Can a 15 year old pony be taught dressage when they have only be used for jumping

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Field04

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I have just bought a 15 year old pony. She was used in a club for jumping, but does not seem to have done any dressage. I have bought her mainly to hack on, but would also like to train her in low level dressage. Is she too old to learn from scratch? And I mean from scratch as even a basic circle turns out to be very flat on one side! I also tried lungeing her the other day, again not something she has ever done before!!

I don't mind how much work or time I have to put in, I just want to know opinions on whether it is possible. She is in good shape and quite fit.
 
Yep- it'll take time and patience but yes, you definitely can!

I'd advise finding an instructor you like and working with them and then trying to introduce what you get in lessons out hacking rather than in a school to start with so it's less pressurised. Also, if she says she really doesn't want to play you need to listen to her and let her be- square pegs and round holes and all that!
 
I am having my first lesson with her next week, so will see how it goes. She really has no knowledge at all, which I find quite tricky even when hacking as I am used to be able to shoulder in to pass scary objects etc, but she has no notion of this whatsoever! Looking forward to getting going with it!
 
There is no reason why you cannot retrain her, it will mean going back to basics and taking one step at a time, the main problem with older ones is that their muscles may take longer to build up correctly.

I would get a physio to check her, they will be able to help her relax any tension that has built up and also give you exercises to do on the ground which will really help. Then just take things slowly, encourage her to stretch down to a contact and go in a steady rhythm, give her plenty of time to build up a good topline and you should make steady progress, hacking will be good for her.

A few lessons may help give you ideas to get started, work over poles would be good also.
 
Definitely! I have just bought my horse at 14 after having him on loan for 4 months and his last owner had only really jumped him after buying him from a trekking centre. He has a nice trot but his canter was terrible he would run into it, nearly always get the wrong leg and couldn't get round a 20 metre circle! His trot is now worthy of 8s a lot of the time, my dressage judge instructor tells me and his trot to canter transitions are almost spot on 90 percent of the time he gets the correct lead (the 10 percent he doesn't is my fault) and he can do 2 laps of a 20 metre circle at least on both reins. I am a very proud mummy and am hoping we will be ready to do prelim in the autumn x
 
YES! When i was 10 I had a 20 year old riding school pony who had spent her entire life with her nose in the air, it took alot of time and effort but she learnt, towards the end of our time we came in front on Delia Cunnigham and had a 22 dressage.
As above, find a patient, knowledgable and lightweight trainer and you've no reason not to succeed!

Where are you based, the trainer who sorted above pony out is still freelancing!


GD :D
 
If you go about things the right way (unless there's a medical issue) I think you can teach an old horse new tricks.

Mum's old pony went and completed his first ever hunter trial aged 27 with the YO's son :)
 
Oh and just to add as I've seen your recent comment my boy is also starting to leg yield beautifully having never done it before :)
 
YEs she could easily be taught dressage - just school her as you wouold a baby horse. I had one at my riding school that was affectioantely known as the camel for the way he held his head and neck. He also only cantered correctly on the left lead

I worked on him daily for several months and he learnt to work on the bit, canter correctly on both leads, stated leg yielding for both me and my pupils and eventually coould do a passable shoulder in.
 
Yes - but agree you need to go back to basics. If he's not used to working in an outline etc remember he will need to build the muscles necessary to perform the more gymnastic movements.
 
YES - my (then just slightly arthritic) happy hacker got properly introduced to circles at age 14ish and by 16 was doing side saddle equitation classes and getting decent marks in unaff prelims, working in an outline, medium trot, a bit of shoulder in, etc.

We only did one session in the school a week on average - but lots of 'hacking schooling' which he preferred, e.g. medium walk to the next tree stump, leg yield round that bush etc.
 
I bought my boy at 14 he had mainly been used for jumping. Couldn't canter a 20 metre circle. He's now 18 and schooling at medium level at home. Starting to teach him changes. He is thriving on learning new things. Lots of blood sweat and tear have gone into it but so worth it. Just remember to enjoy it x
 
I schooled her today, it went quite well actually so came away feeling pleased. It started very badly as she is a nightmare to tack up, but once we got into the school I mounted her (a few times of getting on and off to get her to learn to stand still!) Then we worked on lots of walk trot transitions and 20 metre circles. The transitions were very very rushed to start with, but by the end her trot was much better, and not rushing off. The circles were not great though, as she does not seem to be very flexible at the moment, but will work on that. We also did some stretches of her neck gently to the side.

By the end of the session (only did 30 mins), she was listeining much better to my aids with the transitions which I was really pleased about. Then I got off and back on a few times, as still trying to teach her not to move when I get off. Funnily enough when I untacked her she moved less not being tied up then when she is tied up!
 
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