Horse very strong when I ride.

[Rolocookiepepsi]

Hi, my share pony gets extremely strong when I ride, to the point my hands hurt after just 10mins riding! If I give him his head at all in the outdoor school he bolts and becomes uncontrollable, and in the indoor school he tries to push the door open to escape! He's not in any pain (although he has colic right now so not riding obviously). I really don't like how I have to pull on his mouth so much, it must get painful, but he's dangerous otherwise. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[skint1]

Have you tried doing leg yields or something to get him to listen to you?

 

[nikicb]

Hi, my share pony gets extremely strong when I ride, to the point my hands hurt after just 10mins riding! If I give him his head at all in the outdoor school he bolts and becomes uncontrollable, and in the indoor school he tries to push the door open to escape! He's not in any pain (although he has colic right now so not riding obviously). I really don't like how I have to pull on his mouth so much, it must get painful, but he's dangerous otherwise. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Get some lessons with a decent instructor, so long as you are sure there are no pain/saddle fit issues etc. What is he like with other riders? Hope he gets over the colic quickly.

 

[Rolocookiepepsi]

I do r think he does it with his owner quite as much, but it's the fact tha he bolts and becomes uncontrollable that worries me x

 

[Rolocookiepepsi]

Dont*

 

[nikicb]

I do r think he does it with his owner quite as much, but it's the fact tha he bolts and becomes uncontrollable that worries me x

Well if I was his owner, I certainly wouldn't have a sharer who was having to fight with him for control. Has the owner seen this issue when you ride? What do they say?

 

[Rolocookiepepsi]

Well if I was his owner, I certainly wouldn't have a sharer who was having to fight with him for control. Has the owner seen this issue when you ride? What do they say?

His owner hasn't really said anything, she told me to give him his head, so I did, and he immediately took off

 

[nikicb]

His owner hasn't really said anything, she told me to give him his head, so I did, and he immediately took off

Well, back to my original response then, get some lessons with a decent instructor. Good luck.

 

[Rolocookiepepsi]

Well if I was his owner, I certainly wouldn't have a sharer who was having to fight with him for control. Has the owner seen this issue when you ride? What do they say?

I would get lessons but I just don't have the money at the moment x

 

[pixie]

Go back to basics. Lots of transitions, changes of rein, leg yielding into and out of circles. You need to get the horse moving forward and listening to you, without chance to get bored and mess about.

Start with just walking and halting. Once this is calm, move up to trot.

In rising trot, keep you rising nice and slow. Try moving your shoulders alternating each side forward and backwards in an exaggerated fashion while you trot. This will again help to slow down the trot.

When he is listening in trot, move forward to canter. keep the canter active, but don't let him dictate the speed. The moment he starts getting too fast, slow down a pace or circle if you need to.

 

[lhotse]

Has the vet been called to deal with his colic?

 

[atropa]

If the owner is telling you to give him his head, are you perhaps tensing up and inadvertently egging him on to get faster and stronger? I have ridden horses like this before and holding on to their mouths makes them worse, but better to give them a bit of freedom, keep a light but steady contact with the leg and lots of transitions and school movements to give them something to think about.

 

[Hetsmum]

I would get lessons but I just don't have the money at the moment x

Can I suggest that you don't think about saving a poor horse from an abattoir then as it could cost you thousands.............

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?723337-Do-potters-abattoir-sell-healthy-horses

 

[conniegirl]

Can I suggest that you don't think about saving a poor horse from an abattoir then as it could cost you thousands.............

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?723337-Do-potters-abattoir-sell-healthy-horses

well said!!

OP, if you dont have the money for an instructor you dont have the money for a horse full stop.
If you cant afford a share and the occassional lesson when things go wrong then you cant afford the share!

Go back to a riding school!

 

[Rolocookiepepsi]

Has the vet been called to deal with his colic?

Yes

Can I suggest that you don't think about saving a poor horse from an abattoir then as it could cost you thousands.............

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?723337-Do-potters-abattoir-sell-healthy-horses

well said!!

OP, if you dont have the money for an instructor you dont have the money for a horse full stop.
If you cant afford a share and the occassional lesson when things go wrong then you cant afford the share!

Go back to a riding school!

As I have mentioned, I would have been saving up to rescue in quite a few years time, if you had of read my post properly and not jumped to conclusions

 

[junglefairy]

Some people are being a bit harsh...maybe you could ask the owner for some lessons to start with?

It does sounds like it could be that you're tensing, the pony is nervous, or not listening to you. Either way. It doesn't sound like it's fun for you or the horse at the moment. How long have you been sharing the pony? It might just be that he's not suitable for your level of experience.

 

[Rolocookiepepsi]

I have been sharing for around half a year, I have 7 years experience

 

[lhotse]

I would give up on any ideas of rescuing a horse until you have learnt to ride properly. It sounds like the horse is tanking off because you don't have an independent seat and are just hanging on the poor pony's mouth. No wonder he wants to get out of the school!
You can purchase 'My Little Ponies' in most large supermarkets these days, available in a multitude of colours and they won't make your hands sore.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Have you thought about rescuing a unicorn instead? They don't need tack and don't get colic so that would solve all your problems in one fell swoop.

 

[Rolocookiepepsi]

I would give up on any ideas of rescuing a horse until you have learnt to ride properly. It sounds like the horse is tanking off because you don't have an independent seat and are just hanging on the poor pony's mouth. No wonder he wants to get out of the school!
You can purchase 'My Little Ponies' in most large supermarkets these days, available in a multitude of colours and they won't make your hands sore.

For gods sake, you don't know me or the pony! You do t know my riding ability, and please stop mentioning my previous posts! There are a lot of people on here that can be incredibly rude!

 

[Rolocookiepepsi]

Have you thought about rescuing a unicorn instead? They don't need tack and don't get colic so that would solve all your problems in one fell swoop.

Yet again, that's not needed! Is this how you spend your spare time? Picking on others just for your own enjoyment? I had questions, and I wanted answers, what's wrong with that?! Now I suggest you grab your unicorn and gallop away from my posts. This is about me wanting advise from others that may have had the same experience as me, not for you to come and insult me because of a previous post.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Please point out where you've been insulted? You've had some good advice *get an instructor* which you say you have no money for, yet you claim to want to buy a horse from an abattoir, got to be about £200-300 to do that, transport it home, depends where you live compared to the abattoir but let's say you get someone to do it for fuel money there's another 50 quid. Then there's the bare minimum of grass livery, let's say you get that for £10 a week since this is fantasy land and the occasional trim at about £20 a shot. So let's say you've got £400-500 saved up for your "rescue" horse, that would be sensibly spent on lessons, of which you could get approximately 20 of, if you shared with another novice.

 

[skint1]

Do you have a more experienced friend, or perhaps the pony's owner who could give you some informal lessons?

 

[Rolocookiepepsi]

Please point out where you've been insulted? You've had some good advice *get an instructor* which you say you have no money for, yet you claim to want to buy a horse from an abattoir, got to be about £200-300 to do that, transport it home, depends where you live compared to the abattoir but let's say you get someone to do it for fuel money there's another 50 quid. Then there's the bare minimum of grass livery, let's say you get that for £10 a week since this is fantasy land and the occasional trim at about £20 a shot. So let's say you've got £400-500 saved up for your "rescue" horse, that would be sensibly spent on lessons, of which you could get approximately 20 of, if you shared with another novice.

I have been insulted quite a few times on this thread and others. If you'd bothered to read I said *in quite a few years time*. Please, will you just leave me alone?! I have no money for an instructor at this very point in time, but I will soon!

 

[AmyMay]

I would find a quieter horse to share that will help improve your riding ability, and start setting some money aside for weekly lessons. Or, stop the share all together and put that money towards lessons at a very good riding school.

 

[Rolocookiepepsi]

Sorry but I can't just not share, and riding schools can get a bit boring over time. They don't give you any responsibility and they are MUCH more expensive than sharing

 

[AmyMay]

Sorry but I can't just not share, and riding schools can get a bit boring over time. They don't give you any responsibility and they are MUCH more expensive than sharing

Sometimes you have to sacrifice one for the other, if you want to improve your riding.

I'm at a complete loss to understand how one or two lessons a week can be more expensive than sharing.

But I guess if you don't want/can't afford lessons your only option is to find a real nice little novice that will actually allow you to ride it.

 

[Rolocookiepepsi]

Where I live, a good lesson can cost around £50 per 45 mins. I don't need a novice horse either, I'd be perfectly fine with my share pony if he didn't try to bolt, that doesn't make him an experienced ride, it just means we have a problem to overcome

 

[JFTDWS]

How do you expect anyone on a forum to be able to magic you a skill set to deal with the problem you're facing - we can't even see it? Do you think successful riders continue to throw money at training just for kicks?

 

[Rolocookiepepsi]

As I have said, I posted to see if anyone had a similar experience and could give me tips on how to go about the situation. Not for negative, unnecessary comments