Ponyio
New User
Looking for some kind, constructive maybe similar stories? I've had horses for 10 years but this is my first experience with ponies for children. My daughter is nearly 4 and has been riding on the LR since she was 2, we had a whizzy shetland as a share. I decided to buy her a Sec A, we found a 6-year-old who had been a field ornament but had a lot of handling, was sweet-natured and at 11.1 HH would have some longevity with us.
We had her for a month just doing grooming, getting to know us etc then sent her away to be backed. She was backed (with children as riders) and then we picked her back up and the direction was to keep her busy and get out. So we did, i've been to shows, took her on a beach holiday, boxed her for hacks, hacked in traffic etc etc everything was going so well - maybe too well. All the way reminding my daughter she is a 'baby' and we need to be quiet and gentle, encouraging in all situations.
We went to a riding club rally and she was unlike our usual pony - neighing, spooky, tense - she spooked, frightened herself and went to bolt i managed to hold on through pure fear of my 3 year old child bolting into the distance and my daughter fell out of the side door (unharmed but shook up). The instructor tried to put a more experienced rider on her whilst i was comforting my daughter and they couldn't get near her, i called it a day and took her home with lots of reassurance. Got her home and just led her in hand around our school - was back to calm (no rider). Then a few days of groundwork, desensitiation etc - the backing place did such a good job she was really not bothered by my handy pony esq activities in hand and long reined calmly. So we put a more experienced lightweight teen on her, she walked for 5 steps and bolted had her off too.
The backing place have agreed to have her back and assess her as i'm stuck and don't want to make anything worse. Just wondering if people have had newly backed ponies have a first fall and react like this or other peoples experiences? We're super patient I'm just fretting a bit about what the future could be like when things have gone so south so quickly.
We haven't changed anything tack wise, routine wise, not giving her any feed so nothing to wind her up etc etc
We had her for a month just doing grooming, getting to know us etc then sent her away to be backed. She was backed (with children as riders) and then we picked her back up and the direction was to keep her busy and get out. So we did, i've been to shows, took her on a beach holiday, boxed her for hacks, hacked in traffic etc etc everything was going so well - maybe too well. All the way reminding my daughter she is a 'baby' and we need to be quiet and gentle, encouraging in all situations.
We went to a riding club rally and she was unlike our usual pony - neighing, spooky, tense - she spooked, frightened herself and went to bolt i managed to hold on through pure fear of my 3 year old child bolting into the distance and my daughter fell out of the side door (unharmed but shook up). The instructor tried to put a more experienced rider on her whilst i was comforting my daughter and they couldn't get near her, i called it a day and took her home with lots of reassurance. Got her home and just led her in hand around our school - was back to calm (no rider). Then a few days of groundwork, desensitiation etc - the backing place did such a good job she was really not bothered by my handy pony esq activities in hand and long reined calmly. So we put a more experienced lightweight teen on her, she walked for 5 steps and bolted had her off too.
The backing place have agreed to have her back and assess her as i'm stuck and don't want to make anything worse. Just wondering if people have had newly backed ponies have a first fall and react like this or other peoples experiences? We're super patient I'm just fretting a bit about what the future could be like when things have gone so south so quickly.
We haven't changed anything tack wise, routine wise, not giving her any feed so nothing to wind her up etc etc
