SouthWestWhippet
Well-Known Member
Lord but I hate winter and all the riding school ponies having to be stabled. They've all been being a little on the lively/spooky side recently as you'd imagine but generally they are all right as they get turned out a couple of times a week for a roll and a kick about. However, I had a hell an experience with them this morning.
Was about 40mins into a 45min lesson (why do they always wait until the end to play up?) and I had the whole ride (6kids) trotting on a 20m circle. Suddenly, the 24yr old, 12h pony at the back of the ride, who can normally barely muster a trot he is so lazy, decides the hounds of hell are baring down on him, puts his head between his knees and charges up the inside of the rest of the ride. His (very small) jockey slides off and this sets a couple of the other 'spookier' ponies off, and they leap into the air and shoot forward bucking. 2 more kids fly off and the riderless ponies overtake the rest of the ride and start to accellerate.
Well you can't blame the rest of the ponies, no horse in the world is going to walk quietly whilst 3 of his mates are hooning it up behind him bucking and kids are screaming... so that was the point that all hell broke loose and before I knew where I was I had 6 kids on the floor and 6 ponies going FLAT OUT up the school.
I've never seen kids come off and move so quick
, I just shouted 'stand back by the wall guys' as the herd of horses turned and bore back down on us... I had one of those moments where you think 'I don't know what to do here' because I couldn't even venture into the arena to catch any ponies, it was way too dangerous at that point. I just had to herd the kids behind the some jump wings in the corner and wait for the ponies to calm down a bit.
fortunately after a minute they settled down, a couple of sympathetic horsey parents came in and helped me round the little sods up and get everyone back on. No injuries, just a few tears (bless) and they all had another trot before we took the ponies back in. Ugh, it was horrid though cos I always feel really responsible for my kids, even though I know there was nothing I could have done. Sometimes I really hate riding school ponies
anyway, thanks for reading if you got this far. Just had to get it off my chest really. The rest of my lessons were great and the ponies were super (obviously expanded all their energy, the little b*st*rds)
Was about 40mins into a 45min lesson (why do they always wait until the end to play up?) and I had the whole ride (6kids) trotting on a 20m circle. Suddenly, the 24yr old, 12h pony at the back of the ride, who can normally barely muster a trot he is so lazy, decides the hounds of hell are baring down on him, puts his head between his knees and charges up the inside of the rest of the ride. His (very small) jockey slides off and this sets a couple of the other 'spookier' ponies off, and they leap into the air and shoot forward bucking. 2 more kids fly off and the riderless ponies overtake the rest of the ride and start to accellerate.
Well you can't blame the rest of the ponies, no horse in the world is going to walk quietly whilst 3 of his mates are hooning it up behind him bucking and kids are screaming... so that was the point that all hell broke loose and before I knew where I was I had 6 kids on the floor and 6 ponies going FLAT OUT up the school.
I've never seen kids come off and move so quick
fortunately after a minute they settled down, a couple of sympathetic horsey parents came in and helped me round the little sods up and get everyone back on. No injuries, just a few tears (bless) and they all had another trot before we took the ponies back in. Ugh, it was horrid though cos I always feel really responsible for my kids, even though I know there was nothing I could have done. Sometimes I really hate riding school ponies
anyway, thanks for reading if you got this far. Just had to get it off my chest really. The rest of my lessons were great and the ponies were super (obviously expanded all their energy, the little b*st*rds)
