my pony who goes fizzy when competing to win an open field gallop

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sashawonderpony

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Hi all, i was just wanting any tips, advice .etc. my pony a 13.2 (unknown breed) maybe fellx welshie, super chunky. i sometime ride with next doors ponies and she is a perfect sweetheart until she gets into an open field she goes tense and skitty and just wants to go and when she does she puts her head and neck really low but i know she wont win as the others are a slim cob and another pure bred pony i cant think the breed of. She had a deutch gag and before i go out with them again, i put her in my kimblewick, any tips? Thanks in advance x
 
Not quite sure what you're asking. If you want her to stop setting herself against you in an open space then I would stop the racing (I think that's what you're saying you do but it's not clear) and insist on her walking calmly in open spaces for now. Something like a Waterford could help if she's taking the bit and pulling but to be honest it sounds more like a training issue in that she's expecting to race everywhere.
 
Agree. Sounds like you always race at the same point or similar points. She is just expecting it and getting excited. Ideally just keep her to walk in open spaces until she accepts it and calms. Changing her bit won't help in the long term. Whatever bit you put in she is stronger than you. You are just setting up a battle you can't win.
 
Ok thanks for the advice, i think i will get my experienced cousins to push her buttons and see what she thinks as a friend tried to canter her on her own and for the first time ever she did a tiny bounce buck in a field
 
I suspect that will only get worse. But I do remember being a child myself and having the same lack of appreciation for risk.
 
Thing is if you always gallop in open fields they tend to get to associate it with an exciting place, and horses in a group going fast is even more exiting maybe just make her walk in the field, I have a horse that will get really excitable in open spaces even trotting can blow his brain in a group, so I don't do it as I know in time it will make him really silly and it's just not enjoyable.
 
Get your experienced cousin to hack out along all your normal canter routes in walk and trot ONLY, with plenty of transitions.

Once your pony is riding out calmly again, you can keep up the good behaviour by: never cantering twice in a row in the same place, keeping some hacks to walk and trot only, varying the length of canters, doing lots of transitions, cantering single file instead of side by side, and not racing.

It might sound boring, but the alternative is a dangerous pony who is so out of control that you might find you can't canter on hacks, or even hack at all. This behaviour is being trained into her so the only fix is training, I'm afraid - new bits won't help.
 
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