Pony over excited in company

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Lacuna

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My lovely Bx pony has been with me nearly two years, he's great hacking out on his own and I feel really comfortable with him. It takes me a good while to get comfortable with any pony but we make a good couple when we're out on our tod.

The trouble has been when I started riding out with my YO (who is a friend as well). Her horses are all longer legged and walk a good deal faster than us. This gets the wee coblet rather excited and he speeds up to catch up with them. Yesterday it started to get silly, we're fine in walk but when I asked him to trot he started pegging it down the road and overtook the other horse in a fairly rude manner. I'm not sure if he's just trying to get in front, catch up or just be a git.

YO was telling me to give him a good telling off so he knows not to do it again and that I wouldn't let the kids get away with rudeness like that. I realise that she's probably right but it did take me aback a bit and I was slow to react. I do collapse a bit in the saddle when things like that happen and it probably doesn't help matters.

We're going out again tomorrow, although she may be on a different horse so any thoughts on what to do would be welcome. I do like hacking in company but have limited companions as there are only 4 other ridden horses on the yard and one person (YO) available when I am. I do get the impression she thinks he takes the piss with me a lot but I've never felt unsafe on him.

That was very rambly - red wine and homemade biscuits for anyone who made it through.
 
I'd say it's a combination - on the one hand, it is super annoying for both parties if the horses just don't travel at the same speed. The one is forever trying to catch up, the other gets fed up with being held back. On the other hand, it's also a question of practise to get the horse used to travelling in front or behind, and to cope with horses overtaking or disappearing at a distance.
Mine used to have a real issue with seeing his friend disappear in front of him (e.g. when riding with a bit of a gap, and horse in front goes around a bend in the woods).

I'd probably try a combination of asking your friend to pull up and wait for you if the gap gets too large (and not allowing your horse to jog to catch up, particularly if you're on the road and worried about traffic) and deliberately practising passing each other, riding with a large gap between yourselves, waiting while the other horse trots ahead etc. A bit of schooling on the ride might teach your horse not to take matters into his own hands, but it probably won't solve the problem of the two horses just not being a good match, speed-wise.
 
Ideally, YO shouldn't be leaving you behind to that extent. Ask if you can set off in front, make sure that you really make him march on, so that there is no excuse for her horse to 'need' to be in front. It is just as bad-mannered for her horse to not match your pony's pace as it is for him to rush to catch up.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Ideally, YO shouldn't be leaving you behind to that extent. Ask if you can set off in front, make sure that you really make him march on, so that there is no excuse for her horse to 'need' to be in front. It is just as bad-mannered for her horse to not match your pony's pace as it is for him to rush to catch up.
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This 100%, if you're to ride out together and they both go at completely different speeds, it needs to be a balancing act between you both. I've been in exactly the same situation with a YO years ago and she refused to do it 50/50 and let each horse set the pace for half the ride - she always had to go first, whether riding her 17.2 warmblood or driving her miniature shetland who moved like a snail. Luckily it was an extremely rare occasion she ever rode out. In the end I stopped seeing it as a training exercise for my horse (it was destroying any pleasure either of us took in hacking) and we went back to riding alone. Moving yards, I've never encountered the same attitude again. Everyone else seems to have been raised with a sense of fair play and it's only common sense that everyone in the group should enjoy themselves if possible.
 
Thanks for the reply. Yes - we always seem to be bringing up the rear and I am feeling like I just want to go out alone for the most part.

Regarding to making him march - we are trying different options but may to stick a firecracker up his butt at this rate!
 
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