Now we have the opposite issue - no brakes!

[EmmasMummy]

So.........pony has now woken up, in a big way. I think she prefers the cooler weather. I currently have her in a French link snaffle but DD cant stop her. Pony just puts her head up and pulls back. I am not one for gadgets, but DD was really trying,- heels down, weight in saddle, pulling back, saying woah and pony was just walking giraffe like pulling the bit. I don't like just increasing bits, so would it maybe be time for a martingale? I feel stupid using that on a Shetland (if they even made them that small) but she is definitely avoiding the bit. If not a martingale and I should try a stronger bit, which one? We used the "magic bit" on the sec A and he liked that one.

We were practising on stopping and not one time did it happen without me halting the pony myself by being a bollard.

 

[Kezzabell2]

How big is she? maybe it would be worth sending her to a tiny adult for a few weeks to learn how to be schooled properly?

I think from your previous post that she is quite young and hasn't done much before hand, so might be worth seeing if there is someone small that can help your daugter out?

 

[Goldenstar]

How old is the pony and how much has it done ?
A small rider is perfect if you can get one .
I would be lunging in side reins and really getting the voice training perfect .
Then I would put on DD on the lead rien and make a game of you using the voice command while DD give a the rien one .
Then I would get DD giving the voice command .
If the pony is putting the head up ( which I think is safer than down ) you might have to consider using a bungee or similar or a little while .
Or make a standing martingale using a side rein and a neck strap and tape them together as an experiment and see if that helps .

 

[EmmasMummy]

Pony is quite small. say sub 10hh - I haven't actually measured. She is 8 years old and I don't know exactly how much she has done as we have her on loan, and the people who own her only had her a month before they put her out on loan as they were moving.
My friend was going to ride her, she is just under 9 stone and pony not so nicely told her to GTF. I might see if the YO niece will ride her. I do know of one other adult who may be light enough, and small enough! All the thing riders round here seem to be giants.
She is fine on the lead rein, but I have to give no instruction. She just stops when I stop.

Forgive my ignorance re the side reins, would they not be putting a constant contact on the ponies mouth? I am going to try long reining.

It just seems that they seem to get good at one thing, then something else goes Pfttttttttt. ha!

 

[Kezzabell2]

sounds like she probably just been used as a lead rein pony in the past then, she's not really been taught how to be ridden properly!

you could always get her long lining as this will teach her to go forward by using the rope on her sides, like you girl will use her legs!! then using the ropes to teach her to stop?

If you've never long lined before, then I'd get someone experience to help you? might cost some money to get her going but at least then you will have a safe pony for your daughter!

that is the problem with shetlands, they are often too small that their riders are not experience enough to train them correctly!

 

[learn2horse]

It's really common for ponies that have just been used on lead rein to be difficult off the lead. Having taught in Pony club for years and seen the furstration this brings to novice riders, my advice is to look for a first ridden pony. Otherwise DD will lose all her confidence. Probably not the answer you wanted, but I see so many children on unsuitable ponies, and it breaks my heart. The pony will do a great job for someone else starting out on the lead rein I am sure.

 

[EmmasMummy]

It's really common for ponies that have just been used on lead rein to be difficult off the lead. Having taught in Pony club for years and seen the furstration this brings to novice riders, my advice is to look for a first ridden pony. Otherwise DD will lose all her confidence. Probably not the answer you wanted, but I see so many children on unsuitable ponies, and it breaks my heart. The pony will do a great job for someone else starting out on the lead rein I am sure.

Thats what we did, unfortunately I didn't have the 2k that many were asking - a few were about the 1.5k mark. and loans are like hens teeth. We didn't really want to buy as we already have another pony, albeit out on loan. Up here even to buy a shetland that isnt very old but is non lead rein and schooled is around £900 minimum.

 

[smja]

Children's ponies, particularly safe first riddens, command a decent price for a reason.

I'd be teaching the pony voice commands as others have said. When it stops off the voice, you can add in rein/seat aids.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

I'd use a standing martingale. If you can't find a shetland sized one buy a pony sized running martingale but put the rings through the noseband like you would for a standing martingale, you need more leather for a standing martingale so by using a running martingale as a makeshift standing one, you should be able to make the bigger size work for your pony. A hole punch is useful to make it smaller too.

It's either a lack of schooling or possibly an evasion, pony trying to get out of work by going too slow, doesn't work so starts refusing to slow down instead, either way not doing what the rider wants. If it's halts you're practicing, try doing it at the end of the session when pony is more tired and work on walk and trot transitions at the start of the session instead. You're going to see slow progress because you're trying to teach both pony and rider together, it's always quicker if at least one of the partnership knows what they're supposed to be doing, but if you can't afford a ready made pony then this is how it has to be and it won't do your daughter any harm in the long run as long as she's the determined type who doesn't get disheartened easily.

I suggest you don't lead pony. If pony is trained as lead rein she will be responding to your body language, so by continuing to walk next to her you're giving conflicting commands to what the rider is saying and lead rein ponies are used to ignoring their unbalanced, novice riders to a certain extent. Put your daughter on the lunge if you're worried about her having insufficient control and hopefully pony will listen to her more then.

Is your daughter getting into a tug of war? Because a rider never wins that way, the pony is always stronger. Daughter needs to learn to repeatedly apply the stopping aids until pony complies, not continuously pull.

 

[EmmasMummy]

I'd use a standing martingale. If you can't find a shetland sized one buy a pony sized running martingale but put the rings through the noseband like you would for a standing martingale, you need more leather for a standing martingale so by using a running martingale as a makeshift standing one, you should be able to make the bigger size work for your pony. A hole punch is useful to make it smaller too.

It's either a lack of schooling or possibly an evasion, pony trying to get out of work by going too slow, doesn't work so starts refusing to slow down instead, either way not doing what the rider wants. If it's halts you're practicing, try doing it at the end of the session when pony is more tired and work on walk and trot transitions at the start of the session instead. You're going to see slow progress because you're trying to teach both pony and rider together, it's always quicker if at least one of the partnership knows what they're supposed to be doing, but if you can't afford a ready made pony then this is how it has to be and it won't do your daughter any harm in the long run as long as she's the determined type who doesn't get disheartened easily.

I suggest you don't lead pony. If pony is trained as lead rein she will be responding to your body language, so by continuing to walk next to her you're giving conflicting commands to what the rider is saying and lead rein ponies are used to ignoring their unbalanced, novice riders to a certain extent. Put your daughter on the lunge if you're worried about her having insufficient control and hopefully pony will listen to her more then.

Is your daughter getting into a tug of war? Because a rider never wins that way, the pony is always stronger. Daughter needs to learn to repeatedly apply the stopping aids until pony complies, not continuously pull.

Luckily she is feeling pretty confident so she isn't wimping out and its easier to get her to do things now. I do think its lack of schooling, but she has been catching on quickly to be honest. From napping to the gate and refusing to move when DD asked she has been listening to her. Last night she was very responsive - barr refusing to stop. DD has realised that its not going to be a walk in the park - I told her today its going to take effort and apparently the pony keeps on fighting against her full efforts but that she will win!(daughters words). She slammed DD into the ground last night (they were trotting and DD was rising REALLY well and then no idea what happened, 3 bucks and DD stayed on, came off when she whipped round and DD just got up and got back on again and was walking around.
I think pony follows me more because she thinks I am the treat wagon!

I know I could make it so much easier for her, but some determination has been awakened in her and she seems to like this challenge and loves this pony more than her actual one.

I have a friend who is/Was and ARBS instructor who has just come back to this country so going to get him to come and give her a wee lesson.