New kids pony problems

[Ponymum23]

I’ve just come on horse and hound forum and reading all threads with interest as we’ve had our pony 4 weeks and tonight it reared and span while my 6 year old daughter was on board. Pony was sold privately as super safe albeit only 7 but we took the chance as she is a very good natured lovely looking pony and when we tried her she went brilliantly. After a good few weeks at home last week we took her to another livery yard for a clinic and it was like she was a different pony wild etc and so I took my child off and she reared then too but daughter not on so I could deal with it. Now she’s done it at home without warning when we were just asking for trot and I’m not sure what to do next. Note since the clinic I’ve been in touch with all previous owners plus breeder and no bad experiences just a long break from pony parties due to Covid so I thought fine in hand showing this summer get her adjusted again but her doing that at home without warning has really scared my daughter and me a little in all honesty. Don’t know if I should cut my losses and sell her to a producer or for breeding or keep working with her but of course my daughters safety is my main concern.

 

[Trinket12]

If you haven’t already, saddle fit check and back and teeth check. That reaction sounds like it could be pain. Also could have been too much for the pony, to be sold, moved yard and then to a clinic in a strange place.

Once you have ruled out pain, then I would suggest a lot of in hand work for both you and your daughter. Create and set boundaries with the pony, and at the same time you will build a strong relationship which does make a difference under saddle.

 

[Red-1]

I too would look at the saddle. It can be tolerable for them until they are under other pressure.

If it were the saddle, and that is fixed, then you and your daughter would have a reason for the rear, and could proceed with more confidence. If not, then yes, having a more experienced rider take the pony a few places and get their take on it.

Many horses will be a bit dizzy when re-joining events after a Covid hiatus.

But, your daughter's safety, including the safety of her confidence, is paramount. So, if the pony proves not ideal I would indeed sell before the damage is irreparable to confidence.

 

[Ownedby4horses]

I would get your saddle fit checked by a recommended saddle fitter.

Also, 4 weeks for an equine to settle can be no time at all for some. It took my current mare over 12 months to fully settle when I first got her, only then did I see the lovely pony that I saw at the viewing.

Once you have the saddle checked , I would be taking the pony out often, to different settings without your child onboard, just to get them used to being out and about again. Then when you feel she is more settled, you can reintroduce yourself daughter (I’m suggesting this so that your daughter’s confidence isn’t damaged).

 

[Midlifecrisis]

There are so many possible factors which could cause a rear as a reaction..but confidence in new owners is built over time. Calm handling and calm child on board is important. Your daughters instructor might see a “trigger” or as time passes the behaviour may not occur again (im assuming here that tack fits, teeth don’t hurt and feed is appropriate). Four weeks is no time at all.

 

[Ponymum23]

Thanks all - I bought a fitted GP saddle a week after having her as she only came with a show saddle. I’ve not done teeth and back yet as they were done according to seller May and February respectively but I’ll get my own checks done now. I’ve now also shown the video (dad was there so luckily all on video although dad shouting get her off now when it happened did not help at all ?) to a knowledgeable girl at my yard and she says not so much rearing more napping starting at the front and as she was a show pony before the kids riding her were all quite big so she is maybe just testing my daughter. I’m going to lunge her tonight, put her on lead rein for a hack Tuesday then Wednesday she has a lesson with the lady who runs our yard (if I can persuade my daughter to do it) if not I think I’ll use the time myself to get some in hand tips/ exercises as although I had ponies growing up and loaned a couple of horses through adulthood but I’ve not had to go back to groundwork with any of them so feeling quite inexperienced in this area. She is a beautiful pony with a really good nature so working through it will be worth it I’m sure I just need lots of advice on how to handle so thank you all for your replies. Feeling much more optimistic this morning.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Please don't 'persuade' your daughter to have the lesson. Instead concentrate on building up her confidence in the pony by doing in-hand exercises under the instruction of the YO, she may then feel confident enough to end the session by mounting and dismounting. Of course if daughter wants to ride throughout the whole lesson that is a different thing. It does sound as if you and Dad are inexperienced owners and tbh that would not help the pony to feel confident at the clinic.

 

[wren123]

I'd get the new saddle double checked by someone else just in case it's not quite right.

 

[Ponymum23]

Please don't 'persuade' your daughter to have the lesson. Instead concentrate on building up her confidence in the pony by doing in-hand exercises under the instruction of the YO, she may then feel confident enough to end the session by mounting and dismounting. Of course if daughter wants to ride throughout the whole lesson that is a different thing. It does sound as if you and Dad are inexperienced owners and tbh that would not help the pony to feel confident at the clinic.

Please don't 'persuade' your daughter to have the lesson. Instead concentrate on building up her confidence in the pony by doing in-hand exercises under the instruction of the YO, she may then feel confident enough to end the session by mounting and dismounting. Of course if daughter wants to ride throughout the whole lesson that is a different thing. It does sound as if you and Dad are inexperienced owners and tbh that would not help the pony to feel confident at the clinic.

I wouldn’t say I’m an inexperienced owner in general. I had ponies all through my childhood as I grew up on a farm and I have loaned 2 horses in adult life I just didn’t have the right lifestyle to commit to buying one as I travel abroad with work but now I am able to manage any away time plus it’s minimised not only due to Covid but due to my companies global warming commitments so I am giving my child the same opportunities I had as a child. I only made the jump to ownership after loaning a pony from a friend for a year. Even the talland trained instructor could not sort the ponies confidence out at the clinic. Dad is inexperienced and of course was worried about our daughters safety but yes I was like thanks hubby for shouting “get her off” ? I take your point about not persuading her though as if she’s not comfortable and confident it could just make things worse. I may have bought a pony that’s too young and I’ll admit I’m inexperienced with regards to how to move forward with a young pony that I cannot jump on myself.

 

[Ponymum23]

I'd get the new saddle double checked by someone else just in case it's not quite right.

mmm I never thought of that - I paid very good money for a brand new Kent and masters from a reputable saddle fitter I’ve used before on one of my loan horses. I’ll ask the yard owner to give it a once over though to see if she thinks that could be the root cause of any issues. Back, teeth, saddle double check will be my priority this week plus I’ve found a fun in hand showing show to take her to quite locally this weekend. Wish me luck as showing has never been my thing.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

mmm I never thought of that - I paid very good money for a brand new Kent and masters from a reputable saddle fitter I’ve used before on one of my loan horses. I’ll ask the yard owner to give it a once over though to see if she thinks that could be the root cause of any issues. Back, teeth, saddle double check will be my priority this week plus I’ve found a fun in hand showing show to take her to quite locally this weekend. Wish me luck as showing has never been my thing.

Well as you are only going to introduce the pony to a busy (ish) show atmosphere and not for prizes there will be no pressure, so you should be nice and relaxed, which will pass on to the pony. I am sorry if I offended you in my previous post but when you said that the YO had watched the video and told you that the 'rear' was in fact a front end nap, I assumed that you hadn't realised that yourself.

 

[Ponymum23]

Well as you are only going to introduce the pony to a busy (ish) show atmosphere and not for prizes there will be no pressure, so you should be nice and relaxed, which will pass on to the pony. I am sorry if I offended you in my previous post but when you said that the YO had watched the video and told you that the 'rear' was in fact a front end nap, I assumed that you hadn't realised that yourself.

Not offended sorry if my reply came across like I was. Ah yes I see what you mean but if I sent you the video you would see why I’ve noted as rear as when her head went up she smacked my daughter in the face ? yard owner is more relaxed then me and is very much like young ponies try it on she’s just napping if that makes sense. That’s good to know - the pony is well bred and her breaker/ producer told me I don’t realise what a great pony I have in terms of showing potential and I’m just over here like nope I don’t I just wanted a safe pony for my child to have fun with and now I’m being dragged into showing... who knows I might get the bug but at the moment it all just feels like a major mission and I have no clue what to wear ?

 

[ester]

I did wonder if she might be in season. + grass

 

[splashgirl45]

if your YO isnt a saddle fitter she may not pick up something that is wrong so i would get a recommended saddle fitter to check it a s a p..

 

[Ponymum23]

if your YO isnt a saddle fitter she may not pick up something that is wrong so i would get a recommended saddle fitter to check it a s a p..

Do you think I should ask my original saddle fitter to pop back. I bought a brand new k&m saddle from her so going to be pretty annoyed if it is that.

 

[splashgirl45]

difficult question....if it was me i would have already tried bareback to see if the horse behaved the same. i dont think that would be sensible for your daughter so in your position i think you should get the original fitter back in case the flocking has moved or the ponys back has changed shape..then maybe get a lightweight experienced rider to ride the pony...its tricky asking someone else to get on a rearer so maybe ask YO if they think it would be okay to ask someone to ride....if i saw the pony misbehaving i would know if it was just going up a little bit as a sort of nap, but on here its not possible to give the right answer.

 

[Ponymum23]

Hi everyone, little update. On Tuesday we lunged our pony then as she was fairly quite we went for a short hack on lead rein - all good everyone happy. Yesterday I used the lesson to learn to long rein as it’s not something I’d done before and instructor also did a check of her and recommended back but everything else looks good. Instructor thinks we have a lovely pony with a good nature and we can work through it so fingers crossed. We are going in hand showing on Sunday so fingers crossed she’s not a prat ?

 

[Ownedby4horses]

That’s sounding good that you’re seeing progress. Just to add, your pony isn’t a prat, it’s a pony and what it is doing is communicating to you, in the only way it knows how. Your job is to listen and learn and find out how to improve your own communication with your pony.

It’s an absolute pet hate of mine when people call equines names, when they’re just being an equine.

 

[Apizz2019]

They change shape so quickly, so it may be that your fitted saddle now doesn't fit and she could be super sensitive to something not fitting correctly... Possibly bit, bridle too?

It could also be your daughters riding and I don't mean that in a derogatory manner but little ponies are rarely broken and schooled by children as not many have the expertise to do so, so they can be sensitive to an unbalanced and less accomplished rider than what they're used to.

You say you've spoken to the breaker and breeder - did you get any history of what the pony has done?

Good to hear you've made some progress but I'd be very wary of any horse or pony that rears. It's incredibly dangerous, much more so than an exuberant buck, and often, if a learned behaviour to evade something and not caused by pain, it can be almost impossible to resolve.

Children's confidence can be broken very quickly and it can take an age to get back, sometimes not at all.

If it were me, I'd take back to basics. Start from the bottom up in terms of soundness, tack, sore spots etc and then do lots of in hand work, preferably with your daughter taking control, to build trust for both.

When we got our current pony, he slipped in mud not long after we got him and had an ever so slightly sore back. We spent 6 weeks doing in hand work, my 10 year old daughter doing some of this and it was the best thing in hindsight as they built a strong bond during those 6 weeks, which has flourished since.

Good luck!