Grrr... Sympathy needed from those of you with obstinate ponies!

I still can't get the Sec D I've been riding to go within three meters of the pile of 2x4s sitting just outside the arena on the long side (part of the construction site that is the YOs house). Those 2x4s have been there for weeks now. I got her to the rail today, only to have her rear and spin away from them.

Well don't expect a change any time soon, I have had my welshe for 5 years and he still shies as I open the gate as it makes a creaking noise. :eek: Saying that he doesn't gallop up the field to get away from it now he just trots.:rolleyes:
 
I'm feeling so much better now guys!

Good to know I'm not alone. I think I'll hack a couple of days (the weather has put paid to schooling on grass anyway now - we've got rain). And I don't think I'll lunge the day before schooling again, just to rule that out.

And I think I may start schooling for 10 mins for a few weeks, building up to 20, then 30 just to be sure I'm not overdoing it. That said, he spends most of his day walking round in circles looking for grass and walking circles was mainly what we were doing. Albeit with a bit of leg yield.
 
I think it's the weather or the grass. I continually moan my mare as stubborn as she is isn't a forward going whizzy pony I bought her to be she's quite a plod until this week!!

So far we have lept
 
I have seen welsh cobs working nicely and calmly; do you think they are lobotomised? All credit to the riders who get them there!


This made me lol. People see Genie competing and say she looks fab, how well schooled she is, etc. What they don't realise is that she's a pretty hot horse (well... for a cob!) and you have to be really tactful with her. At no point to me does she ever feel calm, especially in canter!!!

Speaking as somebody who has persevered for years with a Welsh D mare (the running joke is that it could only be worse if she were chestnut!) all I can say is take your time, try to throw the frustrations into the wind, and keep going - all will come good in the end. Don't push for too much too soon, just aim to get one thing right. Schooling sessions with Genie have varied from 15mins to 1 1/2 hours - we go in with an aim in mind and once we have it we finish.
 
I think it's the weather or the grass. I continually moan my mare as stubborn as she is isn't a forward going whizzy pony I bought her to be she's quite a plod until this week!!

So far we have lept imaginary puddles, spooked at every drain cover in the village, sideways cantered up a hill, refused to enter the stable because I put a brand new bed down and it smelled/ looked funny and plunged into a gallop on a hack( was meant to gallop but ideally not mini rear to start it off).

I just have a bright bay, welsh, hackney mare lucky me :) I wonder where she gets her impatient and stubborn tendencies from? But at least she is starting to be a bit more forward going, can't have it all I guess ;)
 
This made me lol. People see Genie competing and say she looks fab, how well schooled she is, etc. What they don't realise is that she's a pretty hot horse (well... for a cob!) and you have to be really tactful with her. At no point to me does she ever feel calm, especially in canter!!!

Speaking as somebody who has persevered for years with a Welsh D mare (the running joke is that it could only be worse if she were chestnut!) all I can say is take your time, try to throw the frustrations into the wind, and keep going - all will come good in the end. Don't push for too much too soon, just aim to get one thing right. Schooling sessions with Genie have varied from 15mins to 1 1/2 hours - we go in with an aim in mind and once we have it we finish.

That's sound advice - thank you! I am patient in some areas of life but I have to learn to be patient with schooling now. I think I will feel I have accomplished rather more if I set myself modest goals!
 
Please add new forest to the list, maybe its catching as my welsh d is in the next stable. I am so jealous of your 3 strides of canter, i have yet to achieve 1 without a bronc fit. Having said that we did work in an outline in walk AND trot yesterday, unfortunately i ached too much after it to even climb on board today. Just hope he hasnt forgotten how to do it by tomorrow. The joys of ponies huh?
 
Oooohhh can i join this club? :D

My welsh D cross is great on a hack, however a right cow bag if i take her in the school! its a mission to get into the top corners as think there are horse eating monsters that hide there and if she don't want to do something we can end up having a right discussion.. rode my sisters TB the other day and he is like a dream in the school :(
 
Welsh X TB X Arab: that's 3 big personalities rolled into one!

Sadly mine just likes eating and sleeping, like me, and considers work an inconvenience.

She was out of a TB X Arab mare to Nebo Black Magic and was an absolute star of a mare. She was very opinionated and really had a very strong personality and could be very difficult but when she was going well nothing would beat her. She was only 14hh but she thought she was the biggest horse on the yard. :D Everyone referred to her as a little horse because she looked like a horse in miniature not a pony. Lost her about 10/12 years ago now at the age of 23.
 
I sympathise with you, my little 14hh mare who is very ginger although skewbald, am sure shes welsh cross, was a bit naughty at the beach on Sunday, shes only young and green, and decided she didn't want to move away from the welsh section A.... resulted in a nice big rear, she was told off for it and then behaved beautifully, all over us telling her to do something, think we need to ask her nicely in future lol....
 
Sounded like my ride last week, however I was riding a 16.2 ex racer and it was the third time I'd ridden him. He was quite spooky that evening and asked for a trot and he decided to tank off with me! There's me trying to pull him left to circle him as he was veering across the school and at the last minute decided to dart right and chuck me out the side door!
 
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