Is she too old?

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HayleyUK

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My old pony that we are having back is rising 14.
I had her from being 6-rising 10.. and mainly SJ'd with her unaffiliated.
She's never really worked correctly, but would come into a basic outline and work round for a minute or so if you asked her before going back to her prefered way of going.
Shes only been used for hacking really over the past 18 months, and seems to have 'forgotten' what an outline is. She doesn't get schooled much, and child owner isn't interested in jumping her.
As you ask her to come round and soft, she throws her head up and forward and runs through the hand into an awful upward transition.
I'm not fooled by it, she simply doesn't like to work that way and prefers her giraffe impression and racing round fields/fences. She gets very bored by the 'trotting in circles' thing.
Shes very sharp & fast & can be quite strong and opinionated when she wants to be.(I'm not selling her here am I!? Shes a babe really!)
We've always had comments on her being 'above the bit' on dressage test sheets. Shes ridden in a 3 ring gag, but on the flat can be ridden in a snaffle.

I'm thinking that at 14 shes not going to be up to the level/amount of SJ we did in the past (she may well prove me wrong) so I'm going to play it by ear and see how things go.#

Essentially, what I'm trying to ask here, is if in your opinion at 14 shes too old and stuck in her ways to start being asked to work correctly and in an outline so if we find she does need a quieter sort of life I can go out and do some unaffiliated dressage parties on her.
 
To give you piece of mind i'd have her teeth, back and saddle checked if it hasn't been already just incase.
There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to do some unaff dressage on her, just keep persevering. If you can persuade her that working soft over her back is a good place to be it will probably help her in later life as she will be stronger in the right places as gravity starts to take it's toll!
 
Thanks, I think I'm just being a bit paranoid because I don't want to break her.

She didnt seem to be 'old' when I rode yesterday, in fact shes just as sharp as I remember her being and still tries the tricks she did previously to avoid working in the correct way-they say they never change!

Back & saddle have been done and she is fine. Teeth are being done before she comes to me as well.

SJ- I'm expecting it to be more difficult, but shes quick to learn so hopefully it shouldn't be too much of a struggle to bring her round to my way of thinking.
 
Never too old to learn new tricks in my opinion. If she has the energy then I can't see any reason why with some patience and good training she couldn't go out and do some dressage. If my boy can learn flying changes and half-pass at 15 then I can't see any reason why you can teach your ponio to come round.

I agree that some simple stretching ex on the lunge is a good place to start to get strong and supple over her back...try a passoa or a degogue. You can also try and make schooling fun for her by doing some pole work.
 
In my eyes she is definately not too old. I would get her teeth, saddle, back checked once this is all started then she can start to be schooled. However the horse needs to be working from behind before it lower its head and work in an outline. A horse will also need to be working over his back, therefore to begin with you want to working more long and low.

Mine is an 11 year old who we have had since she was 4, due to her navicular diagnosis in 2002 as a 6 year old she was not schooled until she was about 10 due to me having another horse and at Boarding school. She is now doing novice BD and unaffliated SJ up to 90cm.
 
Thanks for the replies.

Shes definatly not lacking in energy, shes still as sparky as ever! Pretty much as she was at 6!

She does lunge in a fashion, so may try the pessoa.
Shes never really worked long and low on a loose rein except when shes tired, so 'm not sure how I'll get her to strech down but I'll definatly try!

Teeth are being done before she comes, back & saddle are both fine.

She does work from behind I think but it all goes ti pieces at the front door!
 
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