Leaping (sorry quite long)

[Blazingkate]

hi, my friends asked me to try and find some advice on her new pony so here goes. Basically her new pony is forward going which is fine, but, it does have a tendency to pull and to try and go faster, and when my friend checks her back, the pony leaps off all fours, high. (My mate fell off today). Now she doesn't mind the forward goingness, it's the leaps. It really scaried my mate because her last pony was a bit of a plod. When she fell off, she asked me to get on it, so I did and gave it a really blast, well, a long canter lol. Basically I noticed that if you relax, let her have her head, and just let her get into a rythm she's fine, however her rythm is fast, and she does tend to get faster, and the second I tried to slow her down she threw her head up and leaped and bombed off. Now this is no good for jumping, which is what my friend wants to do.

I should probably tell you all I know bout the pony so you can give the best advice possible. It's 14.1hh, 14 years, has done a bit of everything, it has a loose ring jointed snaffle, and a standing martingale. So I guess I don't really know much lol.

It doesn't have a flash at the moment but I've recommended one because it opens its mouth a lot, although I highly doubt this makes it leap lol.

Anyway, any help will be great!!!

 

[RunToEarth]

If the pony is 14 its going to be quite set in its ways, and what it really needs is a rider that has experience and confidence to bring out the ponys ability. A rider that has come off of a "plod" is perhaps not best suited to this pony. My coloured had a tendancy to leap, snatch the reins and go,but that was a combination of bad bitting and bad hand position, both now sorted. Perhaps the standing martingale makes it worse, my mare goes up when she cant get her head. Teeth/back checked? Pinching bit/girth? Ill fitting saddle?

 

[PapaFrita]

I'm going to hazard a guess and suggest that pony in question hasn't had an awful lot of 'formal' schooling and is unbalanced. It's much easier for unbalanced horses to go fast than in a controlled, collected manner (PF was just this sort of hossie!)
Assuming nothing hurts (back, mouth, etc) I think pony in question would benefit from going back to basics and working with her lots on the flat before attempting to jump. If she works quite alot in circles, it'll hopefully deter pony from tanking off too.
Your friend might need to upgrade the bit in order to feel more secure (is pony OK to stop?) There's really no reason why she can't downgrade again later when pony is going more steadily.
Course I might be completely off track

 

[serena2005]

i totally agree with rosiie, everything does need to be checked just to be sure you dont want to think shes just being naughty if she is actually in pain.

i would take the standing martingale off, horses can be clostrophopic (sp)?? and not being able to have her head will make it worse. if she has to have a martingale at all i would try a running martingale or a market harborough something with a bit of give in it.

if being relaxed helps her to relax then that is the way forward, if she is forward going to exercises that she has to slow down for eg, circle work, pole work.

you also said it is their new pony, when i got my new pony he was always trying to get me off, if might just be a testing thing the horse tries on with new riders, try lots of in hand work getting to know the horse having some fun with her, you can do pole work in hand, going out for walks, practice showing!
in hand stuff has helped me loads, he still does leap a little when he doesnt get his own way but we have alot more trust with each other now, but it hasnt been easy.

sorry i know im going on just one more thing.
when i was falling off my boy i was more nervous knowing he was ok with other people but not ok with me, he had 8 weeks off work and someone offered to get on him frist, just in case, but i did and it made me get my confidence back, by all means help your friend but try and get them on and talk to them lot so they dont go in to pain and tense up.

 

[Blazingkate]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm going to hazard a guess and suggest that pony in question hasn't had an awful lot of 'formal' schooling and is unbalanced. It's much easier for unbalanced horses to go fast than in a controlled, collected manner (PF was just this sort of hossie!)
Assuming nothing hurts (back, mouth, etc) I think pony in question would benefit from going back to basics and working with her lots on the flat before attempting to jump. If she works quite alot in circles, it'll hopefully deter pony from tanking off too.
Your friend might need to upgrade the bit in order to feel more secure (is pony OK to stop?) There's really no reason why she can't downgrade again later when pony is going more steadily.
Course I might be completely off track

[/ QUOTE ]

I was thinking along the same lines as you! I also think it needs re-schooling, and mentioned that (guess who will get that job seeing as I'm am currently reschooling my new one.) I mentioned maybe getting rid of the standing and putting on a running, and a french link rather than a loose ring, what do you reckon? When I say her last one was a plod, he wasn't a plod plod, he was still forward just very very safe.

Oh and the idea of pole work may also be used a lot!

 

[serena2005]

im a strong believer of trying new bits, its trial and error im sure she will tell you if you try something she doesnt like!

 

[Blazingkate]

I agree, I've had my horse for 3 1/2 months, and I've been through 4 bits!!

 

[PapaFrita]

A french link is a very good idea, but if pony is fussy in mouth (sounds as if she might be!) a standing martingale might actually work better than a running martingale, provided it's not too short.
Antifaz is VERY fussy in his mouth, and has a tendency to grab and snatch at the bit. He hated the running martingale (naughtiness and throwing of head escalated) and is much calmer in the standing. It depends on each horse of course, and there's no harm in comparing how pony goes in both

 

[Sal_E]

I'll put money on it that his teeth need doing...

 

[RunToEarth]

[ QUOTE ]
I'll put money on it that his teeth need doing...

[/ QUOTE ]
perhaps me too after similar behavoir from my lad last week who DOES need teeth doing, dentist to come out on monday. Would get these checked bofore you do anything drastic

 

[sweet_decline]

[ QUOTE ]
I'll put money on it that his teeth need doing...

[/ QUOTE ]

And probably a good idea to get his back checked too...

Best of luck

 

[showjump2003]

My horse was exactly the same when I first got her 4 years ago. Whwn ever she wanted to go and I said no she literally leapt 4ft up and 4ft forwards at the same time and went! Her teeth, back and tack where fine and she wasn't suffering from a lack of formal schooling!

Not saying it is the answer to this particular problem but having got to know the horse and creating a two way trust she no longer does it (aart from in to jumps occasionally).

What I found with my horse is that she used to be galloped around all the time by her last owner and wasn't used to not being able to go when she wanted to! But she soon got used to the idea and the problem went away.