Naughty new loan pony troubles..

Merlod

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Sorry for the long post! He's for my 14 year old sister who has been riding him (13.2 NF) about 2 weeks. Has been fine on road hacks and in the school, a little buzzy but he hasn't been in work for some time (not his fault - owners lack of time). Took him in the schooling field to do W,T,C once on each rein (not exactly mind blowing AND he was put behind my pony so he could just follow lead) fine in walk and trot went in to canter and he buggered off with her, leapt, stuck his head between his legs and started bucking. She got back on, he did it again. Both times she came off he stopped to eat. This time we swapped and I got on him - he tried it with me and we had a bit of a fight, I got him on a circle and made him canter around until the attitude went and he started behaving, on each rein.

I'm sure the problem is his attitude as he was ok once we established I was in charge! I think he will try it on so she needs to be in control. Problem is, I need her to be able to stop the first part of the sequence to stand a chance - where he ******* of at speed she needs to stop him before he starts leaping and bucking. I managed it but when he goes off he completely runs through the bit, I am a much stronger rider than her and I found it difficult..

Previously he was ridden in a single joint eggbutt, I have him in a french link eggbutt as I only have double jointed bits to hand and I think that maybe it's actually too soft he can take hold and ignore it? I'm not sure what to do next, we've just put him in a single joint eggbutt and there doesn't seem to be much difference in responsiveness so she's not taken him back in the field yet :( I was thinking after his teeth are done to short term put him in a dr bristol just to she can establish some control of this buggering off and then move to a verbindend (fab bit I use on my welsh cob) or should we not bother with double joints persevere with single jointed bits for him?

Also, he is from our yard anyway, has been there years, so no change in feed or routine and we have booked the dentist for next week so will pick his brains too..
 

SpringArising

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It sounds like you both need to establish some basic schooling with him before attempting to canter in the field. Adding more horses to the mix in these types of situations just makes everything more exciting/stressful for them (especially if they're being made to wait behind another!).

Take him in the field alone (with your sister riding him) and spend half an hour working on walk to trot and trot to walk/stand transitions. With ponies like yours, you need to get them thinking backwards before you send them forwards. He should be anticipating having to stop rather than being able to take off.

Don't change his bit just yet; it's early days and it sounds like he just needs teaching. Changing the bit will essentially sweep the problem under a rug and won't actually fix anything - just mask the real issue.

In your situation I'd be aiming to be able to walk and trot on a loose rein before attempting a canter. When she does canter, get her up in two-point with a really solid leg and tell her to bridge her reins. He can't buck anything out the saddle if there's nothing in it!
 

Exploding Chestnuts

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Start from scratch, build up his fitness and lower his excitement levels,
Long reining to establish obedience, and plenty of turnout.
Don't try cantering in a field unless he has already done an hour's hacking and it is uphill, bridge the reins so he cant get his head down.
 
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The Fuzzy Furry

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Basic schooling as said above & dont change the bit.

If were me (and will get shouted down probably) I would pop the little monster into a Market Harboro so he can jolly well lean on himself.
If he has learned evasion from a weaker rider, then (IMHO) occasionally a gadget that will not permit this, is sometimes of use when under instruction.
Children often loose their core strength as they go through growing spurts so cannot always apply themselves as much as you would expect.

To add: if you go down this route, then use it yourself till you are happy, in case pony really does frighten himself with it.

OP, good luck, body protector firmly on! :)
 

cundlegreen

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I remember as a kid riding a pony who consistantly put his head between his knees and bucked me off. I went to see my local saddler who recommended a kimblewick. Result!! Once the pony learn't he couldn't do it, the problem was solved.
 

Merlod

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Thanks for all the food for thought. It's strange because it's not like normal excitement, as soon as she came off he just stopped and ate. He is happy to do most asked and is very responsive to transitions in walk and trot on a loose rein in the arena or field, it's just the canter. He has cantered on hacks behind my horse, and has been worked in open order in trot whilst i've been cantering my horse- no problems. It's just when HE canters. He started so well he almost lulled my sister in to a bit of a false sense of security but when he bucks he means it, not an exited buck like my horse does. I hate to say it but he is a bit of an A-hole who has gotten away with murder for quite some time and I think this is learnt evasive behaviour.. saying that it will be a good experience for her as her pony (soundness issues, hence loan pony) was such a push button she's been a bit over confident in her abilities and she might think twice about refusing the body protector! lol

I bought a loose ring single link today, as he's primarily been ridden in a single link and i'm hoping the loose rings will stop him taking hold so much - when he runs off he sticks his nose out and then once the speed has built then he tucks head in and broncs.
I think we will up his hacking, increase the hill work and the work in the school and I will ride him in the field as I genuinely think in this case he needs riding through it. And then I might stick my sister on the lunge in the field as then she'll only have to worry about sitting it and not him taking off completely! The joys of ponies!
 

ihatework

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Don't worry, it's not just kids on ponies!!

As a 20+ year old I took on a new horse and to quote his owner 'he's cheeky'

I was promptly deposited 4-5 times in a month after a fence as he did a bucking 180 on landing.

Once he had his backside tanned and I had learnt to sit it, it was no longer funny and he never bothered again in the many years I rode and jumped him!

Sounds like the pony just needs to learn who is boss pretty sharpish.
 

DabDab

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When I was little I used to ride at a riding school that used to buy ponies from all sorts of weird and wonderful places and as one of the smallest "helpers", I generally got to ride them first :p This particular school also had arenas in the field where the ponies were turned out and there was no fencing around them.

There was one pony that would get half way through a session and then decide he had had enough and would merrily cart me back to the yard. He never bucked, but sometimes he would do this in excess of 20 times in one lesson. My instructor eventually put me on a lunge line (line through pony's bit) and let me ride around normally until he took off and then she pulled his back teeth out. After a couple of repetitions he never really did it again. He would quicken up to run off but would hesitate long enough for me to turn him and push off in another direction and then it petered out entirely.

Obviously only any use if you think he won't buck etc in response and if you're strong enough to hold him (ponies can be really strong). Otherwise yes, a market harborough sounds like a good idea (with you practicing with it first).

You need something that will only act as he does something wrong - a strong bit in unsteady and nervous hands may not be ideal.

ETA: just read back and you've already mentioned lunging - apologies for scanning :)
 
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Hannahgb

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I personally would say if you think his bucks aren't out of excitement but a 'I want you off' buck, there is pain involved. I strongly believe that pain is involved in most cases of 'nasty' behaviour.

I would look at getting teeth/ back/ saddle checked before asking anymore from him
 

Merlod

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Some great naughty pony stories – good to know it’s just not me!

I genuinely don’t feel this is pain related. Once I got him to get on with it he was good. I think he’s learnt evasion very well and paired with his dominant/ disrespectful personality towards people he needs a firm hand and clear boundaries because he’s always gotten away with murder he wants due to slightly scaring his riders.

It’s just how I go about it, I am on the fence with market Harborough etc as he has reared previously (not full height and twice only in about 10 years, both at shows) so it’s very unlikely he will but a risk nonetheless having equipment may make things worse if he were to go up for any reason.

We hacked last night up woodlands, sadly the loose ring wasn’t our miracle cure :( he still tried to take hold at times -he bucked and shot forward after my horse (leading) spooked at something but my sister sat it and got him under control.
On the way home there is a path running alongside a horse field about ¼ mile long, the residents came galloping and bucking along the fenceline as we walked along, my horse ingnores them pony got a bit wound up (jogging) but she sat still and calmed him down and by the end he was ignoring them too :) then on the home straight my horse had a spook and worry about a big JCB parked on our narrow path home, cue pony taking the lead all the way back! Small steps
 

itroteverywhere

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Your poor sister! Guessing not what she had in mind when she decided to loan him. What do his owners say? Spring grass probably isn't helping (assuming he's just fresh and not in any pain).

If it were me I would cut out hard feed for a while, get your sister to hoik her stirrups up a hole or two and have a few lessons with an instructor before she loses any confidence.

Definitely go back to scratch, lots of walking and trotting and build up to canter once they know each other better.
 

mandwhy

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Classic naughty pony! Get her to learn to bridge her reins, or have some sort of safety strap so he can't pull her hands down and buck(my mare has a handy long mane for this), but I would agree not to do much canter right now and really work on trot, maybe with some small canters when feeling more in control . And running through the bit is not good, my haflinger has done all of this, I would probably try a Kimblewick. Also bare in mind fitness of course, he may just be finding it hard and is protesting, but I would be pretty firm, just make sure you are asking a reasonable question of him every time and not schooling him for too long at a time, if he likes hacking take him out for a relaxing cool down hack after 15 mins schooling say.
 
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