Fuming - how would you tell the RI ?

[Spotsrock]

Sorry I really don't see the problem. If mine struggled with this we'd redo it till they stopped struggling and paid attention.

Not much point teaching your horse to jump if you worry this much about 2 poles, if you think this is scary wait for fillers and doubles! Ooh or cross country fences.

Try to relax and let your baby grow up and learn. I struggle with my feet/ankles too, try not to project your fears about your own problems controling your feet onto your ponio!

 

[loisb501]

I wouldn't be bothered in the slightest- horses- even young ones should be able to step over a pole, two together is nothing when you compare the size of a horse.

Although if I was riding for someone and they were upset over little things like that then I would probably think it was more trouble than it was worth carrying on riding said horse.

 

[Keenjean]

Yes, not ideal, BUT your horse will come across far worse situations and if the horse was walking I doubt the poles were rolling anywhere terribly fast. Try to focus on the positive thing that your youngster behaved well and took it in his stride.

 

[NativePonyLover]

I'd personally be pleased he reacted so well. I'm a firm believer in encouraging a horse to think for his/herself and frequently throw (again, not literally) slightly odd things at my young/green horse to improve spook busting & encourage him to work things out.

I know it's hard not to when they are your baby, but I think you might be over worrying on this occassion.

 

[Honey08]

Sorry, i think you're over reacting too.

There will be times in the future that the horse knocks a fence and has poles rolling all over, better that she learns to deal with it with a calm rider onboard in a school at walk, without it being made into a big issue... I don't think the instructor should have called you, to me, and no doubt to her, it wasn't a big deal, or even a little one.

 

[Aarrghimpossiblepony]

"Least said, soonest mended" is my reaction to the OP.

Though it did remind me, from the tone of the OP, of that scene in "Star Wars, Return of the Jedi", when those big machines can't cope with the logs the Ewoks have laid down.

 

[lastchancer]

Sounds like you're thoughly frustrated because you're not able to do the work your self.
I wouldn't make an issue of it tbh, the RI would most likely be hurt and annoyed after she's spent the time with your horse. Also, if you're horse is to be in anyway useful to ride she's going to have to face much bigger challenges than the odd rogue trotting pole(!)

 

[Rebels]

I've seen a horse pull a leg before standing on a pole that rolled away so I can see your worry but the fact is that the made dealt with the situation calmly and sensibly. I assume the instructor repeated the exercise and the horse was OK?

 

[LaurenBay]

I think you are over reacting. If your concerned about it how about approaching your RI and saying something along the lines of "xxx went really well yesterday, very proud of him, especially since he knocked the pole and didn't react, but would you mind just doing the one pleas next time as I'm a bit worried x,y,z could happen and I wouldn't want to put him off poles"

 

[emmab13]

So, as I understand it, there were two poles like this: ll
with a tiny gap between them, maybe a hand's width? Is this correct?

Pony trotted over poles, hitting the first one which knocked into the second one. Cue split second of stumble/confusion then they trotted on their merry way.

I would hope and expect that your horse will face far greater challeges in his future than two trotting poles. I would expect he's come across trip hazards in his field, like a tractor rut, a mole-hill, a clump of grass.

Seriously. Get a grip.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

To minimise poles rolling around & causing problems for the horse use square poles. I bought some planed 3" x 1½ “ planed timber & painted them white & use them as trotting or canter poles & now it doesn't matter if horse steps on them or not as they don't role anywhere.

 

[Goldenstar]

No I would not tell your RI you are fuming ,you are as everyone has said overreacting .
Chill nothing happened .

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

The only issue i see is the youngster steped into the poles! I would expect my youngsters to give the poles some air if new to them! But thats the showjumper in me will do the horse no harm in the long run and it will play more attention next time

 

[WelshD]

With the greatest of respect and well meaning GW knowing even just a little bit about you from here I bet although you held your tongue (and well done for that) I would put money on your RI already having picked up on your annoyance. I cant imagine you hid it very well

I would personally leave it at that and dont risk a previously good relationship

I very much doubt they will let it happen again (especially given your tendancies towards wanting to bury people in muck heaps!)

x x

 

[risky business]

I'm another who thinks your over reacting sorry..

I'd just let it go if I were you it's really not that big a deal? Iv seen horses who've done pole work before fumble about on just the one pole by accident.

Accidents happen best your youngster get used to situations that could panic a horse so she learns to deal with it.

 

[Moomin1]

Seriously Op?

Get a grip! Horses are not made of fibreglass!

 

[YorksG]

I would be changing the rider if I were the OP. The woman rode a newly restarted youngster over poles that someone had randomly left lying about in the school. This suggests to me that the rider is lazy and does not prepare the school for what she is going to do, so has not prepared in her mind what she is doing with the youngster. This is very different from the youngster coming across random obstacles out hacking, or thought out obstacles in the school. Very unprofessional of someone who is being paid to do a job.

 

[Tnavas]

unless you have square poles they will move be it, 1 or 2 poles? i was told never to place at a single pole because they will jump it and not think about it. may be just say wouldn't want any pole work done? id also think about and rules you want in place. can't honestly see that the ri did any thing out of place.

Always one or three or more - never just two with a youngster - start with individual poles scattered around and keep walking over until they STOP jumping them as they often do early on. One pole is far less dangerous than two as if they are likely to jump the first they can land on the second or jump both.

OP - naughty instructor but not really anything to get so worked up about, I've seen horses kick their way through a line of trotting poles scattering them in all directions - they tend to be a bit more careful the next time around - two poles together is really no more 8" of pole to step over.

 

[mandwhy]

I don't see a big issue either, but I respect that you have questioned your evident rage and have come for opinions! We all get unreasonable sometimes and I'm glad you didn't just go off at someone who is useful and a friend to you...

As WelshD said, I am pretty sure your RI would have picked up on your annoyance, but I think simply saying 'can we sort out the spacing differently next time' will ram the point home if you are worried

 

[bitlessbill]

I would be changing the rider if I were the OP. The woman rode a newly restarted youngster over poles that someone had randomly left lying about in the school. This suggests to me that the rider is lazy and does not prepare the school for what she is going to do, so has not prepared in her mind what she is doing with the youngster. This is very different from the youngster coming across random obstacles out hacking, or thought out obstacles in the school. Very unprofessional of someone who is being paid to do a job.

Agree with this, my instructor meticulously prepares the school for her planned session and doesn't just make use of stuff randomly left lying around because it happens to be there.

 

[DJ]

I would be changing the rider if I were the OP. The woman rode a newly restarted youngster over poles that someone had randomly left lying about in the school. This suggests to me that the rider is lazy and does not prepare the school for what she is going to do, so has not prepared in her mind what she is doing with the youngster. This is very different from the youngster coming across random obstacles out hacking, or thought out obstacles in the school. Very unprofessional of someone who is being paid to do a job.

^^^ This. Whilst I throw all sorts of different things at my youngsters I do it in a controlled way (thought out for consequences). This helps the horse learn about things and grow in confidence when dealing with anything new, and confidence is a very fragile thing in a young horse. They DO need to be set up for success, and that isn`t a namby pamby excuse either, it applies in the same way to children too.


Example ... Child learning to ride a bike. It is done is stages, riding a tricycle usually comes first, they learn steering and control and how to use the pedals. Next comes a 2 wheeled bike but with stabilizers, then you take one stabilizer away, then you will run with them and help with balance, you speak to them, offering encouragement as you run along side, until their confidence has grown and away they go them selves. All the above done in incremental steps. You wouldn`t just grab a 2 wheeled bike and say here off you go.

Well i feel it is the same with new experiences with horses, of any age to be fair. I`d expect the horse to be introduced to 1 pole, on the ground first for naturally nervous/spooky types, but ridden is fine if they are at that stage already. But i`d make sure the horse is completely confident with one pole first, then i`d go for 2 or 3 or 4 but spaced out, again, all done incrementally til the horse does it with out thinking about it, no hesitations. Taking your time with it now and building them up is a lot better than trying to retrain "**** scared" behaviour later down the line.

I feel that if OP wasn`t struggling so much with her ankle, this would be the way she would chose to be doing it, hence why she feels a bit miffed that some one she was trusting to help bring her mare on, had quite haphazardly gone at it.

OP well done for not losing your rag .... As someone else said i`m pretty sure she`ll know you were a bit miffed, so deep breath, your little mare is fine, and maybe see if next time ridden you/she can just use one pole and then build up from that. I`m someone who is all about the "what ifs" lol, but sometimes it`s better to look at the positives, ie, she handled it well and no harm was done, and so now you and the instructor can find a way that works for you both

 

[Rebels]

See, maybe i read it wrong but the youngster wasn't presented with a line of poles but asked to step over one obstacle consisting of 2 poles rolled together therefore giving an obstacle 4 inches high and 8inches wide .

 

[smellsofhorse]

don't know why its a big deal.

Going over two poles together is often done.
Doesn't make much of a difference to the horse.

so eve if there had been just one pole the horse probably would still have clipped it.
just this time the other pole rolled.

I too, would be like your instructor and just be happy horse was able to sort itself out and not panic.

 

[BBH]

It is a youngsters 2nd time over poles on the ground - two poles were together side by side - not spread out, so as the youngster clipped the first one, it knocked the 2nd one forward for her to step on.... so she has a pole rolling forward and a pole rolling backwards under her front feet and she is trying to work out where it is safe to stand.

Wouldn't bother me at all. My horse was produced by a Sjer and this happened. They have to learn where to put their feet somehow and they will come accross moving poles, branches etc etc so have to get used to things IMO.

Have to say if I was OTT like that am sure I would have been asked to leave as no-one wants to do a horse where the owner is going to freak over small / irrelevant issues.

 

[Patterdale]

I'm glad I'm not freelancing anymore....!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I have to say you are a bit precious arent you? Horses need to learn where their feet are, Horses are born knowing how to bronc a rider off, we just condition them not to

Chill out GW its not that big a thing and nothing came of it, if we thought of all the if/coulds/maybes then we wouldnt bring our horses out of the box

 

[assuan]

OP, can I just check, did you take the cotton wool and bubble wrap off of the mare before she went into the school?

Sorry that was naughty of me, but couldn't resist.

You are over reacting in a big way and need to relax; if you're this pent up around the youngster they'll feel it. Just to give you something 'more serious' to think of, so to speak, our 2.5yo (at the time) was just learning to be lunged (literal walking around on a circle), he decided it would be fun to have a trot and after about 3 paces tripped over, fell to the ground, rolled over, jumped up, styled it out and carried on his little trot - before stopping and shaking the sand off. Tripping on a pole is nothing. RELAX.

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

I really thought something horrible happened with the word fuming in the title.

Things meticulously planned. Ok fine fair enough but I mean come on. Lazy and unprofessional because you go over something from the day before. OMG. Really? Are there people out there that freak out about this? If so what level are you competing at? I worked for an international rider that expected horses to jump whatever was in front of them. Backwards, odd fillers on their own, poles on the ground, a pile of stuff. None ever broke a leg.

This is not a big deal. You are frustrated. No one will do it good enough for you. Your mare is not physically and mentally harmed. From one control freak to another, let go. Let go! It does not mean becoming a lazy sod. It means that your horse has to think for herself. An odd moment will happen. If you can't bear for bad things to happen with poles take up dressage.

Terri

 

[Hippona]

I was expecting to read that the RI had whipped the pony senseless.....

Really? Fuming?

 

[3Beasties]

I also don't see the issue. Your horse will have learnt from it's mistake so will pick up its feet next time.