dales pony who won't walk

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dalesue

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hi guys im new to the forum and was just wondering if anyone can shed a lil light on a small problem i have. my mate and i have just bought a dales mare together (owned her 2 weeks) and we are finding she doesnt like to walk. she just seems to want to trot or jog all the time and trys to evade the bit. if you try to get her to walk she starts napping or going sideways. her ground manners are beautiful and is a dream to do everything with but we are just struggling to get her to walk. we are riding her in a french link on advice of our trainer and have had her professionally fitted for a saddle, dentist is due next week and our trainer has checked her mouth saying she cant find any obvious probs with her. has anyone out there had the same problems with this bred of pony or similar type pony/horse.
many thanx sue :confused:
 
The only thing that springs to mind (and I am not a very experienced horsey person) is that my dales mare is very sensitive to changes in the grass. This time of year she usually turns into a race horse wannabe and wants to gallop everywhere.
 
The thing with Dales ponies is that they are very clever, very 'pony' minded and always thinking! If she were mine I would be doing lots of transitions walk to halt (or jog to halt!) until she stops thinking about jogging and starts thinking about what you're asking her to do. Do you ride her in a school or hack? If you're in the school try lots of circling, changing of the rein etc so that she again starts thinking about the person on board instead of jogging about! What is she like in trot? The other thing you could try is putting a flash noseband on if she's opening her mouth to evade the bit.

It sounds like she's a very forward thinking pony who just wants to 'get going' all the time - I have a Dales stallion (now retired from riding) who was very similar to ride in that respect! What is her registered name (pure nosiness now, my family run a Dales pony stud so am always interested to hear about other ponies!)
 
c2B - funny you should say that - my half dales boy is behaving like he's on acid :p

Sorry OP not much help. Is this ridden or being led ?

Oooooooo my boy is from the Westwick Line.
 
hi thanx guys for the replys. at presant she is being ridden in a school and flash nose band is in place. the tips on schooling are much appreciated and will try when on her tomorrow. her full name is Rosebarr lucy. she is such a sweetie just very head strong and forward,lol. :o she is lovely in trot and has a very bouncy canter so need to sit deep and wrap legs round to stay sitting lol.
 
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Two things have sprung to mind - the bit and the saddle ? Do they both fit, and are they both suitable ? I only ask, as these are two things that I have been changing recently, and the difference it has made has been quite surprising.

Also the teeth may need doing ?
 
Id say try to ignore the jogging and ask for walk with your seat but trying to avoid too much contact on her mouth as she will only get more wound up and jog more. You can try to channel the forward energy into leg yeield, change of flexion etc to try to keep her mind busy and off the jogging. It is difficult but you will soon crack it.
 
sorry to sound like a novice here but whats a vulcinite snaffle. our trainer advised a french link as dales have a low roof of mouth and the nutcracker effect of the snaffle could be what was irritating her. since putting the french link in shes been less wound up but still trys to insist on jogging and trotting rather than walking. once she is in trot she responds lovely. what i dont want is to be out on a hack and be trotting the whole way and have to chew on getting her to walk constantly. she evades the bit a lot less with the flash and our saddle has been professionally fitted so that cant be the issue. our dentist is calling tues/wed of next week. i think from what the lady who breeds dales who replied earlier may be onto somthing and it could be down to schooling. she is 15 and was apparently uesd for disabled riding once over.:)
 
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