McNally
Well-Known Member
Last week the vet gave pony a clean bill of health so I can no longer blame his behaviour on anything much tbh! The sight in his good eye is good :-D
He has been on a course of bute just to make certain but its not really made much difference so its certainly looking like we have a teenage tear away on our hands (well my hands as my daughter is refusing to ride him which i cant blame her for really!)
So yesterday i planned a little hack round the quietest bit of our very busy village, with my daughter riding my own horse to accompany pony and give a lead if need be.
I was almost off before we got out of the gate! First whip round saw us cantering at speed back down the lane! got him back and tried again.....and again and again. This happened literally every time we passed ANYTHING people, dogs, cars, flowers, shadows you name it.
I decided the roads idea was a little silly so it was and of the lane and turn back (i know not recommended but the only circular hacks involve busy roads whichever way we turn).
So today i decided to take him alone. There's bit of a track we can go thru and a few small fields (again if you carry on along here you get to busy roads)
I figured with out my daughter id only be worried about me and pony not if she was also having problems.
Once we got off the yard (took a while!) i found that once he'd relaxed slightly you can loosen up on the contact a teeny bit and keeping my hands really wide and low was able to anticipate the spin and block him before he went. This made him a little cross and bouncy but he bouced forward so i figured 1/0 to me!
Through out the rest of the ride he did try it on a few times but mainly when i had to stop for gates and things like that, instead of continuing he'd try and whip round. Lots and lots of praise for going forward and instant NO for not but kindly i didnt use thel whip because in my head i still know something has caused this-he's such a star usually.
Yesterday i got back to the yard beaten! and just could never see my daughter riding him again- today im far far more hopefull.
Never dealt with anything like this before am i going the right way about it?
He has been on a course of bute just to make certain but its not really made much difference so its certainly looking like we have a teenage tear away on our hands (well my hands as my daughter is refusing to ride him which i cant blame her for really!)
So yesterday i planned a little hack round the quietest bit of our very busy village, with my daughter riding my own horse to accompany pony and give a lead if need be.
I was almost off before we got out of the gate! First whip round saw us cantering at speed back down the lane! got him back and tried again.....and again and again. This happened literally every time we passed ANYTHING people, dogs, cars, flowers, shadows you name it.
I decided the roads idea was a little silly so it was and of the lane and turn back (i know not recommended but the only circular hacks involve busy roads whichever way we turn).
So today i decided to take him alone. There's bit of a track we can go thru and a few small fields (again if you carry on along here you get to busy roads)
I figured with out my daughter id only be worried about me and pony not if she was also having problems.
Once we got off the yard (took a while!) i found that once he'd relaxed slightly you can loosen up on the contact a teeny bit and keeping my hands really wide and low was able to anticipate the spin and block him before he went. This made him a little cross and bouncy but he bouced forward so i figured 1/0 to me!
Through out the rest of the ride he did try it on a few times but mainly when i had to stop for gates and things like that, instead of continuing he'd try and whip round. Lots and lots of praise for going forward and instant NO for not but kindly i didnt use thel whip because in my head i still know something has caused this-he's such a star usually.
Yesterday i got back to the yard beaten! and just could never see my daughter riding him again- today im far far more hopefull.
Never dealt with anything like this before am i going the right way about it?
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