Frustrated with Nappy Pony

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DressageDiva1962

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I have a lovely Connemara pony who is perfect 98% of the time, but he has days when I could throttle him, he is just so naughty once he decides he dosent want to go anywhere that's it he throws his toys out of his pram. Today he didnt want to be caught and when I did catch him and set off for a nice quiet hack he got about 500 yards and threw the towel in and started napping and rearing in the road, I wasnt for giving in and a friend of mine came to the rescue and brought me a stick, which I dont normally carry, and I gave him a half hearted smack and off we went for about a mile and then he did it again, so he had another smack a rear, a head shake, and off we went again and then he was perfect.

Does anyone else have the same sort of problem, it would make me feel so much better knowing I am not on my own in this sort of situation and does anyone know how to deal with it, it has been a particarly boring summer with a lot of events cancelled so I am thinking he might be bored just hacking and I really hate myself for having to give him smack with a stick but the softly softly approach dosent seem to be working.

Any help would be so much appreciated.
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It sounds like you're already sorting it out. Hopefully, he'll soon learn that he can't get away with it and will stop trying to nap and then you won't have to use the stick again.
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Its just so frustrating, I cant understand why he changes from day to day, he was cut very late and had been used for stud work and lot of people say he still has a stallion attitude. I just keep plodding on and hope things will get better as I dont want to give up on him.
 
Lots of horses nap, it's nothing to do with having a stallion attitude. Don't give up yet as it sounds like you're doing a good job and not letting him get away with it. Just keep asserting yourself and keeping confident. Good Luck.
 
My pony used to do it and i used to do exacally what you did and eventually she got out of the habbit just keep on top of it and u should work it out. Yes it gets very fustrating. I just used to hack out with a stick ti make sure.
 
Sounds like you handled the situation perfectly. This sort of behaviour has to be dealt with quickly. Most horses will try something like this at least once and if they get away with it the chances are they'll just do it more often. Might be worth carrying a stick for at least the next couple of hacks.
 
Sounds like both the connies I know! Nappy buggers when they want to be (one rears, the other bucks) . Just persevere!
 
Maybe for the time being you could try and hack out with someone else too? At first follow their horse and see how that goes, once he's fine with that then hack out with you at the front and your friend behind. Once that's fine hack out alone but with a friend walking infront/behind. Finally, try it yourself.

That's what I did with my horse over the course of one and a half weeks, hacking every other day and then riding alone in the paddock when I wasn't hacking..so he's used to being alone. It worked really well and now he's fine.

I think it's just gradual, but whatever you do - whenever he naps, DON'T let him get away with it or it'll be 100x worse! Using blunt spurs also helps so you can still have contact down the reins.

good luck
 
I've had my welshie for 3years and whenver we leave the yard he stops on the grass verge outside. He spreads his legs and pretends to be having a wee. Its so funny, he does this every time we go up the road (at least three times a week) ; I know he does it to delay going up the hill. (he never does it when we go downhill!)I just raise my whip in the air and off he trots!
However he does have his moments of being nappy, basically he just tries to turn around and go home. I would keep a whip with you all the time, just the thought of it being in you hand would be enough to stop him.
 
You def are not the only one with a nappy horse!!! lol my mare can be dresful and like you the 'softly softly' approach doesnt work -she basically laughs at you! i have to be very firm with her and let her know whos in charge. and unfortunately that does involve a stick.
 
i think it really sounds as if he's trying it on, and unfortunately when they're doing that, a smack is the answer. if that's all it took, then you really do need to carry a stick always... that might be enough actually... if he knows you've got it, you might not even need to use it again!
if he only naps when taken out on his own, that's his herd instinct coming into play, which (as he's not a frightened youngster who has never been out on his own) needs pushing past, with a quick tap of the stick... maybe a smack if that doesn't work. if if was something worse than a bit of naughtiness, then one smack wouldn't work, imho! just be determined... if he's being lovely and doing as you want, of course you are lovely to him, but if he decides to be rude and horrible and naughty, then he can expect a smacked bottom to remind him that you aren't a pushover!
any horse who is a bit bright will test the boundaries occasionally, just like kids at school. you respect the teacher who responds straight away... as will he.
good luck with it! it sounds as if you're doing just the right thing.
 
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