right was very apparent when I got on and if ended up sitting on the lower part of his withers.

From past experinece took on a 14.2 ish NF x to sell when a friend got in serious trouble.

Was a bit green (though not young) and a bit confused about some parts of life, but was sweet to ride. As she was very last minute arrival and she was always going to be for sale we'd had maybe 10 people from the yard have a ride on her at points, plus both of us. Well, we had someone we knew looking for a project come to see her, a little larger than most others riding her. Got on. Bronked. Fell over the mounting block. Wasnt stopping till rider hit the deck. This wasnt a bad rider, but however she got on that day pony just said no. This rider remounted after id got on (carefully) and ridden her in and rest of the ride was fine! Never did it again.

 

[onlytheponely]

I'm just under 5ft and ride in a 16.5in saddle, I can just about fit on a 16in but almost all the ponies I've ridden in the smaller saddle have complained in their own way. A 16in really is too small for a normal adult to ride on, it will not distribute the weight of an adult properly. If the reaction is immediate I would be thinking that the saddle is causing some level of discomfort.

 

[Ownedby4horses]

Sounds like the saddle is potentially too small for mum. Perhaps nerves with mum could be sending the pony mixed signals (asking for go but holding them back due to nerves?). Mum could be unbalanced and pony isnt so forgiving with a heavier/nervous/unbalanced rider.

As the pony is fine with other riders, it has to be the mum/saddle.

 

[Leandy]

I think the horse is not suitable for mother and daughter sadly. It has knocked their confidence already. Did they try it and take proper experienced advice when they bought it. Where did it come from? Can it go back?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Apparently she only bronc mother off when mounting.

I think her next port of call is the vet or sell her. She was bought from a yard in kent, they did take bloods but apparently they coragulated so they could not use them. (I would have demanded a re doo)

No they did not take anyone with them, when they viewed or purchased.

mum prob about 9.1/2 stone-10 stone

No I don't think they have thought of girthing
I would say trainer similar weight, and no as far as I know nothing done when trainer gets on.
digging in ribs i would guess no as she was an confident good rider 30 years ago

**I would have expected a good physio to have required a vet's Ok before treating the horse.** Yes they did check with the vet prior to treating as physio wont treat without.

16.5. inch saddle it is


To me saddle was tight when i checked it.


They have ridden her 3 weeks and no issue at all. I still think it is pain related.

 

[AmyMay]

How are people mounting her?

 

[paddi22]

It would be good if they could pin down an exact pattern of when issues occur. look back and all the incidents and see if there's a definite common thread.

What is confusing me is the horse sounds like it will walk trot and canter with a nervy child with no issue? would that be correct?
But something happens only when the mother (and only the mother) is mounting. does the broncing happen instantly? is it when she starts to walk?

just flesh out as much info as you can from them.

 

[Goldenstar]

how old is the horse ?
sorry missed it just seen .
I would guess the saddle is too short for Mum thats an easy solution if it is .
ulcers unlikely imo but the horse may have them .
How tall is Mum and what length is the saddle ?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

How are people mounting her?

oldest daughter 13, mother 47
trainer 50

They think it maybe the mare has been driven alot and not ridden so much

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

how old is the horse ?
sorry missed it just seen .
I would guess the saddle is too short for Mum thats an easy solution if it is .
ulcers unlikely imo but the horse may have them .
How tall is Mum and what length is the saddle ?

Mum is prob 5ft 4? possibly
horse is 7

She just said she wants to get her scoped for ulcers
not sure what length but it is a 16.5 inch

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

It would be good if they could pin down an exact pattern of when issues occur. look back and all the incidents and see if there's a definite common thread.

What is confusing me is the horse sounds like it will walk trot and canter with a nervy child with no issue? would that be correct?
But something happens only when the mother (and only the mother) is mounting. does the broncing happen instantly? is it when she starts to walk?

just flesh out as much info as you can from them.

she said yesterday it was instant she never got the other foot in stirrup

 

[Goldenstar]

16.5 long is very tiny for a adult unless she is very slight .