catching a pony. then he is pi***ng off!!! HELP

_Rach_

_Rach_

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hi
Its a 13.2 pony and when his owner is getting him in , a 12yr old small girl he is just galloping off bucking, then you get close enough to catch him and he goes again, so far he has been lame from doing this! broke 3 leadrope from getting them round his legs. We have tried other people getting him in, when me and mum get him in, he wont even try it. But we cant be there to get him in all the time. When the girls dad get him in he will try it with him but he is able to keep hod and tell him off. He will then behave for about 3 weeks max and then start again. There is not really much warning before he does it he just squels and goes! agrr Naughty pony.
Any sugestions would be great.
Thanks in advance
x
 
It might be that the pony is only ever bought in from the field to be ridden and if its a young girl that owns him she may be just repeditevely riding him or jumping him again and again, in which case the pony may be fed up and not want to be caught. He could be a bit stale from being overjumped or galloped around and around. I am presuming that this is what the girl is doing with him (I might be totally incorrect in this assumption, I know there are some sensible young girls around). It sounds like he has a bit more respect for you and your mum. Of course he might just be playing her up and sees it as a really good game, but knows he woudln't get away with this game with you and your mum (again just guessing). How about suggesting that the owner only rides him for 5 days out of 7 and gives him a couple of days off in the week, catching him and bringing him in for a nice feed and lots of cuddles instead. this will stop his sullen attitude.
 
I'd just explain that its a bit like eating your favourite food but in excess. If you eat too much in one go, it puts you off ever eating it again as it makes you feel sick. Maybe that will get the message through. I can't eat fudge now after a ghastly experience when my friend and I ate a 1 1/2lb of fudge in about an hour when we were ten. Talk about sick. The very sight of it makes me ill. LOL x
 
TBH it really makes no odds as to what the reason is behind his behaviour. It needs to be stopped as its dangerous. I would say that he is playing the child up if he i sok for you and your mum to bing in, after all, he doesn't know who is going to ride him once he gets there!.
Can the child put a bridle on him, even if its just a headpiece and browband with a bit on. She will then have more control? If not what about some form of a controller headcollar?
 
A bridle might be a bit fiddly for the child to get on, and the pony would have to be obliging and stand still and open it's mouth. Not sure it wouldn't simply cop off a bit sooner if it sees a bridle coming its way. Maybe a controller halter of some description would be of more help?
 
We had a pony like this when I was a kid
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Although she wouldnt let you catch her end of. You'd get close enough to touch her but then she'd shoot off.

We resolved it by not riding her when she was brought in!

If I wanted to ride I would bring her in the night before or bring her in and feed her, give her a good groom and ride a couple of hours later.

She just associated me bringing her in with work and she didnt want to know. But bringing her in for food, not always riding when I brought her in, and sometimes just bringing her in for nice things, she started letting me catch her and we had no more problems
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