How to gain control of my horse

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isadorakelly

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Hi can anyone help please?

I have recently brought a lovley sweet pony. The only thing is as soon as you get on her she always fights the bit, wont listen to commands & always wants to rush everywhere. she does not know how to chill out or relax.
she has had her teeth checked by the dentist & had a new saddel so there are no back problems etc.
I have had a horse whisperer out to her and is currently giving her therapy sessions for free as she felt she needed a little help, also she is on mentax a suppelment recommended by trinity consultants. she is much better on the ground but things go wrong when I try to ride her. (she was alot worse before I got her).

do you think it will just take time or can anyone recomend anything else i can try or use please? I was thinking of EQUINE AMERICA SO KALM PLUS HORSES? has anyone tried this?

no nasty comments please.
 
Agree a good instructor and if required a confident person to ride her now and then to keep her honest. Personally I would try to fix the underlying horse (if possible) and then use calmers etc by exception only. Good luck:)
 
the key is not to get into an argument in the first place if you can help it. Sounds like either the pony has been raced around previously or is just very keen to get on with the job. A good instructor should be able to teach you how to get your horse to be calm and responsive without bombing off at every available opportunity. I can sympathise as I have a very keen horse as well but he is now responsive in the right way and accepts my leg doesn't always mean go faster.
 
In that case there's two outcomes.
a) you enlist your instructors help, & as you & pony improve, she will calm down.
Or b) you admit pony isn't calm enough for your needs & buy one that is. Calmers are to take the edge off, not to change the ponys temperament or solve its issues.
 
I'd echo what everyone above said. Just a thought: does she react by speeding up when you take a stronger contact on the reins? My prince Phillip pony used to do that but was great on a looser rein; you just had to relax and direct him with voice and seat for transition. Once we got used to each other, I would take up more contact when I wanted more speed!
 
littlelegs said:
In that case there's two outcomes.
a) you enlist your instructors help, & as you & pony improve, she will calm down.
Or b) you admit pony isn't calm enough for your needs & buy one that is. Calmers are to take the edge off, not to change the ponys temperament or solve its issues.
Click to expand...
I agree but it might also be worth looking at the pony's diet.
 
My pony is similar to yours, he is spooky, nervous and very forward going.
When I first got him all he ever wanted to do was to leap into canter and run, it wasn't malicious it was just excitement and a lack of knowledge. He is still very much a work in progress and he has actually learnt that there are other paces than canter/gallop and this has all been achieved through schooling.
Firstly, never, ever fight with them. If they start getting jiggy and you start gripping the reins you only make it escalate, what you need to do is thoroughly relax through yourself! I used to start laughing at him and picture how funny he must look from the ground, this hairy, short, chunky native pony bouncing all over the place! And believe it or not when you stop thinking about the danger, I find that the feeling of riding a bouncy, eager pony is really fun! In fact, I wouldn't be without my whizzy boy!
If you can truly relax yourself then the battle is almost won already!
Sandy has stopped doing it now and he will work well and consistently in all three paces, he is the sort that if you tell him to trot then he will keep trotting until you tell him otherwise! But he wasn't always like this, I echo the earlier advice of getting a good instructor who will help you and your horse work through this.

And as far as calmers go, I personally don't rate them so much when used as calmers.
Sandy is on NAF Magic purely because he has the concentration span of a gnat, and I have to say that it has helped to improve his focus when being schooled. However, it isn't as Magic as the name suggests. It doesn't stop him from being forward (I'm glad, I love forward and sensitive rides!) and it doesn't stop him spooking, so if you only want to use it in the hopes that it will stop your horse from being as forward then I'm sorry but a calmer isn't going to cut it.
Sadly a calmer isn't a magical quick fix, your horse is forward and now you have to figure out where to go from there. Just because she's forward doesn't mean she's malicious though, Sandy is about as sharp as they come however he would never dream of grabbing the bit and b*ggering off. Sure he may bounce around, snort like a dragon and occasionally have a bunny hop rear in temper if not allowed to follow his friend but it is pretty much all bravado.
Sadly though I don't know your horse so I couldn't judge, but if you ask me you need to sort out your own head first, relax, enjoy her and get a good instructor to help you.
Like I said, try and laugh and it will make it all seem better! :D

ETA:
What does she eat? My boy is on minimal grazing, hay and Hi Fi Lite.
I see so many horses who are overfed or fed heating food which in turn makes them act out of character!
 
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thank u all for your comments it been most helpfull. she is very forward going & i dont want to lose that but i just would like her to listen to me more. she does think fast pace as soon as i make any contact with the reins so i wilk for about 15mins on a loose rein to start my schooling. she is only on hifi senior & a non heating cube nut. but maybe your right i may need to have more lessons as ive only had her 2 months & i know it may take years as she was a jumping pony (the need for speed). so now ive have her i would love her not to think we have to race around everywhere.
 
This might be a wild suggestion..but have you considered trying to ride her without the bit. Is she getting tense as soon as you shorten your reins? Do you know her Previous history?
 
i really cant see any kind of commercial calming feed supplements helping you with this. as littlelegs as told you, it will only take he edge off not change your pony's personality or improve his training.

im assuming you've already sorted out teeth/back/saddle? a lot of people forget to check the bridle too. make sure the brow band isnt too tight or the head peice pinching behind the ears
If not get this done asap.
after that it really is going back to basics under the guidance of a good riding instructor im afraid to help you find the key to this pony.
 
Sounds like your horse needs to learn that reins shorter = no pain. The reasons that she rushes and you lose control, is probably because she expects pain. She needs to slowly get used to the contact. You need to make sure that the contact is pleasant for her. A good instructor will help you with that.
 
Perhaps go right back to basics, even to in-hand work/long reining so that the pony can learn about contact without the stress & association of a rider on top = speed. I've started having lessons with an Enlightened Equitation instructor who teaches all sorts (not just ridden work), perhaps worth seeing if there is one in your area? :) Very chilled out approach looking at more than just the obvious which can be good.
 
Lots of schooling learning walk halt transitions again, walk trot transitions and work more from your leg and seat and not hands.We have a very sharp forward jumper who only knows hyper speed, schooling her to listen more to the leg and dressage helped big time.They need their minds to be kept busy busy .
 
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