How to help/sort out pony

[Limbo1]

Hello not been on in a while - life etc getting in the way.

After a bit of advice about my son's pony. We have had him for 2 years and his is generally a grump. I have worked out a lot of it is defence - he has abiously had something bad happen to him and he does not trust humans. If you approach the stable he puts his ears back. I you enter he will put his head in the corner and face his backend at you. We manage this by putting his head coller on over the door and then fine. He used to shoot backwards when being bridled but have worked out if we undo the rains and put around his neck he is fine. Takes the bit no problem.

He has mostly been fine in the feild - easy to catch and safe. Recently I put him into a grassy area to graze and had to catch him after only 1/2 an hour. He thought this was too short spun round and double barreled me! First time ever.

Any ideas how we can help him? My son is fast growing out of him and it occures to me the pony is going to be hard to sell/loan like this.

FYI he is 12.2 exmoor x dartmoor. 8 yr old.

 

[Fiona]

My experience with first ridden pc ponies is that if they are completely 100% being ridden by their tiny riders, then a lot of 'management issues' such as you mention are tolerated and worked around (if not admired) by their mostly adult handlers.

Has the pony only kicked the once??

Do you catch with food??

Fiona

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I wouldn't expect to be able to catch a pony which has only just been put out onto grass after half an hour! You do need to put yourself in the pony's shoes sometimes!
Small ponies which have been used to being groomed etc by small children who are not as careful as they could be and can't reach very well so might pull on pony parts unintentionally. Your pony is protecting himself.

 

[Limbo1]

My experience with first ridden pc ponies is that if they are completely 100% being ridden by their tiny riders, then a lot of 'management issues' such as you mention are tolerated and worked around (if not admired) by their mostly adult handlers.

Has the pony only kicked the once??

Do you catch with food??

Fiona

This is the first time he has kicked like this. He did kick out and break my thumb once when I was cleaning an infected cut but that was due to pain.
I try not to catch with food as I find it makes ponies nippy - the catching after a short period was not planned I had to suddenly go out and did not want to leave him in my veg patch/garden.

You are right about tolerating issues with a 100% ridden pony but he is more a 50% ridden! Second pony as can nap in school and not very reliable jumper, Great hacking. This is why I am thinking he will be hard to move on. A slightly wilful pony with handling issues - 1000s out there!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

FYI he is 12.2 exmoor x dartmoor. 8 yr old.

For what its worth, IME these little native ponies are independent little blighters and aren't always the easiest to handle. With the Exmoor particularly (and I speak having had one as my first pony AND having had one on loan a few years back) you have to have a totally different mind-set TBH. These little ponies are born survivors, they have a very primitive sense of "survival" and because of that, can be very sassy, particularly if they can get away with it, like with children.

Similarly Dartmoors, same thing, they've evolved to live in a tough place, and are tough little critters!

And you've got a mixture of the two! Gawd help you is all I'll say, however the situation as it is, can only be improved (just trying to be optimistic here!)

You will have to be prepared, you AND your son, to put in some groundwork with this pony: it looks like he's been allowed to get away with being rude, and that's probably because people haven't laid down the groundrules and been consistent with him.

I personally would go right back to basics and treat him as a youngster. i.e. taking nothing for granted, and starting with groundwork right from the start. A controller headcollar such as a Dually or knotted rope is what I would suggest: you will "reward" him for good behaviour, but if he steps out of line, then you will need to get your timing right, and bring him up with a start. The timing is vital, it HAS to be split-second. You may benefit from a professional to help you with this. I would start by leading him around, making him walk beside you politely, then progress to making him go away from pressure on his side. Then start running your hands down his legs, and later you can progress - in time - to stuff like picking up feet.

Basically you're doing all the "youngster" stuff. Basic I know, but TBH if you don't do something NOW then you won't find anyone who'll take him on either loaned or sold, and if sold then we all know that naughty little ponies tend to end up being passed from dealer to market, down the downward trail to the dog-meat man Sorry, am being brutally honest here.

No, these little ponies are NOT easy, and are very often their own worst enemies as they are far too feisty for a child, and are far too small for the average adult (unless small like me!) to get on their backs and sort the little monkeys out.

Re. the kicking you after being out for just half an hour: TBH I wouldn't blame him for that - he was just settling into his grass and you came and hauled him out again - so personally I'd put that one down to experience for the future. Whilst we're on the subject............ re. diet, these little ponies really do "live on air" and it might be an opportune time to review what he's on? What sort of pasture is he turned out on? Ponies like this are VERY prone indeed to laminitis, so it might be worth restricting his grazing. Is he having hard feed? If so, what? Coz that might not be helping either, with these natives they've only got to go past a feedbin with concentrates inside, and they'll be a nightmare!

For now, I would strongly suggest you get a professional to help you with this pony. I would personally suggest that someone of the "Intelligent Horsemanship" i.e. Monty Roberts/Kelly Marks school of thought, would be a good choice. You would certainly (and your son) learn an awful lot if you DID have one of their affiliates help you.

These little ponies are such little characters! They can be very endearing, can go all day (Exmoors have carried Exmoor farmers hunting all day!), ditto the Dartmoors, but yes, as you have found, they can be little BarStewards!! Firm and consistent handling is the key though, and once you've got the basics established, zero tolerance of any barging or rudeness.

Good luck!

 

[Limbo1]

Re. the kicking you after being out for just half an hour: TBH I wouldn't blame him for that - he was just settling into his grass and you came and hauled him out again - so personally I'd put that one down to experience for the future. Whilst we're on the subject............ re. diet, these little ponies really do "live on air" and it might be an opportune time to review what he's on? What sort of pasture is he turned out on? Ponies like this are VERY prone indeed to laminitis, so it might be worth restricting his grazing. Is he having hard feed? If so, what? Coz that might not be helping either, with these natives they've only got to go past a feedbin with concentrates inside, and they'll be a nightmare!

Good luck![/QUOTE]

Interesting advice thanks - weirdly he is very good to lead etc, my kids catch and lead him. He loads and travels brilliantly.
On the other hand I tried to trim his feathers last week - old fashion style with scissors and comb - well you would have thought I was slashing him with them. I only managed the front two and that involved the kids holding him with bridle on from the outside of stable. Me trimming whilst avoiding snatch/striking front hooves. No reason for it but the second he saw the scissors he was a nightmare - makes me wonder why?

Ref the food - he is in the starvation paddock 24/7 and has been since the grass started to grow. He has company there. I give them an hour or two either in the stable eating hay (old with little in it) or munching the grass around the stable yard/garden. I do find he is grumpier the months of the year he is in this paddock. In the winter when all together he is a happier less grumpy git but as the big girls are in knee high grass he can't be with them!

He gets a handful of unmolassed chaff when the others are fed so he doesn't feel left out.

Can't wait till kids are on horses so much less complicated!

 

[Shay]

If he is good to lead and load you might find a home for him as companion to a competition string. But otherwise - in your place I would worry too. Everyone has an opinion and each has something valid you can take from it. But my personal view would be to work on his ridden skills so he is beautifully schooled. His handling issues / grumpiness are more likely to get ignored if he is a perfect 1st pony. They are like gold dust. But it does require some very concentrated effort on your part - or a time with a small adult skilled with these smaller ones.