Lunging advice, young pony

[Once was lost]

I am in need of some ideas and advice in regards to a pony I am working with for a friend

The background:
Pony is a 5 year old gelding mixed breading. He was bought about a month ago, he had been with previous owner nearly 5 months but had done very little to nothing in that time they got him from the person who had broken him in and had him, they say as a lean rein pony.
My friend got him at the bargain bucket price of £50 as the owners didn't want to take him through winter and had no rider for him and also in seems little interest in him. My friends intentions for him are as a first pony for her two young children (eldest is 5 but neither boy has any real interest as yet), a companion for her horse and also for my daughter to ride (my daughter is 6.5, pony mad and at the just coming off lead rein level).
He is wonderful with the children, steady as a rock but he is about as green as a pony can get. I have not, and for quite some time will not, let my daughter off the lead rein on him, he is a perfect gentleman on the lead rein but I do not trust him off.
My friend first tried to lunge him and couldn't get him to move out at all but she has very little experience with young green horses, she is a wonderful dressage rider but she has never brought on a horse or pony before. I (in another life) used to deal with this type of pony allot, I had 5 horses on a combination of competition, bringing on, breaking and early handling loan but a nasty accident 15 years ago smashed up my ankle and put me out of the horse game. I have been back working with horses for nearly a year now.
I had a low pressure go at lunging the pony and got some really good results, it sparked that 'I love a challenge' bug in me and with the blessing (and thinks but I keep telling her she is doing me the favour!) of my friend I have taken over the education of the pony.

So, we come to the problem!
He is now lunging beautifully on the left rein (although halt is a little hit and miss to say the least) but the right rein is proving to be a real headache!
At some point in the past this little pony has been whacked about the head with a whip, I am almost sure of it, with lots of encouragement and praise he is working well on the left rein even when I hold a lunge whip and responds to it well but on the right he keeps stopping, spinning in, trying to change rein back to where he is comfortable, using the whip to bring him back round just wont work as he is so fearful of it poor boy so I am trying to get advice and opinions on the best way to deal with this and move him on through it.
It is a new one on me not being able to ride a pony I am working on as I feel I am just a bit heavy for him, he is 11.3/12hh and I am about 9.5 stone. I have done a little work long reining him and that is going well but I need some ideas, he is a cleaver boy, picks things up quickly but can also be a cheeky whatsit!

I think I have put up all relevant info, probably a load that isn't relevant as well, any advice would be great, also ideas on how to keep things fresh for him and varied. I have been out of the game for a while and I am still a bit rusty and I am sure new techniques have come about in my off time so I am open to all ideas!

[/url] scruff by lilachawk, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[MrVelvet]

perhaps get his eyes tested? whats he like being led from the right? Sounds like he's been on the lead rein all his life so will just need patience - If he can do it on the left he's either got something up ? (I assume you've had teeth, back, physio and tack checks??)

Persevere!! All horses are a bit one sided... just give him time and be firm! Perhaps long reining may help too? x

 

[Once was lost]

He was awful being lead from the right but is improving very quickly, his manors have improved greatly as well.
He has been checked out and given the all clear, he is in good shape just needs to loose some weight!
I have started doing some long reigning with him, it is clear he had never done it before but he is taking to it well and is helping his need to have somebody next to him on the lead rein as yes, that is clearly all he is done, he looks to me for reassurance allot when something new or a bit worrying to him crops up, he is a lovely boy!
The problem on the lounge is that he is terrified of the whip, have been working hard on this and he is making improvements but when you are asking him to go on the right rein he is unsure of himself anyway and his whip fear takes over.
This afternoon I just kept him going on the right rein in what ever pace he wanted as long as he was moving and not turning in, I did this without a whip to take away that fear for him, he went round in first fast canter, then a fast trot, he did start to relax but in walk just stopped and turned in, It is going to take time and I know I can get it eventually but I wondered if anyone had some fresh eyes and ideas to help him along. I am going to get somebody to lead him around while on the line to help him keep calm but I have not often got anybody about to help.

 

[be positive]

Use two reins so that you can control him more with the outside rein, many are so used to being dealt with on their left that lungeing on the right rein is more difficult for them to get the hang of. If you work him on two reins you can do a lot more varied work mixing some circles with straight lines and changing direction which will also help to keep the ponies interest.
A whip should not be needed to get him going forward which will also help his confidence.

 

[Tinker_Belle]

I haven't read any of the other posts so apologies if I am repeating what has already been said.

Mine much prefers to work on her left side than right for some reason. I suppose it is the difference with a human being left handed or right handed, both are okay but one is noticeably better and more comfortable.

Could you try lungeing him on the right rein while somebody leads him round you? Once he is happy with that have the same person walk around with him but a little distance away so there is that 'safety blanket' for him but you're not giving him the chance to become too attached to somebody being at his head?

Sorry, I don't know if that makes sense but as you think he has been hit about a bit it may be of help to have somebody at his head reassuring him. Also, when he is relaxed and tied up after grooming have you tried letting him look at the whip and showing it to him?

It sounds very soft but I had a pony who had been hit around the head and the first time he had contact with humans, he had his ears twisted and was led by them.... As a result he was very wary of anything being near his head or ears but allowing him to look at things and satisfy himself that there was nothing to be worried about worked for me and more importantly, worked for him

 

[Once was lost]

Use two reins so that you can control him more with the outside rein, many are so used to being dealt with on their left that lungeing on the right rein is more difficult for them to get the hang of. If you work him on two reins you can do a lot more varied work mixing some circles with straight lines and changing direction which will also help to keep the ponies interest.
A whip should not be needed to get him going forward which will also help his confidence.

This was the way I was leaning towards as you say, it gives me a contact with the outside rein to guide him out. We did some work on Thursday with two lines and it went reasonably well, patience and time are the key factors here, I just wanted to make sure I am not missing a trick given I am rusty and had been out of the horse world for so long.
The whip is not needed to get pony moving forward, all that is achieved on the voice but I have the whip largely to acclimatise him to it and reassure him that he shall never be touched by the whip while on the lunge, the signs are clear that at some time in the past he has been struck with a lunge whip, poor boy, he is so egger to please and honest, I am gently, step by step showing him he is in a safe place.
My friend wrote to the owner before the one she bought him from to try and get some history and let them know what type of home he is now in but has received no reply.

What do people think of our current programme,
Mondays - day off (no child care for my youngest)
Tuesdays - every other week or so my daughter rides him after school for a half hour, mainly walk and halt/walk transitions, a very small amount of trot, all on lead rein
Wednesday - lunge/long rein
Thursdays - lunge/long rein
Fridays - day off (no childcare)
Saturdays - my daughter rides for either a half hour in school or hack
Sundays - lunge/long rein

I worry that it could get a bit monotonous for him, any ideas or is it okay?
It has been such a long time since I last worked with a young pony and I have never worked with one I couldn't ride, I just don't want to do wrong by this pony, he is really a smasher, loads of potential. He has had a rocky start and I don't want to compound the poor start he has already had by being too proud to ask for advise!

 

[be positive]

That all sounds good you are heading in the right direction with him, once he is confident it would be good if you could get him out and about on the longreins, go round the fields or lanes for some variety. Another thing that will be good for him would be some work with poles it all helps with the trust and get him confident for your daughter to do more with him.
He shouldnt get bored as he will be learning new things all the time and gradually doing more.