Planting pony on hack

[Solo1]

Is there any way to get past this? My youngster is an independent type but has recently started a new trick of planting, and then if pushed running backwards or rearing up. I have to admit that last time she went up she got a whack on the poll and she hasn't been up since so hopefully that's sorted that.

She's fine in horse company but not human, still plants and runs backwards. Fine in the school is over forward so not an ulcer issue! Is it just a phase? (she's 4) Do I persevere and spend a day or so just walking her up and down the path?

Also a lungewhip doesn't work, she kicks out and doesn't move or runs backwards again. I've tried calling her bluff and stood there for 10 minutes without doing anything, she was quite content to just stand, and when I put leg on she ran backwards. Bloody ponies!

 

[be positive]

She is probably less confident and independent than you thought and needs to build it up more. Ponies are often more cocky on the outside but lacking real confidence when pushed.
I would do more in company but get her leading the way, plenty of praise when she does well, get her to trot off in front, doing plenty of transitions to keep her thinking, then gradually set off first before going it alone.

 

[Patterdale]

Barring any medical issues......I would just wallop it until it went, then praise it when it did. Andnever ever turn round and let it have it's way!

 

[forestfantasy]

Sit it out.
Even if your sat there an hour - the only way allowed is forwards!
They soon get bored, frustrating as hell but don't give in!

 

[McNally]

Hi, Our 4 year old started doing this a while back. Again he was very confident seeming in that he always marches out in front in company and had never had problems hacking alone before.
Have you had his/her back and teeth checked? I cant be of huge help as ours is just improving through perseverance but so many people told me there is a stage toward the end of the 4th yr into the 5th similar to the terrible two's!
I'd just keep trying as long as you feel safe.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I have observed from my own horse and others that I have watched that if you have a horse that is backwards thinking or nappy in any way - you must never, ever, ever turn around and go back the way you came. Always ride circular routes. The horse soon learns that there is more chance of Hell freezing than you giving in and turning around and going home again. This also applies to horses that nap because they are unconfident.

You can try different tactics to get them walking forwards again, depending on what suits the individual horse. Some it's best if you dismount and lead them past the 'scary' thing that sets off the napping, then remounting once past it. Some just need a smack. Some you just need to wait it out. I've ridden one that you could reverse in the direction that you want to go and then once they get fed up of going backwards, would turn around and hack out nicely. Riding with two schooling whips and flapping them (rotate wrists, no jabbing on the mouth) to send the horse forwards can work if you don't want to smack the horse.

 

[Solo1]

Thanks for all the advice everyone!

Unfortunatly there's no way I can avoid not going back the way I've come as front of yard is on very busy main road, so we go out hacking down the track and out onto the back lanes. The track is where she's the worst! So far I've managed to get her down to the end of the pathway every time but it's escalating and if it carries on escalating will become dangerous. I've never felt unsafe on her, just more worried about when she runs backwards! Is getting off and leading past teaching her bad manners? She'll follow me happily but I do want her to be able to hack out and not expect me to be there if something remotely spooky comes up. However if it does get her past with no fuss then perhaps it's worth it?

patterdale - I have tried the wallop method as it worked with my connie, he just needed one wallop once with a schooling whip and hasn't thought about planting since. However it just seemed to set her against me, I walloped and she bucked and ran backwards and would not move forwards so I got off and lead her.

I'll try waiting it out, then if she doesn't go I'll dismount and lead her past. No fuss, hopefully!

 

[AmyMay]

Wait it out. Give yourself all day. Don't get off and don't lead.

 

[xspiralx]

The ideal situation is to be able to catch it just before it happens - sometimes easier said than done. Ride her really forwards and really ahead of the leg and kick on strongly if you feel even the slightest hesitation - if you can trot this might help you out.

That said, its not always possible if they're really quick about it. So once they're planted there's a few things you can try, and what works will depend on the individual horse.

Can she do any lateral work? If you can't get forwards, you might be able to get a sideways movement if you ask for shoulder in - if you can get a sideways step then you can keep her moving and get her going on straight. Another option is to spin her in tight circles just to get some forward movement and get her listening to you and then send her forwards out of it (quickly, before she realises quite what is happening.) Or if she won't go forwards but will go backwards you could try getting her to rein back in the way you want her to go.

 

[Miss L Toe]

I suspect she may need more schooling [and I am not one for schooling] as this has helped my guy a lot, she needs to come off the leg as soon as the aid is applied, but go at your pace not hers. Transitions as and when you dictate. Gridwork is good, using poles to prevent "running" before a tiny fence.
I always carry a schooling whip with my boy, and any "ears back" gets a tap tap tap behind the girth.
Walk trot transitions when you are hacking will keep his mind on the job.
I have changed from a lozenge starter bit to a hanging snaffle, with lozenge, gives me more control in all ways.
Hanging Cheek Lozenge Copper Mix Filet Baucher Bit Ebay £19.99, a lovely quality thing.

 

[Solo1]

xspiralx - I've tried forwards riding, had a very gung-ho trot with leg clamped on, she broke into canter, still had leg on but she can slam the brakes on and just halt then plant, it's so so frustrating! (this is on the grass track, not roads, I wouldn't canter on roads) She's learning baby shoulder in and leg yield so I might try that. The only thing is she just goes numb to the leg, to voice, anything that suggests forwards but if you put a slight pressure on one rein she'll gladly whip round and head back.

Miss L Toe - if I wasn't the one who rode her and was watching I'd be saying that horse definitely needs more schooling. However in the school she's extremely responsive, is so balanced and needs the slightest squeeze of the calves to spring around. She rides like a small horse, just hacking her mule side comes out! She's also been fine in a large field schooling, fine going away from other horses etc. I might try a schooling whip but feel I'll probably get a cow kick in response to this. Hey, if it gets her going forwards though!

I think I'm going to get a lead out on a hack with a nanny, and then take her out the next day and if she plants wait it out. Stay there for hours if I have to! Then take her up and down path until she realises it's nothing scary/there's no point in planting as I will win. Her mum was exactly the same with ditches and water though so I knew she had the stubborn streak in her somewhere! Thankfully not with ditches and water though, and hopefully this is more easily overcome...

 

[touchstone]

I think it was Henry Blake who had a horse that would nap and jib; it did it one day and started running backwards, so instead of trying to get it forwards he made it go backwards - for about two miles down the road until he came to a holly bush which he reversed into. The horse was then asked to go forwards which it did. I think two miles is a bit excessive, but if you can reverse in a circle and end up facing the same way again it might help! I knew a horse that had to be reversed into the showjumping ring as it refused to go forwards, once in it was fine.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Can you do a circuit once you're on the back lanes, so that you aren't turning around on the spot? A sort of lolly pop shaped ride IYSWIM.

It's the turning on the spot that causes the trouble.

 

[Suechoccy]

When I've ridden a horse that planted and threatened to or started to backup, if off-road I've turned it through 180 degrees to face the way it's come from, and then asked it to backup (so it's now travelling in the direction I want, except it's going backwards). Usually find after a few strides of this, I can turn through 180 degrees again and ride forwards. Occasionally I've had to go backwards for a while...

And sod's law if they plant and you intend to do the above, you'll either be on a road or if you're off road you'll have a nice piece of barbed wire fencing or a steep drop into a dyke or river which they will reverse towards. ;-)

 

[Tammytoo]

There is nothing wrong with getting off and leading if the horse will follow. This way you are showing him that you are the leader and also leading by example i.e. there is nothing scary about this, I can walk past it so can you. Confrontation is not the way forward with a young horse that is learning to be brave out hacking on its own.

If you don't want to dismount try spinning him round on the spot, keeping your legs on and after a couple of spins keep going forward. If he stops spin again, he'll soon realise that planting is hard work andit's easier to go forward!

I really don't think whacking him will give him confidence!

 

[midi]

ugh horse I ride has started to do this, happens right out of the blue regardless of speed.
very limited in what I can do though as I have to do about a mile road work on a very busy road, so only really option is to wait it out ( which I find really embarrassing and stressful )
I admit I have given up and turned for home, which you really should NEVER do - just makes it worse.

I have found backing up works well, I've gone round an entire bridleway corner backwards before until she decided to give in.
I've also tried tight circles but didn't find this very effective plus you can't do it on the road.

I feel your pain! so you have my sympathy

 

[Solo1]

Faracat - yes once I've hit the road I can do a lollypop shape circuit - however it's about 5 miles round it as you have to go up the track (about a mile) then right angle along a very narrow lane for a mile until you hit the actual circuit which is 3 miles. I used to be on a yard (and live) on the circuit which would have been ideal but I just think it's a bit too much of an ask when pony's being a plonker, it's all roadwork and I do worry about her feet. However, I see what you mean about turning round... I could go into a field at the top of the track, canter her round and take her out a lower gate onto the track? So track = forwards, not spin and dart home.

Suechoccy - IKWYM about barbed wire or a stream! Thankfully track is pretty safe but does have a shallow ditch on one side - if pony reverses into there she should be fine. Other side is wooden fence (there is a strip of barbed wire at the top of the fence for the end field but it's not at horse bum height but higher so she'll be fine, just have to sacrifice my leg!)

Tammytoo - I did feel mean about giving her a wallop as she is a baby, however she's been down the path many times before and I definitely think it's just a 'stage' she's going through of trying me out. I've sat on her genuinely scared and she does baby spooks and is constantly looking to me for reassurance whereas this is just 'nope don't want to I'm just going to switch off and stand here.' But it could just be her way of showing she's not very confident and doesn't know how to show it? Maybe I'll try taking her down inhand a couple of times?

midi - I know, it's so embarassing! However only people on my lane are my neighbours and they all know Ruby so will probably just laugh at me. Giggling at the backwards corner!

Right I'll try reversing, then if not spin her around, then if not stand and wait it out. Then take her round the field at the top so she doesn't spin and dart home. Then repeat!

Thank you so much everyone.

 

[Super_Kat]

Wait it out. Give yourself all day. Don't get off and don't lead.

This!!!

 

[EAST KENT]

Use spurs,as soon as it drops it`s bridle give a hefty poke and keep doing it. If it goes up in protest wack it on the poll again.One habit I cannot abide in any horse.

 

[Tammytoo]

Use spurs,as soon as it drops it`s bridle give a hefty poke and keep doing it. If it goes up in protest wack it on the poll again.One habit I cannot abide in any horse.

Are you serious?

 

[AmyMay]

Are you serious?

I'm sure East Kent is joking......

 

[Patterdale]

Having said that I am pretty....firm shall we say with any that I have that nap. Hence, none of my horses nap. Once you've ruled out pain etc, if they are just naughty then I just make them go, end of.
I'd rather tell them once properly, and nip it in the bud, than be constantly coaxing a naughty horse.
I can't stand nappers either.