Ideas on chilling out an overcooked SJ pony!

tobiano1984

tobiano1984

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I've recently acquired a 14.2 8 year old ex-showjumping pony, and he comes with a bit of baggage so I wondered if anyone has any ideas/tips that might help sort him out! I got him from a 'showjumper' who managed to reduce his value from £15k to £200 in the space of 6 months. He's essentially been over jumped and I'd like to re-position him as an event pony or failing that (if he can't cope with jumping any more) dressage/showing as he's very pretty and has great paces.
The place I got him from was jumping him over 1.40m tracks and apparently he never refused, however they said he was unrideable in the school now and broncs. I've had him for about 6 weeks and after a month of chilling out in the field he's hacking out quite happily (very bombproof, jumped logs and had some canters) and doing a bit of flatwork in the school.

He's got amazing paces, such power, but just finds it all too exciting. We've just about got a good walk in an outline, although it's very rushed, but when you go up to trot the head comes up and he does little skips and hops trying to go into canter. When you do canter, it's amazing - so collected and powerful, but he constantly changes legs and bunny hops and does all sorts of crazy dance moves. I think he was schooled properly before, as he seems to know lateral work - he also performs a nice piaffe but I don't think that's on purpose...!

I've got him in a loose ring french link snaffle with copper rollers, he's definitely not strong. I've tried to let him stretch out a bit in canter but even out on the fields if you give the rein he just carries on bouncing along and doesn't know what to do.

So - extensive case history over, I wondered if anyone has any tips on getting him to chill out in the school, stretch out, calm down, start to come into an outline.

In terms of management, he's living out most of the time and is fed on Simple System - nothing heating.
 
Hacking. Just hack him for a good few months. No point in trying any school work untill he associates you with fun chilled out riding.

Take him on some fun rides, and if you can group rides with lots of canters.

In fact, take him hunting! That tends to sweeten them up.
 
I have a much older pony but similar in many ways and would agree just lots of chilled out hacking. He sounds so lovely and wish you all the very best.
 
Our pony is very stressy and easily excited! She seems to react to anything with soya bean, mollasses in and also clover in the field. She is now fed fast fibre, two tbsp of salt, magnesium and pro balance off ebay. She is like a different pony! She still has a random spook at something silly like a pile of leaves but she is generally quite chilled now! I swear by the Calm, Healthy Horses website (it is New Zealand site) as i got lots of great information off there!
 
i'd also agree regarding just hacking. But another idea, and what i did with my mare to chill her out, is ride bareback on a long rein in the school, in walk at first. My mare had no idea how to behave with a rider but without saddle, so i pretty much had a blank canvas to start with, she was confused by no saddle, so i got her to behave the way i found appropriate, after 2 months purely bareback, it was easier to work on the behaviour when under saddle.
But this may not work for some people so only try it if you feel comfortable with it :)
 
It sounds very much like a pony I was re schooling last year, and whilst I managed to get him chilled out in the school by asking him for nothing more than a few relaxed transitions and then out for a hack, it was also discovered he had spavins in his hocks which needed treating
 
Sounds very much like a pony I used to ride as a 4 year old. I started just lightly schooling out on hacks and things then gradually brought him into the school. I also found his preferred bit was a straight bar
 
As well as hacking I'd take him in the school and just walk and halt for as many sessions as necessary, until he's relaxed in walk, then add tiny short bits of trot until it isn't a big deal - I wouldn't do any canter in the school until walk and then trot are chilled out.

He needs to break the link between school=fast and exciting, and the only way to show him that is to let him see that school=calm and chilled.
 
Is he a Connie by any chance? I took on a SJ schoolmaster couple mths ago, turns out he is pretty spooky at normal objects, fillers etc
We have stripped it back down and lots of walk work on a loose rein, when he gets choppy in trot and canter we reduce the speed and come.down a gear. It's working but it is going to take time.
 
Hacking, as everybody else. And what about a complete change of lifestyle - e.g. Long Distance Riding or Endurance (hunting might hot him up too much but I'd be thinking along those lines). He sounds like he'll have had jumping and schooling up to his ears. Let him be a horse!
 
I would get him checked over first to rule out any soreness/injury to eliminate the rushing due to any pain. Then nice long rides (to the pub in summer!). Can you do any massage with him to help him chill?
 
What happens when you drop the contact in the school? Does he race around? And if he does, are you confident enough to be able to stick that out until he pulls himself up...

It sounds mental, but my old boy used to get like that sometimes. It was more a personality thing than him being overcooked in the past, he just found flatwork stressful. If he was getting himself in a state, we took it back to walk on a loose rein, then let him trot on a loose rein and then canter if he wanted. It just let him realise all I was was a passenger and I wasn't forcing anything on him.
 
Get him working in different places, hacking, rent out gallops and really send him on and forwards in a controlled location.
Time and patience is whats key!
 
I would give him more time off, again as others said a good few months hacking. Let him chill out become a pony again, make things fun and easy for him. I would build up very slowly and let him enjoy life again in an easier fashion i.e. no jumping for a good long while, he needs to almost forget about it all together. You can then ask him more questions later on down the line when he has learnt to relax again whilst being in the school.
 
Lolo said:
What happens when you drop the contact in the school? Does he race around? And if he does, are you confident enough to be able to stick that out until he pulls himself up...

It sounds mental, but my old boy used to get like that sometimes. It was more a personality thing than him being overcooked in the past, he just found flatwork stressful. If he was getting himself in a state, we took it back to walk on a loose rein, then let him trot on a loose rein and then canter if he wanted. It just let him realise all I was was a passenger and I wasn't forcing anything on him.
Click to expand...

This works too, a lot of riders will take up the contact when about to do more work/anticipating a challenge, so it can become a signal to the horse that contact = excitement
 
showpony said:
Is he a Connie by any chance? I took on a SJ schoolmaster couple mths ago, turns out he is pretty spooky at normal objects, fillers etc
We have stripped it back down and lots of walk work on a loose rein, when he gets choppy in trot and canter we reduce the speed and come.down a gear. It's working but it is going to take time.
Click to expand...

No not a Connie, not pure at least - think he's TB x native of some sort
 
Lolo said:
What happens when you drop the contact in the school? Does he race around? And if he does, are you confident enough to be able to stick that out until he pulls himself up...
Click to expand...

If I drop the contact/give the rein he doesn't go any faster - likewise out on hacks even if other horses are cantering he just carries on doing his bouncy SJ canter, doesn't seem to understand that he can stretch out and go for it! I'll keep on trying as I think he would enjoy a good gallop (when the ground's better..!)
 
it will just take time.

i have spent last 2 years helping a young girl and a seriously over cooked 128cm SJ pony.

like yours, when i first got on i could either walk, or bounce, no proper trot or canter.

i spent months just walking and trotting, getting him to stretch and bend, lots of leg yields and spiralling until he would stretch down to the contact nicely.

then intro'd canter and spent more months just doing 1/4 circle, then walk and loads of fuss.

2 years on he is schooling elem level but some days he reverts back to bounce and is always very very sharp after canter on any day.

esp if you DO intend to jump, its going to be a long old road and he may never settle 100% but generally, lateral work combined with working long and low will help.
 
For me .. With a hot horse .. Slow slow and slow .. If he can't walk halt walk properly ..then I would start with that .. Slow hacks .. Once walk halt walk is sorted ..then introduce trot ..and go from there ;)
 
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