metalmare
Well-Known Member
Hi,
My pony is incredibly spooky and although he is improving and most hacks are uneventful if he gets wound up he is almost impossible to calm down.
The other days he became tense and being welsh he becomes very short, puts his head up, sets his neck and jogs. He would stop, but wouldn't walk out. He did this for several miles, snorting and showing the whites of his eyes and got into a real sweat. He did relax when we came to a road we ride all the time. Exploring new routes is a gradual process of familiarisation to say the least!
He obviously has a degree of separation anxiety and the obvious answer is to hack with others, but this isn't currently possible and won't solve our problem long-term.
I tried giving the rein, asking him to lower his head, talking to him, leading him, riding him forward, stopping and starting, circling... if he wants to jog, he jogs!
Any ideas for chilling him out?
My pony is incredibly spooky and although he is improving and most hacks are uneventful if he gets wound up he is almost impossible to calm down.
The other days he became tense and being welsh he becomes very short, puts his head up, sets his neck and jogs. He would stop, but wouldn't walk out. He did this for several miles, snorting and showing the whites of his eyes and got into a real sweat. He did relax when we came to a road we ride all the time. Exploring new routes is a gradual process of familiarisation to say the least!
He obviously has a degree of separation anxiety and the obvious answer is to hack with others, but this isn't currently possible and won't solve our problem long-term.
I tried giving the rein, asking him to lower his head, talking to him, leading him, riding him forward, stopping and starting, circling... if he wants to jog, he jogs!
Any ideas for chilling him out?