Help with hacking in a group needed.

[tabithakat64]

My boy and I hacked in a group of five yesterday as he is not the fasted walker he was at the back which was fine until we were on the last stretch of bridleway on the way home and he repeatedly kept diving his head onto the floor which pulled me out of the saddle and jogging off until he was second in the line up. (We usually ride in two but if I've been out in a three he goes in the middle, he's ridden in a NS snaffle with cheeks).

He usually well mannered and obedient although green, but also has never ridden out in a large group before.

How can I stop him pulling me out of the saddle?

I feel I'd need more control to canter in a large group as I'd be concerned that he'd use this trick to overtake everyone and cause an accident.

 

[sueandtoto]

I think he just found it all a bit exciting

try hacking with just one or two for a bit and take it steady, some horses /ponies will not stay at the back (our's) and will barge through to get to the front, so try him at the front and he may stop pulling you about , our pony goes well in a cheltenham gag it stops him plunging his head down and is like a snaffle until you need more control , like I said he may be better at the front so he wont feel he's being left behind

 

[YorksG]

Try riding him alongside another one if you can and try and get him to walk out better. If the faster ones can slow a bit that helps, but people do get fed up if the slowest one doesn't seem to be 'kept up to'. The other thing I would say is that in a group you need everyone in the group to take responsibility for everyone else, particularly on the road. Have a word with the others in the group, good luck with it.