Enjoy riding the buzzy type, are they one way or the other?

[RachelFerd]

Much, much, much easier to get a lazy one excited and forward than it is to settle something that's too buzzy. Give me lazy every. single. time.

I didn't used to think like that, but having coverted my backwards thinking horse into a proper event horse, I now realise it is the easier pathway!

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I didn't used to think like that, but having coverted my backwards thinking horse into a proper event horse,

Any tips? That’s what I’d love to do.. BE90 would be the ultimate goal.

Instructor at camp recently said she’s very sensible and mature in her head for a 5yo and that there are ways to fizz her up.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

The first pony I broke in myself was a welsh section C type. Lovely boy and I can remember hacking him and thinking he was quite boring. However I then made the mistake of doing too much too soon, took him in a jumping event at our local RC. It was a bit bigger than we had done up to then and must have worried him. Next time I got on him he was a different pony. Very over excited and very strong. I spent the rest of his life (23yrs) trying to calm him down again. He taught me a lot. Now I would love the quiet boy he originally was.

 

[RachelFerd]

Any tips? That’s what I’d love to do.. BE90 would be the ultimate goal.

Instructor at camp recently said she’s very sensible and mature in her head for a 5yo and that there are ways to fizz her up.

You have to learn to make the work fun and offer reward for every time they try to think forwards and offer you energy. I felt like I had to re-learn to ride with my chestnut TB - because I was used to horses where I was always trying to control and reduce their output, and with him I was trying to generate it. But actually, it was really about learning to ride "correctly" - leg into hand, never nagging, always rewarding. And also being very conscious of how position errors etc. can be very 'blocking' on a horse that doesn't automatically want to put it all in.

That combined with a varied routine, lots of group hacking with forward going horses and potentially drag hunting and low level teamchasing too.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

But actually, it was really about learning to ride "correctly" - leg into hand, never nagging, always rewarding. And also being very conscious of how position errors etc. can be very 'blocking' on a horse that doesn't automatically want to put it all in.

That combined with a varied routine, lots of group hacking with forward going horses and potentially drag hunting and low level teamchasing too.

Thanks RF. That is really helpful. I did get into a bit of a habit of nagging, but have massively improved now. It was more in the school when she tends to be less off the leg, but am conscious of it so tell myself not to.

I noticed a big difference when I really think of position and ‘ride properly, core, core core’ is what I tell myself. She enjoys fast hacks with others.. finds riding on her own incredibly boring but I wonder if some of that is nappiness.

Spurs keep crossing my mind, she was really offended by a schooling whip so now use a short whip and that’s made a big improvement. She accepts it and just goes forward, rather than kicking out at it.

 

[Birker2020]

Anyone else like riding something a bit excitable? Not wild. Just very forward, super keen.

My 5yo ISH mare is a saint, she’s easy in every way. Reactive off the leg but there is no buzzyness in her. She’s very sensible headed. Not phased by anything, I guess more woah than go.

I sometimes ride feeling a bit bored.. is that crazy? I backed her myself.

My horse of a lifetime was a buzzy 14.2 which I thoroughly loved riding but sadly said goodbye at a young age often crosses my mind about selling her but then wonder if it will come with age?

My first horse Biggles was like this, cantered sideways constantly and grabbing and pulling and leaping and all sorts of things. I thought it was cool at the time. Probably would have got him investigated for ulcers had I got him now! He'd obviously a physical problem somewhere. Didn't help that he was zero weight and so the only thing that would put on any weight was Baileys No.4 cereal mix and Supa Barley Rings! My next horse was dopey and needed spurs and constant motivational chats! Dead boring.....

As an aside, I could cry now looking at that photo of how slim I was

 

[Tarragon]

I do think that people can confuse a buzzy horse with a very anxious adrenaline-fuelled horse. These type might be "fun" to ride, but I am not sure that the horse is enjoying the experience as much as the rider is.
I like to ride anything that enjoys being ridden, ears forward and keen to get a move on, and wants to see what is around the corner.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I do think that people can confuse a buzzy horse with a very anxious adrenaline-fuelled horse. These type might be "fun" to ride, but I am not sure that the horse is enjoying the experience as much as the rider is.
I like to ride anything that enjoys being ridden, ears forward and keen to get a move on, and wants to see what is around the corner.

I can't understand why anyone, other than a silly teenager, which we all were once, wants a badly behaved horse.

 

[Alibear]

As your horse is 5, I'd say just hang onto them for another year. Sometimes you get ultra polite and steady youngsters that get a bit more go about them once they get confident a year or two after being backed.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

My first horse Biggles was like this, cantered sideways constantly and grabbing and pulling and leaping and all sorts of things. I thought it was cool at the time. Probably would have got him investigated for ulcers had I got him now! He'd obviously a physical problem somewhere. Didn't help that he was zero weight and so the only thing that would put on any weight was Baileys No.4 cereal mix and Supa Barley Rings! My next horse was dopey and needed spurs and constant motivational chats! Dead boring.....

As an aside, I could cry now looking at that photo of how slim I was

View attachment 117149

Oh wow @Birker2020 what a lovely photo!

I do think that people can confuse a buzzy horse with a very anxious adrenaline-fuelled horse. These type might be "fun" to ride, but I am not sure that the horse is enjoying the experience as much as the rider is.
I like to ride anything that enjoys being ridden, ears forward and keen to get a move on, and wants to see what is around the corner.

I can't understand why anyone, other than a silly teenager, which we all were once, wants a badly behaved horse.

You’re very right about a very anxious horse being called excited, one at our yard has sedation to hack as the owner says it gets so excited but really it’s filled with anxiousness.

My last pony was bombproof but extremely keen, he would march off the yard on his own or in company with a stomp about him, yet safe for a novice. I could tell he enjoyed it and we had so many amazing memories together. I still get upset he went so young. Where as my mare is more of ‘argh.. we have to do this?’ Sometimes, when I get on and I guess that’s what ruins it a bit.

As your horse is 5, I'd say just hang onto them for another year. Sometimes you get ultra polite and steady youngsters that get a bit more go about them once they get confident a year or two after being backed.

Like you say Alibear, maybe it is just worth waiting and seeing what she’s like next year.

 

[Birker2020]

Oh wow @Birker2020 what a lovely photo!

Thanks I probably weigh five times this now
He was a special horse, never ran out or refused a fence once in 2 years 10 months of owning him no matter what dreadful stride I had him on to a fence. Totally forgiving and genuine.

 

[Squeak]

Where as my mare is more of ‘argh.. we have to do this?’ Sometimes, when I get on and I guess that’s what ruins it a bit.

This sentence jumped out at me a bit. Is she maybe just needing to find what she enjoys and a bit more variety?

 

[Waxwing]

As we are getting to know our new mare mare I am concerned that she is going to be a bit to much of the fun and buzzy sort for me; as our instructor put it she has a bit of sass in her that wasn't evident when we tried or, or in our first six weeks or owning her. The moving off the rocked fuelled grass has calmed the sass down markedly and we shall se where we go from there. In the middle of the night I find myself wondering if I don't decide to keep her will someone enjoy her. This thread has made me remember that what people want and enjoy from a horse differs hugely and she would suit lots of people. Lots of people at the yard enjoy riding her.

 

[Nasicus]

As we are getting to know our new mare mare I am concerned that she is going to be a bit to much of the fun and buzzy sort for me; as our instructor put it she has a bit of sass in her that wasn't evident when we tried or, or in our first six weeks or owning her. The moving off the rocked fuelled grass has calmed the sass down markedly and we shall se where we go from there. In the middle of the night I find myself wondering if I don't decide to keep her will someone enjoy her. This thread has made me remember that what people want and enjoy from a horse differs hugely and she would suit lots of people. Lots of people at the yard enjoy riding her.

Yup, horses for courses! Mine would bore the nips off of a lot of people, but she's perfect for me and what I want to do.

 

[Waxwing]

In the middle of the night I wonder if anyone would want to buy her as she has bucked a few times. I then remind myself that our last horse behaved really badly when the people who bought her tried her. She was on sales livery and had had a couple of months for a minor health issue, not soundness related, and had just been clipped so was rather full of it. Some people who had tried her previously when she was in full work had said she was too quiet! They took her home six days later and very happy with her. The new one will hack out alone , has points up to BD Novice, when not on rocket fuel grass is quiet enough to take part in a group riding school lesson and is a nice person on the ground. She hadn't done much jumping which doesn't bother me as my jumping efforts stop at trot poles but has jumped up to a meter with someone from the yard riding her. If a horse doesn't have any underlying health issues or behavioural issues that make them unsafe to ride there generally is someone out there that they suit and who suits them.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I love riding the super forward jaggy ones that are totally safe and non spooky. I've been lucky enough to have had a few of these and they are so much fun!!

 

[spacefaer]

We've got what consider to be the perfect chap. He marches out on his hacks, always interested in where he's going, always up for a canter, takes a hold but stops in his eggbut snaffle. He's just fun! If he's really fresh, you need take your leg off his side and not take a contact for the first 1/4 mile but he's never bucked, spooked, spun... he'd be mortally embarrassed if he did anything so ungentlemanly.
His only downside is that he's 16. I can fully imagine though as a four year old, he'd have been as sharp and as sensitive as a young TB, as the one thing he cannot bear is being hung on to or restricted. Sometime you just have to wait for them to mature into their true personalty!

 

[spottypony90]

No I’m the same - I like to ride something that has something about it. I’d consider taking her hunting if you want to add a bit more sparkle. If she’s a bit on the steady side it shouldn’t send her too wild.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

We've got what consider to be the perfect chap. He marches out on his hacks, always interested in where he's going, always up for a canter, takes a hold but stops in his eggbut snaffle. He's just fun! If he's really fresh, you need take your leg off his side and not take a contact for the first 1/4 mile but he's never bucked, spooked, spun... he'd be mortally embarrassed if he did anything so ungentlemanly.
His only downside is that he's 16. I can fully imagine though as a four year old, he'd have been as sharp and as sensitive as a young TB, as the one thing he cannot bear is being hung on to or restricted. Sometime you just have to wait for them to mature into their true personalty!

Sounds just my type!

 

[Barton Bounty]

We've got what consider to be the perfect chap. He marches out on his hacks, always interested in where he's going, always up for a canter, takes a hold but stops in his eggbut snaffle. He's just fun! If he's really fresh, you need take your leg off his side and not take a contact for the first 1/4 mile but he's never bucked, spooked, spun... he'd be mortally embarrassed if he did anything so ungentlemanly.
His only downside is that he's 16. I can fully imagine though as a four year old, he'd have been as sharp and as sensitive as a young TB, as the one thing he cannot bear is being hung on to or restricted. Sometime you just have to wait for them to mature into their true personalty!

This is kinda like BB..

Loves a canter, stops with no bit always interested where he is going, never ever ever have the leg on. A total gentleman but he can spook if scared or brain is fried…

Then I remember how hard I have worked to get here and that he is a TB after all

Your chap sounds an absolute delight

 

[SEL]

I used to like the buzzy types until I got old!

Saying that the 13h microcob isn't a plod. She's a bit broken but when she decides it's time for a gallop then it's time for a gallop She will pull up on my voice but then the native pony eye roll is given because the human is being useless. Because she's little it always feels like 50mph as her tiny legs go so fast

Meeting the hounds on exercise does mean we bounce all the way home though.

But she's golden in traffic, gave my 7yo niece a pony ride at the weekend and I'd trust her to bring me home safely any day.

Just wish she was bigger, younger and less broken.

Baby cob is a bit Welsh in attitude. When he's bored or hasn't had enough work he finds his own entertainment. Still work in progress but definitely turbo cob at the one fun ride we've done.

 

[DabDab]

You can certainly make horses more forward going and zoned in on the job if that makes sense. But I don't think I can recall a laid back youngster ever turn into the sort to be splurging energy all over the place unless something had gone wrong in either mind or body (or both).

I like my horses naturally forward going and quite task orientated these days, because it's my hobby and I like an easy life. Having ridden plenty of both I know that I both prefer and am better at quietening down than jazzing up. Not that mine are silly, they never do anything spicy at all, they are just ridden more off the seat than anything else and like to march out down the road

 

[Hormonal Filly]

This sentence jumped out at me a bit. Is she maybe just needing to find what she enjoys and a bit more variety?

I’ve not been doing much fun/fast work because of the hard ground but I do mostly hack her.

Equally I don’t do much schooling as I’m aware it’s boring, but took her in there for 20 minutes today and she was really keen. Maybe I do need to try and give more variety, go to a gallops or something.

We've got what consider to be the perfect chap. He marches out on his hacks, always interested in where he's going, always up for a canter, takes a hold but stops in his eggbut snaffle. He's just fun! If he's really fresh, you need take your leg off his side and not take a contact for the first 1/4 mile but he's never bucked, spooked, spun... he'd be mortally embarrassed if he did anything so ungentlemanly.
His only downside is that he's 16. I can fully imagine though as a four year old, he'd have been as sharp and as sensitive as a young TB, as the one thing he cannot bear is being hung on to or restricted. Sometime you just have to wait for them to mature into their true personalty!

He sounds a dream, exactly like my 14.2 I lost a couple of years ago at 10. He was brilliant, jumped 1.10m cross country and never once stopped or ran out his entire life, we always said he thought he was a thoroughbred at heart. I have to accept I’ll never find another like him and stop comparing him to my mare.

 

[SEL]

I’ve not been doing much fun/fast work because of the hard ground but I do mostly hack her.

Equally I don’t do much schooling as I’m aware it’s boring, but took her in there for 20 minutes today and she was really keen. Maybe I do need to try and give more variety, go to a gallops or something.

I've certainly found that for a few days after an outing baby cob is a lot more bouncy.

I'm glad I spent his 4yo year at home because he needed to learn to hack on roads on his own and I needed the bit from the yard to be boring - he'll now plod up there irrespective of idiot drivers - but parties definitely wind him up

 

[catkin]

I’ve not been doing much fun/fast work because of the hard ground but I do mostly hack her.

Equally I don’t do much schooling as I’m aware it’s boring, but took her in there for 20 minutes today and she was really keen. Maybe I do need to try and give more variety, go to a gallops or something.

Do you try different things when schooling? My pony has always loved doing handy pony and gymkhana games type stuff so we do some either within a lesson or a school session. He's still learning/refining all the schooling-y stuff like how to carry himself, how to turn, how to change pace etc but he seems to 'get the point' whilst turning round a cone, placing flags, carrying things or going over poles.