Tiger21
Active Member
I recently purchased a 4yo Connemara gelding as a winter project. He was advertised as having just done basic ground work but on speaking with the owner, she revealed he had a rider on him briefly in May (saw video of him trotting up and down their yard). Due to staff shortages at her yard and being busy competing she was unable to give him consistent work so to be fair he was turned away.
He was quite underweight and weak looking when he arrived but given he had a 10hr journey we knew it would have taken it out of him. A week later he look like a different pony! On the ground he was so sweet, so quiet and easy to do in all ways - a child could have easily lead him around. We decided to treat him as unbacked due to not knowing his full history. he accepted tack, lunging, long reining and popping a loose jump with no issues.
However, when we moved on to the suggestion of a rider he lost it! He is absolutely petrified so now I am wondering if something has happened to him. Taking things really slowly We are now at the point where we can lean over him with no reaction but have really hit a stalling point here. Any attempt at swinging a leg over and he just panics and shoots off. We are starting from a mouting block but even the feeling of a foot it in the stirrup upsets him although he is happy with us flapping the stirrups around on his side. Any suggestions how to proceed with him or do we just wait it out? Not looking for a quick fix more just if anyone had any methods that may be worth trying.
He was quite underweight and weak looking when he arrived but given he had a 10hr journey we knew it would have taken it out of him. A week later he look like a different pony! On the ground he was so sweet, so quiet and easy to do in all ways - a child could have easily lead him around. We decided to treat him as unbacked due to not knowing his full history. he accepted tack, lunging, long reining and popping a loose jump with no issues.
However, when we moved on to the suggestion of a rider he lost it! He is absolutely petrified so now I am wondering if something has happened to him. Taking things really slowly We are now at the point where we can lean over him with no reaction but have really hit a stalling point here. Any attempt at swinging a leg over and he just panics and shoots off. We are starting from a mouting block but even the feeling of a foot it in the stirrup upsets him although he is happy with us flapping the stirrups around on his side. Any suggestions how to proceed with him or do we just wait it out? Not looking for a quick fix more just if anyone had any methods that may be worth trying.
