Pony Issues

[Troggy]

I warn you now, this is long!!

I am having a few problems with Toff and wanted some opinions on the best way to go about it.

She has always napped when hacking alone, it has been improving over the years (about 5 years now!) but she will still try. The last 2 hacks I have had on her she has been really bad, as soon as there was part of the hack with an option to turn for home she had a complete “tantrum”. She stopped dead and ran backwards with her head down, the more I kicked her forward, the faster she ran backwards. If I smack her she bucks or spins round, she also has been doing little rears. The first time, she began to back down a ditch so I got off and managed to lead her over the crossing where I was and get back on and carry on fine, she was as good as gold, just like she was before the fight! That was on Sunday and took about 20 mins…
Yesterday however we got about 5 minutes from home and we passed a gap in a hedge that faced home. That was it, she threw on the brakes and refused to move. We were there for 45 minutes! It was dark by the time she got going. I tried everything including getting off and leading and trying to go backwards (has worked before!) but nothing worked. Twice she tried to bolt back home. Eventually we pigeon stepped past the gap and managed to get a bit further before I had to loop round and come home as it was too dark.
Between these 2 hacks I schooled her and she was fine.
I don’t know whether it’s pain or behaviour? What can I try to stop this behaviour?
Brief history of her health:
She has haematomas on her stomach/girth area from her accident in September 2004 – she is quite snappy about these but it varies from day to day.
She has large lumps of scar tissue on her rump from a fight with another mare about 5/6 years ago
She has a scar across her nose, don’t know where that’s from
She had her teeth last done 4 months ago and all is fine
Had her back checked by a McTimoney chiropracter 2 weeks ago and all was ok, she found her poll was out of line and she was sore on the right side of her back but nothing major.
Her saddle is fine

Could it be she is in genuine discomfort or is it just her being a cow?!
She is fine in herself and seems happy, it’s just when her tack appears she changes. I don’t want her to think she can get away with this behaviour but at the same time I don’t want to bully her if she is in pain.
It has been much worse since she had a week off last week when I was on holiday.
Is she always going to be like this? She is 16 now, so I guess will never change?

What are people’s opinions?

 

[Oaksflight]

Could just be her being a cow. My friends horse was the same, one thing she did, but you can obviously only do this is roads are pretty much dead. Is when she spun round, then she'd make her walk down the road backwards until she realised, and then she'd get going again. Suprisingly did work!

 

[Tia]

Personally I think she is just being a pony!! Naughty and wanting her own way. She has had a little break and now doesn't think that she should do anything.

If it wasn't Toffee then I would err on the side of perhaps something is actually bothering her.........however it is Toffee!!

I think she is just messing with you.

 

[Tempi]

sounds like a cow to me, as shes not doing it all the time. You are not alone on this at all, Bloss can be a little s0d sometimes out hacking too. I took her sunday afternoon and we were trotting along (i might add i was in a total world of my own and just holding onto the buckle, probably not the safest of options!) She suddenly dropped her shoulder, spun round and tried to p!ss off for home! I grabbed the reins and stopped her and pulled her round to face the way we were going but she just kept running back, everytime i tried to kick forwards she reared and i know from past experience that they will get bigger and bigger, so i just turned her on a tight circle and then tried to kick her forwards out of it in a trot, if she wouldnt go she went on a circle again. 20mins later i finally got her to go forwards (whilst she snorted and pranced) - turned out she didnt like the look of a falled tree on the side of the path.

We then got further on where it came to a 'home route' or 'go further' route - she wanted home route, which i was not willing to let her go on - went through the same battle for another 15mins. Shes a big horse to battle with and does scare me when shes like this, she never used to but since she went straight up and over and landed on me ive always been wary of her napping. I never ever let her get her own way tho.

It sounds like you are doing totally the right thing - as shes had a bit of a break shes probably feeling more cheeky than usual - i know bloss is after even a day off. im afraid Bloss is going to be like it all her life too, just something ive got to live with!

 

[_April_]

Yeah the horse I ride used to have me on like that too!

She would be really lazy on the way out, napping and going so slow that sometimes I really thought there might be something wrong... but turn around and face home however and she would step right along nicely lol

I just persisted with her and she is great now.

 

[Troggy]

Thanks for all your replies. I do suspect it is behavioural as it's only hacking she does it...will just have to persevere! Just a pain as don't want to get stuck ot in the dark! Bad mare!
If only they could speak...

 

[Sooty]

Just as well they can't! She would have the vocabulary of a docker I'm sure... I can't believe she had me fooled, just by fluttering her eyelashes at me and ceasing the usual hostilities. I am so gullible!

 

[YorksG]

My now retired mare, Nell, never gave up napping when out on her own. She was fine in company, would go in front and behind no problem, but on her own was awful. She was bolshie in the stable too and stood on my foot last week 'cos she didn't want a rug on. She was also frightend of big vehicles, so the combination was terrible. She had and has redeeming features, incredibly affectionate and has a sense of humour second to none she also has the smoothest paces. She is 31 now, been with us for 22 years and retired to mooch around the field with her friends two years ago. She isn't a pony but a 15:3 appaloosa, very strong and very strong minded.

 

[tarzipan06]

Hi
I think mares tend to be a little bit nappier on the whole. Our little mare can be a tyke - napping at every given opportunity.
At the yard I am there is an advanced eventer who is a mare and one day she will come off the lorry and jump for England and the next week nap for England.
Good luck with Toffee

 

[Troggy]

She sounds identicle to Toffee - she is also bad in heavy traffic!! Lol!
Mares! Will just get used to it I suppose!

She will never be sold, no matter what

 

[Troggy]

Thanks, will keep trying