Pony tryout trauma ends at casualty

TheBlackMoth

TheBlackMoth

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 October 2006
Messages
8,116
Location
Regency England
Visit site
Well we went back to try the pony again today.

She jumped all the jumps fine but our instructer has said hang a coat in the middle of the jump and see if she jumps it.

So we did this and she ran out twice - really sharple. The third time she skidded to ahalt in front of the jump and chucked Abby of into the metal jumpwing.

Abby got back on and got her to jump it. She then did three jumps in a row twice. One the second go round, the pony jumped late and knocked the pole throwing Abby forward onto her neck and she then spooked completely. The pony tripped over her front feet, fell forward and threw Abby into the fencing head first. Abby hit her head, her neck and her shoulder.

We got her up - as she seemed ok if very shaken - and got her into the car. I started to drive to casualty when she started complaining that her neck hurt - cue panicking on the inside mother. It took me half an hour to drive to casualty - all the while knowing I should have phoned an ambulance.

Three hours on a spinal board with a neck brace - and having been prodded and poked and x-rayed - we were finally let go. Apart from lots of bruising, a layer of skin missing from her cheek, chin, neck, arms and shoulder, pulled ligaments in her neck and shoulder and a potential broken clavicle - she is fine.

And I don't think that that pony is the one for us!!

You have to have nerves of steel when your children want to ride don't you!!!!
 
awwwwwww no - hope daughter is up and around again soon.

Atleast you found out whilst trying pony out, rather when you'd got it home etc. Best of luck for finding the right one
 
Oh dear....can't quite figure why the need to hang a coat on a jump though?

I do hope Abby recovers quickly and her confidence isn't knocked.
 
Nah - she will start looking straight away - or at least as soon as she can hold a mouse!!! She's tougher than that! But we wont be trying out for a week I don't think!!
 
It was to make it spooky - as the pony was at a familiar place and had jumped the jumps a lot - the coat was to make it look like a different jump and see if she spooked!!!

Our current pony - Ebony - is a fantastic jumper - but spooks very easily - she is scared of her own shadow - and sometimes she just won't jump at all.

We want to get a pony that doesn't spook.
 
oh no poor abby i hope she makes a speedy recovery,why put a coat on the jump !!! i cant remember jumping any coats !!!! lol
what a shame sounded like the horse was ok up until that,i hope it hasnt put her off ?

nerves of steel is very true i hate it when my boy races down the yard on his bike let alone on a horse !!!
 
eeeek, sounds nasty...fingers crossed for a speedy recovery (and no doubt more pony-hunting!) - and yes, at least you know the pony isn't right for you sooner rather than later.
 
I am glad she is ok. It is a nightmare and better to find out before buying.
How much jumping has Abby done, it is hard to find the right pony .This pony sounds like it was used to a very experienced rider and has probably always been kept on a correct bouncy stride and might loose confidence in a more novice rider.
Try to find a pony that has taught a rider and looks after itself and the rider. Good riders can make horses look good I would always recommend trying to buy one from a novice rider who is doing well despite not being the best rider.
I do wish you well ,it is very difficult when you have been around horses for 50 years ,it must be a nightmare if you are new to it.
 
Hope abby feels better soon... my daughter came off her pony end of april and broke her elbow she has pins in it and its still not right ,her elbow is stuck at a 90 degree angel and she waiting for another op ...but she has ridden with me holding her on a lead rein just walking around the school, but do agree with you (nerves of steel watching your children riding)
 
Oh dear what a real shame.
Pony looked very nice yesterday in the photos/video.

I do hope your daughter recovers quickly from her bruises. Must have been pretty traumatic for you tho.
Like you say, kids are tougher than we think lol

Its hard to find the right pony, im sure its out there just waiting
smile.gif
 
Spooky horses are usually known to be very careful jumpers. My new horse is very spooky but is also a very clean showjumper. It was also a young pony and I would have thought unnecessary to go to those lengths...surely it's BSJA record would speak for itself? What did the owner say? I think an experience like that for the pony would be enough to scare it for a long while. I do hope your daughter is ok though - I know only too well how much a broken collar bone hurts!
smile.gif
 
I feel the same SV. I wouldnt unecessarily put a coat/spooky object on a jump when riding Snoopy who is the same age.
He may jump most things, but dont see it productive to scare the poor bugger, and he knows me well.
At this age is important to build confidence in each other, as a partnership.
 
Couldnt agree more S_V.
Its record obviously proves it has jumped so why bother making a scary jump and risk the horse stopping.
confused.gif
But then again I dont jump so what do I know?
tongue.gif


Hope your daughter is feeling better.
 
Sorry to hear about the accident - scarey.

But I would be cross with the instructor. It is hard for a child to get on a new pony and get used to its jumping.
 
BB & SV What is all this. Am I reading it wrong or did you say you would not hang a coat on a jump?
As far as I read on the last post (unless I have missed one) the pony was 9 yrs old. At the price mentioned it should almost be a schoolmaster. Sorry but for me if a 9yr old pony/horse is presented at a fence it jumps whatever is in between the wings, lets face it they have plenty spooky fillers in BSJA. That one was definately sharp as a knife.
Sorry if I have missed something on a previous post.
 
Oh no! Im sorry to hear that your daughter got hurt, i hope she gets better soon!! It looked like such a nice pony too.

IMO however i think your instructor went a little far. Im not saying you shouldnt make jumps a little more scarey, maybe some fillers or a watertray, sure, but i would have to question an instructor that put a coat over a jump whilst your child was riding a new pony. Im sorry, bu to me this is unacceptable.

Im glad she is ok...and i really hope you find what you are looking for.

Just one question - is your instructor BSJA accredited? What is her experience at BSJA? I would be asking some serious questions after she put your child at risk.
 
Freshman, as carthorse pointed out the pony is 5.

Nuala, I do hope you're daughter is ok. I also wouldn't have put a coat on the jump and would be unimpressed with an instructor suggesting to do such a thing. Your daughter is obviously a capable rider but new to BSJA, and a competition pony is a whole new ball game, esp a young one. It wasn't advertised as a schoolmaster, perhaps this would be a more suitable option; a more experienced pony perhaps? Just because a horse/pony is advertised as worth XX amount does not mean it will jump whatever is in front of it. I know a certain little advanced event mare that would not go near a cross pole with an olympic dressage rider..
smirk.gif
It doesn't make the mare worthless, far from it.

In my opinion it would be a good idea to try looking for a really experienced, older pony to help your daughter learn. A more experienced pony will be more forgiving to rider error.. But scaring a pony with a coat on a jump won't help a new partnership.

All the best and once again I hope your daughter isn't upset or hurt.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks Carthorse. Ok I havent seen that post so I apologise. However I would still throw a coat over a fence when trying a showjumper. Dont see it is a big deal.
However I hope Abby is ok & on the mend.

[/ QUOTE ]

Perhaps you wouldn't see anything wrong with it, but i certainly would never do something like that with a child.

Irresponsible IMO under the circumstances.
 
This reminds me of the time when i had a lesson with my now ex instructer.I was jumping my pony over a course of fences really well, and she is renown for putting jumps up when your not looking,well this day of me having a great time she decided to put a coat on one of the jumps to make it more interesting,she said keep coming she'll jump it no problem,i knew deep down that my pony would prob slip the shoulder or something as she was very sharp and if she didn't want to do something you'd soon know about it,anyway hasten to add the poor pony had no time to really look at the jump and at the last minute she span around and i went flying into the jump and badly bruised my ribs that had already been broken a few years earlier,now for a 14 yr old i was really scared afterwards and me and my pony were never as confident after that,hence i stopped having lessons with her as there was no real reason for the coat i think she just wanted a laugh on my expense,i feel for the pony as she is quite scared of flapping rugs and coats now which i think is connected to that day.
 
Oh no!
shocked.gif


I'm glad Abby is OK but wonder about the merits of doing the coat stunt on such a new partnership. I hope the pony is OK too, as I wouldn't want that doing to ours and then have it to fix.

So, I guess not that one then?
frown.gif


Back to the drawing board and I hope THE one comes along soon. Good luck and such a shame as I did like the pony. I bet the girls were disappointed.
 
What a shame for your daughter hope she isnt too sore.
I tend to agree that asking a totally new combination to jump something like this is a bit much and would question the instructor- i doubt she would ask her child to do the same!
I realise u want something that wont spook but it seems extreme considering the pony does jump and has a proven history. I just hope the pony hasnt lost its confidence too. I looked at the video and it looked like a nice pony.
I havent been following your posts can anyone tell me what happened with the grey pony ? your daughter looks quite confident on that one.
 
Not going to say anything about coats/jumps etc

but think you should consider yourself very lucky that your daughter wasn't seriously injured.

Hate to bang on about 1st Aid for Riders again, but I think everyone should do it ~ and your instructor should have a proper 1st aid qualification, and your daughter should have been cared for properly.

Hope she gets well soon
 
Ok Fee Fee if you was going out to buy a showjumper for someone in there last year of ponies What sort of questions would you ask of the pony. The main reason I dont see anything wrong with a coat on a fence is simple, a showjumper has to be careful yet quite brave & trusting. It is a real shame that Abby was hurt but the reason for asking questions of any pony or horse is to see what there reaction is. On a youngster It is ok to stop first time but way back from the fence. Pony definately didnt just see the coat on the last stride. Secondly I would allow the pony some time to sniff at the offending article for a moment then try again. If the pony refuses to jump this time then you know that it will do it again when it comes across something new that it doesnt really like. If it jumps it & goes sky high you know it is brave & careful. If it jumps it normally then it is putting its trust in you. Every picture tells a story. When I buy a showjumper I want all the facts.
 
I disagree with the majority here, many's a time I have jumped flourescent sheets, coats etc. A good horse (even my spooky pony will do them) should do them. I don't think it is unreasonable to ask the pony for a child to jump something slightly unusual, and three refusals/runouts is also not to be expected so good thing you found it out now!
 
If you were getting on with the horse why would you do such an irrelevant exercise? I totally agree with fee fee, why is your instructor destroying the reputation of this pony, as far as I can see this wasn't the pony's fault and putting your child at risk?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top