outgrown pony behaving badly

[tinycharlie]

Hi I'm after some advice about our pony, hes 12-2hh, 7 years old and we've had him for 4 years now, my daughter is 13 and she still rides him but is getting a bit big now, they've done lots together and he will occasionally try it on with her but he does behave well for the most part.
She now has a bigger loan pony she is starting to bond with so we decided to try and loan her old one. Somebody came and tried him but it didn't work out as he tanks off back to the gate, he had a couple of little bronking moments , he just gets hold of the bit and ignores his rider, the rider today was 9 years old , a good little rider, quite plucky but he was too strong for her and scared her a little, this was in an outdoor school, he would be the same in a field and also naps out hacking sometimes.
His back and teeth are fine, he just knows he can take advantage sometimes and so he does.
We won't sell him, I think it will be difficult to loan him , he just doesn't like being told what to do and even with an adult rider will tank off and do a little buck .
I'd happily send him away for schooling if I thought it would do any good. He did go for 3 weeks to somebody last year.
He is and can be such a good sweet pony, stands so well to be groomed and have feet done, he just has this naughty streak in him and I'm not quite sure what to do about it
Any advice appreciated

 

[PorkChop]

Tbh I think if you are patient you will find the right loan home, someone who will realise that the pony may try it on a bit but has a lot to offer.

The other option might be to try and find him a home where they want to use him as a lead rein and then progress off the lead rein, do you think he might be suitable for this?

 

[tinycharlie]

Thanks, I think he could potentially be good as lead rein, my daughter was first on lead rein with him and she has progressed to cantering and jumping off lead rein. So he could be good for someone else. There are things that my daughter won't do with him though as he gets too excited, such as fun rides, hunting, pc . Hes quite strong willed but at the same time looks to ppl on the ground for confidence

 

[Orangehorse]

This can often be a problem with small ponies, as the rider grows up and gets stronger, then the new little rider is not as experienced or as strong and ponies soon realise this and all but the angels take advantage. I think this is a case of having to be patient and form a new partnership and advise the parents of the new rider that it might take some time before they can expect the same level of performance as with your daughter.

 

[tinycharlie]

We're in no terrible rush to loan him, would rather he stayed at current yard too, he either probably needs a competent young rider or small teen/adult as he objects to being told what to do at times and he will buck . Last thing I want is anybody getting hurt from him bucking them off or tanking off

 

[Shay]

This happens quite often - not just with ponies but I suspect its more pronounced because everyone is worried about the child's safety. We keep my daughter's mostly outgrown PC Pony with us as he has a home for life. I would never loan him - but he has sharers, most of whom have, over the years, gone on to own their own ponies. Its a great way to find out if this is something they want to commit to.

If your pony has a good reputation locally try to local PC. You may find someone between ponies or with their usual pony on box rest who would want something for a short time or who needs that next step up. As much as the rider has adjusted to the pony, the pony has also adjusted to the rider and now needs to learn to behave with other riders. No pony is perfect and they'll all try it on a bit if the rider is unsure. You just have to get it to a minimum.