new loan pony, help please?

aimeeq94

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ive just got a new pony on part loan as her owner is at uni.
i ride her 2-3 times a week.. but i find it really annoying when she stops. she stands still and decides she is not going to go anywhere, and no matter hor much i kick, shout, whip or anything, she plants her feet and will not move...
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its nothing to do with her feet i dont think because she does it in he school aswell as out, and the school is sand, so soft. she doesnt have shoes but we are having her vet checked, and maybe shoes put on..

yesterday i tried walking her round the school, standing when i wanted her to and making her stand for ages until she got bored, then she wanted to walk.. but she wouldnt do anything else..

PLEASE HELP!?
i love the pony to bits but i cant be doing with it if were on the roads!!

thanks xxx
 
oh forgot to say, she is fed a scoop of herbal chaff and a scoop of cool nuts a day, most of the time with a few spoons of sugarbeet.. wud more sugarbeet help? she likes the taste so wud have no problem with giving her extra?

does that give energy, she is soo lazy!!

x
 
does she do it with her owner as well?

If not, I would suggest she is trying you out! Does she do it if you go out with company? Have you tried spurs?
 
Have you asked the owner if she acts like this with them.
Have you had anyone else try riding her, sometimes it can be lack of experience as I found out, my pony used to do this with me when I first rode her. I got my daughter to work her as she is more experienced than I and she found her no problem at all. The pony could be testing you, or she could have some muscle tension or pain. Hope this helps.
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she does it out with company, and if her friend goes round the corner she trots up to find him, i dont dare ride out on my own if shes gna do that.. i cant be doing with it.. her owner doesnt ride her.. no1 does really..
apart from me now
i havent tried spurs, ive never used them before??
xx
 
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she sounds nappy.would you be able to follow another pony so she gets the idea?

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she does it when were out with her pony friend...
xx
 
what about if you had some-one to walk with you and then they could give pony a little tap behind to send her forward?
have you had lessons and have an instructer to ask?
does she lead ok from the ground?


i think either
pony is being bit naughty and trying you out
OR
perhaps she has never been taught any different and doesn`t know what you are asking.
 
she does know what to do, i think she may just be trying it out!
once she is going, shes fine but when she stops, boy she stops!!!

i have had lessons, but not on her as i have only had her a couple of weeks!!

plus the menage at our livery yard is only small..

what excercises cud i do on my own in the menage to make her listen?
xx
 
My dressage horse does this when hacking on his own, he doesn't do it any other time so I know it is him napping, If there is someone else around he will go forward if chased or I circle him round a few times when he will sometimes go forward from that, if all else fails I turn him around and rein him back in the direction I want him to go, this usually works but it really annoys him as he knows he has lost!
If you can rule out pain I would get on top of it in the school first, get someone to help you on the ground and dont let him get into the habit!
 
you could start off with lunge or lead and try to get her to do things with your voice,like `walk on` `whoa` and later `trot`.so that she does it to the word.lots of changes(transitions)
when riding then you carry on using you voice.
just do lots of walk,whoa walk to get her listening.
make sure you are not holding her back yourselve without thinking.
try not to tell her off for bad things too much but lots of praise for good stuff.
and try to think `forwards` yourself all the time.
good luck .
 
My Horse does this all the TIME!!! i have had him since he was 2 and i havent done anything to provok it, its something he does and i kinda have to get used to it.

He is a showjumper and would never do it when he is jumping, i sometime have to trick him and put some trotting poles out or a small fence so that he doesnt do it in the school when im flat working or he will just stand there looking at the clouds or the birds or the hedge or the sheep in far far distance or may be hes thinking, day dreaming - we always say that hes got his lights on but no one is at home!!

he is also nappy but he does is out with company, hes also barefoot but thats not his problem as he did it with shoes, hes as healthy as a horse=)

you may just have to get on with it - i have too.
 
I had a mare who did this really bad..i used to get so frustrated id end up crying with anger. I went back to basic long reining her first try it in menage than once you know there used to it get a friend to help you going out on the road long reining is good as it encourages them to go forwards. This was brave, as she was so stubborn i used to carry a plastic bag in my pocket and if she did it wave it around she hated that and it worked for a time. Also bizarre as this may sound my friend used to follow me in her car and when she stopped the momentum of something going passed would encourage her forwards. It is hard but hang in there..Good luck..
 
When pone does it, try turning her tight to the right (or left, which ever is safest). Bring her head right round and she will move. Also, if she will rein back do that, or turn on the haunches. As you get more used to her you'll feel when she is about to stop, and as soon as you do, make her do something! Leg yield, move up a gait, loosen the reins, ask for flexion, just do something. My daughter's pony gets very bored in the school, we can only be in there for ten minutes unless we have an awful lot of transitions and changes of direction, or lots of toys such as cones, poles, balls, umbrellas etc etc etc.

Let us know how you go.
 
Is it always in the same place that she does this? Is it always as she is facing the opposite direction to where she really wants to go?
All I can suggest if it is, is that you become ready for it, so take up trot, keep your leg on, be ready and make sure she doesn't get the chance to do it. If schooling, dont just go round and round, keep changing the rein, doing 20mtr circles, keep her mind on what your asking, do plenty of faster work as it will make it more difficult for her to just do these stops. Find out what she enjoys doing, like jumping, or trot poles and do them to get her interested.
Most of all dont give up, the moment you've given up and she's won will make it a lot more difficult to get her out of it.
 
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