Problem with ponies

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claireelizabeth

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Can anyone help.

I've recently aquired a loan pony for my 7 year old daughter. She is a 13.1 NF. She came to us a confidence giver, never been nasty no vices etc. She started with us very well and was schooling well and hacking out on her own and in company and other than a little excitement at her new surroundings was no problem and proving a real sweetie.

We have had her about 5 or 6 weeks and while it is stilll early days I've returned from a weeks holiday and she seems a different pony, she is not so content to be handled and is quite nappy to hack out. She feels it necessary to call to every horse and pony she sees (we are on the New Forest so lots of native ponies) and she is almost running home, yesterday when nearly back at the yard she tried to bolt when she heard her friend call.

I have had 2 previous loan ponies who didn't work out for similar reasons, they were supposed to be quiet ponies but were very nappy and naughty when hacking and my poor daughter is just starting out really and it damaging her confidence.

I am now wondering if it is where I am keeping the ponies, she is at a friends private yard with one other Arab mare. The arab mare is clingy and dominant but not as bad as the ponies, she hacks OK on her own although does charge around when the pony goes out. The other 2 ponies (geldings) were just besotted with the arab and got very upset when seperated.

When the new pony first came to us she was next to the arab mare in the field but divided by electric fencing but while I was away she was put in the same section of field as the arab.

I know keeping 2 horses together isn't ideal but these issues seem a bit extreme and I am wondering if anyone has had a similar experience, should I consider finding new grazing, which isn't ideal as the arab (who I ride) has to stay where she is? The fields are not mine so it is hard to dictate where I put her. If anyone has any suggestions I would be interested.

Also the pony may be in season this week, after the bolting incident when she got back in the field she wee'd over the arab and was squirting and winking (not quite sure what she was expecting!)

Many Thanks
 
Has your pony always been with others or has she been "alone"? she couldve bonded with the Arab as Horses are gregariuos.(sp)

I have trouble with the chestnut and bay below. to the extent the Chestnut mare gave herself colic because the bay went out grazing.
 
O dear, the seperation anxiety does sound like it may be the main player here. As when you first had her she wouldnt have been attached to this mare, whereas now you have been away they have bonded.

I still have the same problem with my girls, even though we have plenty of other horses around, they call, scream, my youngster runs back to my other mare if she is calling! Unfortuanlty I dont think there is much you can do, apart from maybe getting her a field mate, so there were 3 ponys?
 
She has always been in a larger herd, never on her own her owners say she has never been clingy with other horses though and has hacked alone a lot.

I guess it's just their natural instincts but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with!!
 
The other horses could be the issue, but since this is the third pony to turn this way it is more likely, in my opinion, that the rider is the influencing factor. You will have to appreciate that I know nothing about your daughter or how she rides, but if she is taking a tight hold through lack of confidence, or nervous, this alone can be enough to turn the most placid pony.
 
The other 2 ponies were never right from the start really, we kept working with them with an experienced instructor and an experienced friend is also on hand but they got worse.

My Daughter is quite relaxed with this pony. The pony is 13.1 so I have been taking her out to get her used to the forset before taking my daughter on her. They have been in the sandschool together though with no problems. It was me she tried to bolt with, but I have considered it is us doing something wrong but I don't know what. I've had horses and ponies before, she is not our first pony and never had these issues before
 
Yes I would agree with mother hen on this sounds likea confidence issue and pony take advantage of this. A 13.1hh NF does seems quite big for a 7 yo (or is she particularly tall?). Does she/is she having any sort of lessons on the pony? If not I would maybe suggest she does in order to build her confidence in handling her. I think if the pony's feeling they can not trust the rider then she will be inclined to want to go back to where she feels 'safe' (ie with the other horse).

Unfortunately clever native ponies are very quick at realising when they can get awya with something so pony needs to be tauight to do as she's told and I think lessons in controling her may help build uop the confidence. In the short term maybe take her on a lein rein for a while/revise the bit or noseband being used - maybe some changes here would help to begin with?
 
Maybe you could put Cotton wool in her ears, when you go out with your daughter (ponys ears not kiddys!) But only if your with them,
May work.
 
Thanks lady T - my daughter is tall and the pony is quite a petite 13.1. She has regular lessons with an experienced instructor and had been doing very well wiht this pony in the sandschool, which is why I'm feeling so dispondent at this sudden turn around. I haven't spoken to our instructor about this yet though, I thought it would be interesting to hear some other views too. Also the pony's owners have found the pony very good with nervous beginners, it was one of my biggest concerns in finding a suitable pony

Mother Hen - a move isn't ideal but I'm considering it even if it just means I can eliminate the enviromental factor - if it doesn't solve the problems then I know it must be us!!

Thanks
x
 
Will I get excommunicated if I suggest you get on her yourself (assuming you are not toooo heavy) and sort her out?
However cool calm and confident your daughter is, she is still only 7. When my daughter first had her 12hh pony at 9, I'm afraid he had me to reckon with a few times if he insisted on taking the you know what.
Gradually, my daughter got to recognise and learn to deal with, the attitude as well, and now, he doesn't even begin to think about it, and he's the angel he was before he moved house.
At 11, she's moving on, and her younger sister got on him. He considered trying a rerun but, all credit to his considerable intelligence, realised he hadn't actually moved and we were all still watching! So this transition has been a little easier!
Ponies nap with little kids, no matter how good the kids are, until they learn that it won't wash.
Just my opinion, feel free to ignore!
 
I have been riding her, it was me riding her yesterday when she bolted (she didn't get very far but if my Daughter was on her I think they would have been home in record time!). I like to ride them out in the forest first as there is a lot to take in out there. She was no problem the first couple of weeks, just a sudden turn around this week. I'll keep on taking her out and hopefully this is just a blip
 
Can the Arab go out with you?

That would help to see whether the pony is actually napping back to the Arab or just home.

Then try her out with one of the other ponies, even if you just lead the other pony.

Do you think the new pony could be overawed with the amount of space/free running ponies on the Forest? Did she come off the Forest in the first place?

What sort of environment did she live in before?
And hacking environment? - was it just quiet lanes? In which case I'd stick to the road for the mo and not take her near any wide open spaces....or just ride in the field.

Some horses are just so sensitive to their environment and if they've lived a different sort of life to the one you're offering, they can find it all a bit too much to begin with.
 
Yes, I was going to go tonight with a friend riding the arab and me on the pony but it is very wet and windy which might not help the situation. We have been out before wiht the arab and they were fine together but not since this problem started.

We don't have any other ponies to go with as it is just the pony and arab at our yard.

The forest could be a factor, she was bred on the forest but has not been on it in her working life and she does get excited when she feels grass under her, I have been trying to let her know you can just walk on grass and not canter. Intially in the forest she was just excited but well behaved and seemed to enjoy her new environment now she just wants to get back home. I think there were more roads at her previous home and the beach and they did take her for day rides in the forest but that was with her field mates.

It is a lot for a pony to adjust to and she may just stll be settling in as you say and I may be a paranoid due to the problems we had with the other 2 ponies but the ponies have all seem overly clingy to the arab.

Thanks
x
 
If you think it might be related to her being in season you could try a supplment called Hormonise which worked really well for our pony.
 
I would contact Sarah Weston. She specialises in equine behaviour. I don't know her nor have I ever used her but she has a really good reputation down in the Forest.
 
I have a forest-bred forester who by an amazing coincidence happened to be born somewhere at the top of the road in Sway where we keep him. He can be an absolute so and so when we take him out, he gets completely carried away and wants to canter everywhere on the grass and is generally a silly prat from the moment we shut the "forest" gate behind us, which is not his normal way - he's usually quite idle. It doesn't matter which route we take, he still acts the same. So much so my daughter doesn't like to ride him out on the forest unless I've taken him out a few times first and calmed him down.
 
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