Horse that refuses to go into an outline

Tiddlypom said:
Are you a good fit size and weight wise on this 13hh pony, who you have constantly referred to as a 'horse'? Can the pony take a saddle large enough to fit you?
Click to expand...

i think this is very valid and i know that struggle having just had to downsize my 4yo saddle to a 15.5! fortunately i am very slim and shapeless so fit the saddle fine but not many adults will fit in that and not many 13hh can take anything over 16. my saddler says its one of the hardest battles.
 
Thanks everyone.
I think I will bow out of this thread now as it seems to have descened into an adult riding a pony/ terminology thread. Perhaps I have not explained myself well enough and I often call her a horse regardless of her size.

I am 5foot tall and 46kg. She is a large tank of a native pony, it’s very common for adults to ride ponies in the m&m world and in the show ring.
 
I think it has turned into are you sure your horse is physically ok thread myself.

I also wondered how she was working from the ground/classical/straightness training style- not because you were too heavy but just because it can be very enlightening to see what might be going on.
 
Greyhorse1 said:
Thanks everyone.
I think I will bow out of this thread now as it seems to have descened into an adult riding a pony/ terminology thread. Perhaps I have not explained myself well enough and I often call her a horse regardless of her size.

I am 5foot tall and 46kg. She is a large tank of a native pony, it’s very common for adults to ride ponies in the m&m world and in the show ring.
Click to expand...

That would be a shame - people are just asking for details to answer your questions better.

I've got 8 inches on you (and a fair few kg too ;) ) and I ride highlands, though mine are fairly up to height. I'd be happy to look at video for you - I'm not going to judge an adult on a pony ;)
 
ester said:
Quite a few of us would be unlikely to judge an adult on a pony ;):p
Click to expand...

I know you wouldn't. I mean, you've ridden Dae, so it would be somewhat hypocritical ;)

BTW if you want a warmer repeat of last time, I have ponies almost any time!
 
tristar said:
when you can`t get what you want out of the horse when schooling look to your riding first, your seat and independence of seat from hands. and body posture which may be blocking the horse, are you responsible for your own body weight and carrying yourself.
Click to expand...




If only everyone would understand this!

I despair of those people who blame the horse, rather their own riding. Why can't people understand that the rider influences the horse, for good or bad?
Some horses are more forgiving than others and do what they guess the rider meant to ask for, others do exactly what the rider asked for, which is often NOT what they intended to happen. Then they blame the horse for following their instructions.
 
having had two mares who went much better in bits which remained still in heir mouths, I would try either mullen mouthed or myler "comfort" mouthpieces with tis mare.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I may not be visualising what you are intending to describe but that sounds to me like a perfect recipe to encourage head-tossing/other evasion to escape the contact and makes me wonder if that has happened to the pony in the past (maybe shortly after backing).
Click to expand...

Who knows? we only know the info provided on the post, never seen the pony or rider so a million things could be happening, but, passive resistance is used in every day training even a simple half halt is passive resistance which we all use in a million situations, keeping your horse up in front to add cadence/suspension etc will require passive resistance.
Active resistance is using force greater than you are being given which, yes, would possibly cause a problem and becomes riding front to back and would cause a tonne of contact issues in a lot of horses.
 
Just as a thought, dies the saddle *really* fit? I had mine fitted and checked by one of the best saddlers in the country from when mum horse was three til he was 10. I could never work out why he never really held a decent frame. I blamed everything and mostly myself but never the saddle as I knew it was continually professionally fitted. Until I had absolutely nothing left to try/change. So I changed the saddle (shorter and flexible leather tree), fitted it myself and whammo, instant lift of the back and relaxation through his frame. Best thing I did (and it helped me to sit and ride so much better, which helped him even more)
 
i have a 13 hands mare and at one time rode her regularly, i am heavier than you and 5 ft 6 she is very well made and loved me riding her, i also rode in a 15 half inch saddle despite having a fair old back end although she would carry a larger saddle.
 
Hallo2012 said:
5'7, 7 stone 10 and 13.1hh pony over here so no judgement!

however i still think that physically there must be an issue.
Click to expand...
Either that or there is an issue with the tack or the OP's riding (that isn't meant to sound like an insult!).
Someone else needs to sit on her OP, to see exactly what is going on. Ask around or even post on your local FB group to find recommendations for a good, lightweight instructor who would be happy to come and try her out for you.
 
BBP said:
Just as a thought, dies the saddle *really* fit? I had mine fitted and checked by one of the best saddlers in the country from when mum horse was three til he was 10. I could never work out why he never really held a decent frame. I blamed everything and mostly myself but never the saddle as I knew it was continually professionally fitted. Until I had absolutely nothing left to try/change. So I changed the saddle (shorter and flexible leather tree), fitted it myself and whammo, instant lift of the back and relaxation through his frame. Best thing I did (and it helped me to sit and ride so much better, which helped him even more)
Click to expand...


This is a very common story among users of treeless saddles and WOW saddles, the connection between the two being that they are the only saddles which allow full freedom of the horse to move its shoulders. One because it has no tree and the other because there is a carbon fibre joint in the twist which allows the whole front arch to rock with the movement of the shoulders.
 
Greyhorse1 said:
I’ve had about 6 instructors, none have cracked her and all unanimously think it’s a behavioural issue and stems from tension.
Click to expand...

The word 'cracked' worries me. A outline should be pretty natural.
You say shes had tests, has she ever had a lameness work up or back x-rays?

My mare was VERY similar to your post, sounds just like her. The head tossing, holding the head high, thinking about it it screamed alarm bells but I didn't notice as so many professionals told me it was just 'her' or mareish behaviour. She had the same tests as yours, 2 physios, 2 vets, multiple back checks and physios, plus a strong bute trial made no difference. 3 instructors told me she was rude, naughty and to push through it. I then heard about kissing spine and pushed vets for x-rays, she had chronic kissing spine and arthrtis in her hocks, plus ulcers from the stres. She was operated on and was a completely different horse after the rehab. Apparently a bute trial stop the pain of kissing spine.

It sounds to me like shes in pain and the route of the pain hasn't yet been found. Is she insured?
 
Aimeetess said:
The word 'cracked' worries me. A outline should be pretty natural.
You say shes had tests, has she ever had a lameness work up or back x-rays?

My mare was VERY similar to your post, sounds just like her. The head tossing, holding the head high, thinking about it it screamed alarm bells but I didn't notice as so many professionals told me it was just 'her' or mareish behaviour. She had the same tests as yours, 2 physios, 2 vets, multiple back checks and physios, plus a strong bute trial made no difference. 3 instructors told me she was rude, naughty and to push through it. I then heard about kissing spine and pushed vets for x-rays, she had chronic kissing spine and arthrtis in her hocks, plus ulcers from the stres. She was operated on and was a completely different horse after the rehab. Apparently a bute trial stop the pain of kissing spine.

It sounds to me like shes in pain and the route of the pain hasn't yet been found. Is she insured?
Click to expand...
To be fair to the op I think when she said cracked it, she meant solved it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top