pony problems - long sorry!

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indiat

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Hi all,

Last september we were given a little exmoor on permanent loan by our YO. She had to be retired from the riding school because she was rather agressive with children and other animals and YO couldn't risk a law suit. We have never had a problem with her and she is clearly a one person animal. She gets on great with our children and seems to have bonded with the eldest.

Our problem started on Sunday. Everytime my daughter does her girth up before getting into the saddle, the pony whips around and double barrels her. To handle otherwise and to ride she is her usual self. She doesn't put a foot wrong.

We didn't have this problem last winter. YO thinks maybe she is playing up because turnout is limited, but turnout was limited last winter too. We clipped her neck and belly this year, which we didn't last year, so we were wondering if she is feeling especially sensitive around the girth area. But YO also used to clip her here and never had a problem. If the problem was too much energy surely she would be a cow to ride? She is a very forward going, whizzy little pony. OH was with them today and said the pony tried to whip around and kick my daughter when she had a foot in the stirrup to mount up, NOT when she girthed her. So now it seems the problem isn't consistent! One friend thinks she is being lazy and trying to get out of work, I'm concerned there is a pain issue. Pony is rather elderly (any age between 20 and 30) - pehaps she has had enough? I can't let this go on in case one of the children gets badly hurt but we dearly love this pony. Please help! Any ideas or suggestions welcome!

Ta x
 
The first quite simple thing I would do is have her saddle checked. If she's elderly it may well be that she has just changed shape and lost a bit of muscle and the saddle is making her uncomfortable. Also - is it possible that the girth is pinching where she has been clipped? In which case doing it up very slowly and stretching out her legs infront may help. Good luck!
 
I know that you ride this pony sometimes. Does she try to kick you? Or is it just your daughter? I really think the answer to that question will tell you whether she is just taking advantage of being able to get away with it with your daughterm or is beginning to have a real problem herself. I do think that she may be more sensitive because she has been clipped.
 
Hmmm. Pony had a new saddle fitted a couple of months ago but the saddler hasn't done his follow up check yet so I will get him out. Daughter is normally very careful about girthing her but OH thinks we shouldn't clip her at all next year. Pearl, I have not ridden her this week as I have been letting her out into the field as much as I can while I do the chores on the yard. I felt bad riding her when she could be out enjoying herself and didn't have the time to do both. Now that she is on part livery I will get on her on Tuesday and see what happens. Thank God she is unshod!
 
I would get the vet out - She is an elderly pony and their body changes just like ours does. If she has not done this before then it points to pain somewhere. How does you daughter ride is she quiet in the saddle or bouncy? xx
 
Daughter is a good rider and sits quiet and still, but she does love to race about like all youngsters. I'm worried its pain. :(
 
She was clipped three weeks ago and we didn't have this problem initially. I did run my hand over her on Sunday when she did this first and I didn't find anything. I will check again but methinks a call to the vet is in order tomorrow morning.
 
just out of interest what type of girth do you have on her? is it a leather girth or material girth also?

Is you daughter stretching her legs afterwards?
Mares can be very funny and need more pamerping than geldings i have found!
 
I'm beginning to suspect the saddle tbh, now that you've explained that it's new. Although of course pony's age is a bit of a worry. It will be interesting to see what she does on Tuesday.
 
It is a material one, I was going to change it to a string as she is quite pear shaped. She's just not done this before and I am really worried. Because she is elderly, losing her is at the back of mind. She hurt her eye scratching it on barbed wire last summer and the vet was relieved that she had not damaged the tear duct as it he strongly advises against any surgery, however minor, for very elderly animals. It makes me worry that something silly will finish her off, even though she is as hard as a coffin nail.
 
If the rest of her behaviour hasn't changed then I sincerely doubt it due to too much energy, or getting fed up.
She is telling you there is a specific problem somewhere, possibly caused by the saddle. It's just a process of elimination now, good luck.
 
indiat said:
It is a material one, I was going to change it to a string as she is quite pear shaped. She's just not done this before and I am really worried. Because she is elderly, losing her is at the back of mind. She hurt her eye scratching it on barbed wire last summer and the vet was relieved that she had not damaged the tear duct as it he strongly advises against any surgery, however minor, for very elderly animals. It makes me worry that something silly will finish her off, even though she is as hard as a coffin nail.
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I bet you may find that the fact that she has been clipped and now she has a material girth which can be quite 'scratchy' on clipped skin, Try swapping her girth or placing a soft fleece over it. The should reduce the scratchy sensation and she may be fine. My old mare had a scratched eye last year, vet came out gve some futhalmic stuff, did nothing so i got some golden eye from boots - did the trick!
 
i would get her saddle/back checked, and in the interim tie her very short and get an adult to tack her up. are you sure she isnt just being cheeky? (and winning!) an exmoor is one of the toughest m&m ponies around so being stabled half of the time possibly isnt doing her health and temper much good. so many possibles .. try a different girth, are her poohs normal? is she nearer 20 or nearer 30 makes a difference. Good luck hope you get to the bottom of this new quirk!
 
Mollylolly - Duh, why didn't I think of that? I'm sure there is a sheepskin cover I can borrow on Tuesday.

ofcourseyoucan - she is fine when my daughter is tacking her up, the kicking starts as soon as the girth is tightened or when she mounts. She did try and make a run for it today and Brie kicked her right on the bottom. She has quite an impressive bruise now. She is a cheeky little sod and has a few anger management problems but I've never had her do this before, so I do not want to dismiss this as cheek. Her poos are normal and as for her age, we have no concrete way of telling as her birth date is unknown. I'm not dismissing the thought that perhaps the old lady is telling us she's had enough of working, thank you very much. She was fine with my daughter rode her today though and her litle sister trotted around on the lead rein. She was as good as gold.

Thank you all for the replies. The saddler is getting a call tomorrow and if she kicks out at me on Tuesday with a sheepskin girth then I will be calling the vet. I'll get someone to stand by her head when I am mounting - that pony has double barrelled me three times in 15 months and her kicks are not getting any less painful!
 
Well the first thing to do is to get the saddle and girth checked, and to ask the vet to come up to look at her.

And in the meantime the pony needs to be held by an adult whilst being tacked up or mounted, to prevent injury to your child.
 
Hi Mollylolly,

I didn;t get on her yesterday as both the kids were sent home from school sick! I was going to get on her today but OH pointed out that if I convinced its pain, why woud I want to do something I think is going to hurt her to get a reaction we have got consistently all week?! He may not be horsey but I think he has a point! The saddler is coming on Saturday - I have explained the problem and he is going to check the saddle and bring a variety of girths, so we shall see how she does. She was her usual amiable self today and hooned around the field like a four year old when I turned her out. Poo is still normal, skin isn't cut and she seems happy enough with me touching her belly. I really hope the saddler sorts this out Saturday.

Amymay, I forgot to write that my OH did hold her on Sunday and she still tried to kick, which is why I am convinced it is pain and not cheekiness. I think the mare is best left to be worked in hand until we can sort this out.

Oddly enough, when i was leaving today one of the teenagers who helps out at the yard did say Brie did this to her when she was having a lesson on her when she was younger. But Brie was walking evil as a riding school pony so I am not surprised. The fact that she has not done this while in our care still makes me think its pain. That mare is going to be so sorry if I find out otherwise! :D
 
If its out of charachter, its her way of trying to tell you something is hurting or bothering her. They can't talk so it leaves them little option.

My daughters pony is a genuine kids pony, easy to do for an 9 year old in every respect, but one day she just became awful, and as soon as my daughter got on her, she started bucking, not big ones to put her off, but enough to scream to me something wasn't right.
Turned out she had a bad back but ist thankfully fine now, and she's never repeated the behaviour since.

You know your pony, if your gut feeling is telling you something isn't right, you're probably right and its just a process of elimination as others have said.

Hope the saddle fitter can shed some light on the problem for you x
 
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