Help please moved to new yard and pony seems different

[mckinkaz]

Help please I bought a pony for myself and 10 year old daughter a year ago which before that we shared him one day a week, he is perfect in all ways and a plod along for us both who are novice riders, we moved yards last week because the owner has sold the yard on a wonderful new yard so friendly and helpful but he was a nightmare in the school misbehaving not doing as told trying to trot off and canter without being asked and seems to be going at a fast pace I have never experienced this before, the yard owner got on him after I decided to get off because he really unnerved me and shot off slightly and I managed to pull him back, she got on he was very fast and in trot she had to keep stopping him from going into canter.

She went into canter and I have never seem him keep going like that before I have to normally keep kicking him on and restarting him because he is a plod along.

Luckily my daughter was not with me she is a real nervous rider and if she had seen him playing up with me it would have freaked her out.

I feel so nervous and I am quickly loosing my confidence even the yard owner can't believe what I say about him being the most well behaved and a plod she said he was really naughty and is like a second pony that is just not him at all, we are confused to what it could be possible he seems so settled.

 

[Penny Less]

Most horses need time to settle in to a new yard, new surroundings and new horses. Is there more grass at the new yard,as here it is like spring grass at the moment. Give him time to settle in perhaps do grooming and ground work for a while.

 

[sasquatch]

He is at a new and exciting yard - it may take hm time to settle down.

Was he previously a riding school pony? The lack of daily lessons/exercise also may be giving him more energy. Have you changed his turnout/stabling routine so he gets less time outside, or have you changed his feed? Is he getting more, less or a different hard feed to what he had before? Or is he getting a different type, or more or less hay than before?

Give him time to adjust to his surroundings, and if you don't feel confident riding see if someone else would ride or lunge whilst he settles. They can take time, just like moving house to a new area, except he had no idea when, why or how he was leaving!

 

[mckinkaz]

I thought so he was at the other yard for 5 years, there does seem to be a bit more grass, I have never seen him like this, lets hope he settles soon he looks and seems very settled it is just when riding him, such a plod and was like a different pony.

 

[mckinkaz]

He is 18 and was only ever ridden by his previous owners at the weekend you could go on holiday for a couple of weeks come back and get on him no problem at all, no change to feed the only one difference is my old yard owner would keep him out all the time and would only come in during bad weather, and winter months the new yard bring them in every night so this is a change for him but I am hoping he will get used to the new routine soon.

 

[frostie652]

He is 18 and was only ever ridden by his previous owners at the weekend you could go on holiday for a couple of weeks come back and get on him no problem at all, no change to feed the only one difference is my old yard owner would keep him out all the time and would only come in during bad weather, and winter months the new yard bring them in every night so this is a change for him but I am hoping he will get used to the new routine soon.

Do your new yard offer 24hr turnout? If for all his 18yeras her has always been out, it will be a big (and perhaps unwelcome) adjustment for him. Just a thought..

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

It could be the stress of moving yards. Mine can be like it for a few months after a move, not naughty but like he has a rocket up his butt and a bit of a handful. I give him as much exercise as possible so he can work off the stress it seems to help. With yours I suggest you walk him in hand 5 or 10min so he gets a warm up in walk then mount and go straight into trot, have a short canter if he needs it but try to stick to trot for a while you'll feel safer. When he's a bit more settled start doing some transitions, a bit of cantering, polework, circles etc. Maybe get off and on a few times, staying in walk after you've mounted for a few minutes so he doesn't learn to rush off every time you get on. If he's stressed and needs to get going there's no point getting into a fight with him to walk, it will just upset both of you making the problem worse. You're in an arena, it's not as if he's going anywhere is it? So sit up, grab a handful of mane if you like and pretend you enjoy going that fast :biggrin3: Learn to control the speed within the pace so eg if you're cantering and you can't get trot, put him on a circle and see if you can slow the canter a little then speed up again and slow again. Realising you have some control over speed and direction, even if it's not total, will help to stop you panicking. All you can do is to ride the horse that's under you to the best of your ability, a session doesn't have to go perfectly all the time. What you learn from this episode in your horses life will give you more riding skills and in the future if you find yourself on something that's "full of beans" you'll know how to manage.