lead rein into first ridden, what's the secret?

[blackandwhite]

Our little mare is a poppet lead rein pony. She'll go anywhere, do anything as long as she's got someone with her. But she is doing my head in with her refusal to move on her own! Poor son is trying his hardest but she just won't go consistently. Is there a magic schooling key that I'm missing or am I just going to have to accept that she won't make the change?

Any advice welcome

 

[Clodagh]

I sent my pony away for schooling and tbh he never really was any good, he just couldn't accept that the jockey had any right to tell him what to do!

 

[be positive]

A lot of very good lead reins are just that and will not go off lead or need completely reschooling to do both jobs well, does she lunge and long rein well as that would be the starting point to getting her going off lead.
Your son needs to understand that it is not his fault or the fault of the pony but that at the moment she just does not understand what is required and by not going she is actually being a good girl.
I would put them on the lunge go through plenty of transitions with you gradually doing less and your son doing more of the asking until you are there only as a back up but not in charge, this can then continue around the arena as you gradually go further away and the rider takes more control.
If you can get a small older child to do some work it will help give the pony confidence to go alone but some will never really go for the first ridden child, which is why there is a premium on a true first ridden pony.

 

[RachelBristol]

lots of long reining was the answer in our case, eventually she got the hang of moving forward in to the unknown on her own.

 

[bimbomb]

I think a lot of ponies miss out on learning to be ridden ponies. Due to their size they are rarely ridden by adults when they're broken in so never get taught how to go it alone. A good first ridden is like rocking horse poo, in my experience they can be taught to go off the lead rein but need to be practically re started for their new job. Agree that best way to do it is send away to be schooled by a lightweight adult.

 

[RachelBristol]

I backed our 10h3 sec A myself for my son, luckily I am small and light! But I often now put my slightly older daughter on the pony while hacking and my son on her pony (old as yoda and knows its job type!) I then get them to swap lead of ride every 20 strides or so, it is great for the pony to go off the leg and up front, and great for my son on the other pony to also learn this. But I do long rein her still about 3 x a week to the school to pick up my son, then he rides her home on the lead etc. When I backed her originally I was determined that she wouldn't become just a lead rein pony, as she has a heck of jump & she is going to be a cracking little jump pony, because she happily pops from field over the post and rail in to the garden where the grass is always greener!

 

[PorkChop]

A true lead rein pony will never become a true first ridden imho. They have a different skill set!

A lead rein should essentially mirror either the horse it is being led from or human that is walking with it. Yes my lead rein pony could be ridden off the lead rein, but it is a rare pony that will take a child firstly off the lead rein following another and then onto being ridden alone or in front etc.

Yes there will always be an exception but maybe start looking for a first ridden pony, good luck.

 

[Honey08]

I found an older rider on our section A twice a week helped a lot. Also lungeing them, starting off as having them on the lead and letting the rein go longer and longer, then swopping it for a lunge rein. However our pony was whizzy rather than slow, so getting them to go forward was never an issue. My friend had that with her son on his lazier pony, it would never canter, and it was very hard for him to learn. I think in that case, you may have to swop ponies...