best way of dealing with excitement bucking (to get pony suitable for novice?!)

[Morgan123]

OK - i know not ideal situation, but here it is:

a friend has asked me to help her school her pony. she's novicey and bought him as a four year old, and since then basically all he's done is school at walk and trot (occasional cantering) and go for walks with one or two other people. She now wants to do more with him and as he's still pretty green, for me to school him. It's been going fine, and the pony is ace and really fun. I've been doing work on his canter, jumping, and have been hacking him out wiht others since these are the things she wanted him to do wiht an experienced rider so that she'll then be more confident to take over.

The problem is, the pony thinks all this stuff is mind-blowingly amazing. I am a relatively calm rider, but even just to trot with a group of others on a hack we're starting to get bronking and cantering sideways etc. Yesterday he started bucking in the school after we'd cantered once... It's absolutely clear this is just excitement and he has dentist regularly, and i'm a masseur and can see his back etc is ok (though if it gets bad may recommend she gets a chiro/phsyio too!)

I am in about five minds about how to deal with this! recommendations?? Options i would consider:

1) ignoring him (except for growling at him) and hoping he'll grow out of it if i just keep him going (bad points: he is one of those that never gets tired and im not sure he WILL just grow out of it and i don't want to put off his rider....)

2) using a stick on his shoulder when he's bucking (bad points: i think he may get worse with this seeing as will add frustration to the excitement). Not sure this is a cure...

3) bringing him back to walk every time he does it, since for him the fun stuff is e.g. trotting, cantering or jumping and walking can therefore be a mild punishment (good points: he needs to be steadier for his rider, but bad points: goes against all the 'ride through it' stuff i've been taught and not sure if he'd just get more frustrated??)

4) going much much slower and not cantering, jumping or hacking for a little while until he's chilled out again....??

his rider is not fazed when she sees him doing this stuff with me and really wants him to go and have fun, do sponsored rides etc. but i don't want to get him to the point where he just thinks everything's such a brilliant laugh that he can buck all the time so it will scare her!!

opinions?? sorry it's long....!

p.s. i know some people will say pony is not suitable for rider but unfortunately i don't think she'd ever sell him so that's not really an option, i just have to help her as best i can!!

 

[3Beasties]

I'd go for option one, if he bucks pull his head up and push him forward, hopefully he will soon realise that it is a waste of energy that achieves nothing!

 

[noblesteed]

Firstly I would look at his feed and check that's not making him fizzy. Is he getting enough turnout?
When my horse does excited bucks I growl at him, pull his head up and kick him on, and turn him onto small circles in canter. Then I spend a bit of time bending and doing lateral work, get him really working and sweating. This is a good way to discourage bucking by teaching them that bucking = hard work.
I agree that pulling him up would probably make him more frustrated. He's showing you he's full of energy by bucking. So you just need to teach him to channel that energy into his work.

 

[Morgan123]

Hmm thanks. i agree. that's what i've been doing (growling, pulling head up, making him work, suppleness etc) but am just a bit worried it's not going to cure him of it since he's still excited and it doens't seem to deter him!! I'll keep on anyway!!

he's not fed anything other than a small handful of pony nuts after being ridden, and is turned out 24/7. it's purely just excitement. it's nice that he's so happy to do stuff but i'm a bit worried he's not going to get much better! never mind!

 

[Cedars]

Hmm, difficult situation and I think cos you're trying to handle it in so many situations its difficult as well...

In the school, or when hacking alone, I'd pull his head up (or towards your toes, whichever stops him locking his back), and kick on like mad and make the bugger run until YOU want him to stop. But when hacking in company you cant do that for risk that others will end up bolting off...

I'd suggest sitting it out, generally totally ignoring it as best as poss, and riding on. He probably will grow out of it, when the things get less exciting!

Can his rider sit bucks? Does he bolt with them, or just buck? xxx

 

[Morgan123]

hello,

well, she said she thinks he would think about bolting, but mainly i think he's just bucking. she's sat what he's thrown so far with her, and i think she'll be ok, but i don't want it to dent her confidence!!

the thing that worries me is that as a youngster (pre-backing) he was known as a rearer. wheover broke him in obviously did somehting right as he hasn't YET shown any signs of it (or at any other time with her in the 3 yrs she's had him) but i'm worried about making him so overexcited that he starts on that again!! I think you're all right - i'll keep doing what i'm doing (but trying to keep all situations as calm as possible) and if he does it just make it uncomfortable for him (pull his head up, growl, make him work) and then reward when he's a good boy. Maybe i'll just take a week or two just on walk adn trot schooling as well.... and start wearing my body protector more lol!! thank you!!

 

[Cedars]

Hmm the rearing thing is a worry, particularly with a more novice rider, as I know I wouldnt be able to sit a "proper" rear. I definitely wouldnt smack him with a whip or anything then, although pushing him on would probably stop the rear...

However, 3 years is a long time to NEVER have reared, not sure I'd still class him as a rearer, because my 1 year old rears lots when excited but Im not at all concerned that she'll rear when she grows out of being a baby.

Good luck anyway, just walk/trot work for a long time might be good? Also could you ride on a hack with a desperately slow, calm horse? xxx

 

[Sparkles]

How often do you ride him?

Sounds like he's just having the youngster moments he never got to have, from never being asked of much with his owner tbh. I would say it's excitement mixed in with nappiness more than pure excitedness.

Ignore it and keep schooling, bore him endless and just work-work-work.
If he's a pony, they generally thrive on work and are nightmares if not! Our pony's and previous ponies were worked twice a day to shut them up.

If he's always going to be a confident second pony type, then she really does just need to accept that and have a good long reality check and decide what's best for them both in the short AND long term. Seen the youngster v novice thing way too many times and it bores me now. You put a lot of hard into something for free [both time wise and money wise, especially as schooling livery rates are £130 per week approx] and you're still no better at the end once he's sorted with out, as 6 months down the line you usually end up back to square one and have a phone call asking for help again as they've figured out ways to get out of work again sadly.