Pony drops shoulder when ridden! :(

[micra]

I recently decided to start riding my pony again - I outgrew her a few years ago and I have a horse now. I'm quite tall so my balance was off, but I'm not overly heavy and she is a well put together native so I hopped back on and since she's been lunging, gotten fitter and built up and I feel fine on her. Just look too tall!

She always had a habit of dropping her head/neck/shoulder when schooling - ok when I was shorter! but she's a bit bum high so she turns into a slide - she likes to slow down when doing it too 😂 And then she won't do it again - will just do it when you're least expecting it. I was having children ride her but she's doing it to them too and unseating them

I've been hoisting her head up with daisy/grass reins attached to top of bridle and saddle but I feel terrible as it looks like it pulls - and it's not very effective at stopping her, either. She's in a regular egg butt snaffle. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks 😊

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

My mare does this, specially when walking - idling along - it is ruddy annoying just suddenly drops her shoulder like she has gone in a pot hole. She is unseating but it jerks you when you don't know she is about to do it. When schooling and cantering and trotting she doesn't, it seems to be related to not going forward and being lazy. Not saying yours is the same, have you asked your instructor why this is happening?

 

[Orangehorse]

There are lots of different behaviours that can have their origin in some pain issues somewhere, but I think that the dropping shoulder is being naughty and not wanting to do what the rider wants, and the pony finds it a useful way to get rid of the rider.

Just make sure that her feet are OK and there is nothing else that could be troubling her - arthritis, etc. After that it is matter of being alert and stopping her before she does it, so keeping her attention when you are riding her. If she finds that her tactic doesn't work hopefully it would gradually stop.

 

[Farma]

My sister used to have a pony that did this, it was so quick I couldn't believe how easily it could unseat people, saying that they were competent novice riders, I rode it a few times and when you gave it lots to do it didn't even try, you need to much quicker to make them think about whats coming so not to allow the time for them to think about doing it. As soon as you get on even if you are walking think about flexions, a little bit of lateral work, yield into corners, lots of small then bigger circles, keep them between leg and hand and constantly change things, never just go around the edge of the school. Everyone can get into a bit of a habit with what they do so if your are thinking I might go left now go right, if you think I'm going to do a 15mtr circle, do a square and do a halt rein back one side then a turn on the forehand the opposite side.
So much you can do to challenge them so they don't have time to do what they fancy!

 

[asmp]

Daughter had a pony who would do this after a jump. He was very clever and quickly realised this would get her off - the record was 5 times in one lesson! Gave her a good seat for the future though. Sometimes ponies are too clever for their own good!

 

[Shay]

The likelihood it that its an evasion - but you have to rule out pain. The bottom line is that she does it to avoid being ridden. But if she does it to avoid being ridden because being ridden hurts then hopefully if you can eliminate the pain she might find some joy in her work and the incidence will reduce. But if this is just a learned behaviour because it gets the rider off and gets her out of work then there is not a lot you can do about it. If it doesn't succeed then she will do it less. But with kids it is going to succeed more often than it doesn't - at least enough for her to keep trying it. But rule out pain first.