School sour pony!

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Izzy&Ella

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I have a pony that I've gotten from a sanctuary, she is perfect in every way, on the ground, being lunged, groomed, tacked up, hacking etc, the only problem is she is like a rodeo in the school! She was rehomed to a riding school in her first home and she got extremely bored and started to buck, she was only ever a lead rein pony, I've tried making her school work interesting, with poles etc, but she still broncs. Her teeth have been done twice since I've had her (14 months) and are fine, her back is checked regularly, and her saddle is also checked regularly. She only bucks when she is doing school work. Could any body advise on how to get her out of this learnt habit? She's a sensitive Arab x Welsh D, 13'2 and a pocket rocket!
 
Try riding her with a friend who takes her on the leading rein(you in the saddle). Please post if this makes a difference.
 
I will give it a go, problem is in walk she is generally ok, in trot she is a menace! And it's hard to keep up with her trot (we do a lot of inhand stuff) so I'm hoping someone can keep up with her strides :)
 
If she is just school sour then she needs a few months off and then brought back hacking only for a few more months. Aim to bring the school work back toward the end of the summer. Its difficult from the description though to know if this is really just school sour or something more.

When she bucks is she really trying to get you off come what may - or is she reacting to something? Is it calculated or reactive?

School sour ponies tend to get annoyed when they think they might be going into the school - so it spills over into tacking up, mounting etc. Once in the school they don't usually wait for a pace they don't like. They'll nap rather than outright buck - its less work. When they do buck its a "nasty" buck - dropped shoulder, spinning etc. Intended to get you off not to protest. Once they've got you off they won't be easily caught again - not in that headlong careering round panic, but in a more wiley "catch me if you can" manner.


But if she is in pain - or remembers pain - then she won't react until that pain threatens. And that reaction will be just that. A reaction not a calculation. If she is fine in walk I would wonder about hock or SI issues. Or possibly KS?

Can the rescue center shed any light? Was she fully vetted with them? I must admit I am surprised that any center would re-home to a riding school where the animal will be used to make a profit - but I do udnerstand everyone is massively tight on space. Can the RS help at all? How long did they have her and what did they do with her? How did she come to be back at the rescue center?
 
She means to get me off, she naps badly at the gate so I use my leg to keep her moving and that's when the problems start, I've had the vets look over her, X-rays, scans etc and they say it's behavioural, she's a devil when she bucks, like you said dropped shoulder spinning etc, I can school her in the paddock without a fuss, it's literally just in the school! The RS where the ones who backed her, she's never been great to catch anyway, so hard to tell if she does get me off if I will be able to catch her, Ive even had her scoped for ulcers, just incase! I normally hack her out then pop her in the school, or even take her in the school to do some inhand work before I get on her, she's also had a Bute trial to see if it is pain related and she shows the same behaviour, I will add she's a chestnut mare lol 😁
 
I would also like to add I've had her for 14 months and she hasn't done a great deal with me, mainly hacking and schooling out on hacks, the riding school had her for 3 years I believe, she's 9 years old and she was born at the sanctuary
 
Forget the school, take her pleasure riding, hunting, hacking, pony clubbing, beach riding, forest riding etc. You can still school her on those environments. You don't need an arena. The last horse I bought had exactly the same opinion on schools, the advert even said that she would not go into the school. Only difference between yours and mine, is that mine is 800kg of muscle bound maxi cob who knew exactly how to throw her weight around.

That was 2012 and we worked through the problems by making life fun again for her. It worked and now she schools without an issue. Maybe get a good instructor to help you.
 
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