Selling a companion pony at the sales. This could be long.

the other thing looking at the vid that might be worth trying and safer too is a dummy rider, so that (as long as very very firmly strapped on) whatever bucks pone puts in the dummy rider will not fall off and will stay there. It has worked with completely broncing wild horses and could be worth a go at relatively low cost.
 
I have to agree with Spike, the way the pony is going, before the rodeo started, looks like he is very tense and uncomfortable. I would put money on this being a pain issue. I would get him double checked. Normally when bucking starts, it is better to leg him on or turn him in a circle, if he circling, he can't buck. I do think this pony is in pain though. sorry.
Did the original owners say that he never bucked?
 
Looking at him going round he DOES look rather choppy so there may be something wrong - or maybe he is just a choppy striding pony?

Don't think he's bad enough/dangerous enough to be PTS though - if you can't afford to get him sorted there are people out there who will.

I'd try the word of mouth option, spreading the word at RC's/PC's with the hunt etc that he's free to a good capable home, you'll tell them everything and they've got to provide references that they're upto it.

I have a friend who has taken many such ponies in, in the past. Most have been devils that their owners can't cope with.

She has just been given a fabulous Sec D, that 9 months ago was sold for several thousand, the new owners said he was dangerous.

He isn't at all. He's a speedy jumper, strong and has a bit of a buck in him on occasion, which yes, would frighten a new owner.

Others have come with medical issues which she's had treated and then they've gone on to be fab RC horses/ponies.

So there ARE people out there - PTS shouldn't have to be there first point of call.

Good luck
 
Agreed he looks extremely tense all the way through that. I know of someone with a horse whos had numerous back checks and years later they did actually find it was a problem in the neck.

I dont think hes bad enough to PTS either, he may not be right for a child right now, but you have the chance to get him a home where he can be put right. He might well make a good driving pony but I still think theres an underlying issues somewhere :)
 
There most certanly are people out there who take on ponies like this. Take my horrid Herbie for example. He napps in a similar way to the op's pony. (I remember her post a few months ago asking what the pony was doing.)
Herbie is not sutable for a child to ride and he is only 12.3hh but i am small enough to ride him. Herbies last owner paid over £1000 for him but sold him to me for £550 inclu all tack and rugs!!!!!!!!!! He also has lots of other issues that do make Herbie dangorous. But i am working on his issues and am going to make him a nice pony.
I find it sad when people jump to the conclution that a pony should be put down just because it's a pony. I have re schooled many ponies worse than this one i think they all deserve a chance.
As long as you are honest about this pony there should be no comeback on you (there wasn't for the people who sold him to you and they lied) I would try project horses they even have a section for companions and maybe look at the wanted section to there maybe someone looking.
I realy hope you find him a nice home i just wish i could take him on but i can't have another.
 
Have you had a vet look at him.... his back etc? Or a good physio? Or both! If he is fine when you first get on, then throws a wobbler and won't let you get on, he may well be in pain. You say you had his teeth done, have you had tack checked

I would say def not PTS, if it was behavioural it looks like it could be sorted. But I think he needs a good MOT first. He doesn't look a happy boy.
 
Hmmm.... I dunno if I'd say he has a bad back- not when he can dorsoflex like that! Little bugger, I see what you mean about him looking slightly uncomfortable BUT.... I wonder if he's just got his mind on when and where he is gonna do his next naughtiness? That honestly looks to me like he's just saying "no" in a rude and naughty way.

However, just coz the little bugger outsmarts you I don't think he's beyond help. Could you try to get someone to come and ride him for you? I know there is expense there but if he stayed at your yard and you just had someone once or twice a week who you knew would not fall off (bull rider??) I reckon he'd stop the behaviour. I'm sure you've already had back etc checked- I used to have a professional bucker and every single person asked me that, I used to want to punch them.... Of course I had and she was in fact perfectly healthy and just a mental case.

What do you do when he bucks? Do you tense and hang on or sit back and go with him? Do you kick on or use a whip? Where are you in the world? I know a few Kamikaze people ;)
 
Sounds stupid but how is he on the lead rein???

The riding school I go to used to have a pony that was a star on the lead rein but ONLy on the lead rein. He had a nasty habit of trying to kill anyone and everyone if you took him off the lead rein. They tried small adults riding him and nothing worked but he remained angelic on the lead rein. When he was semi-retired he went to a family with lots of very little children on the solemn promise that he would never be ridden off the lead rein.

It seems strange that he used to be a fab lead rein pony but is now such a problem.

I'd be inclined to stick him on project horses, he sounds like the sort of pony that could be got right by a persistant small adult or could be retrained as a driving pony. Lots of top scurry ponies are ones who were disregarded as too dangerous for children.

I don't think he is one to put to sleep at this stage.
 
What occurs to me looking at that is that you aren't bending him with one rein, which is a useful technique with bucking. If you can get the hind legs disengaging they can't buck. So, provided he checks out physically I think there would be hope for him with someone who is a bit more experienced at sorting this sort of problem out.
 
Sounds a lot like Little Lad. He's now retired and on managed grass livery, eating his head off and being a pony. It does mean that D1 can't have another ned (neither can I!) until we get our own land though as we now have three neds, including him.

LL bucks, rears, spins, drops a shoulder, runs off, gets mild sweatitch, lami, field hops, and can be a bolshy little g!t. But we love him. He'll stand for hours to be cuddled and is good with most things.

We were at the pts stage the week before Christmas. The vet was booked (not too happy, but booked), but we decided against it.
 
What's he like on the lunge without a rider?

Someone suggested a dummy rider which is worth a try once you are happy back, teeth, saddle etc all OK.

An experienced young rider would probably find him fun because quite often they have no fear and have good stickability.

Not sure the behaviour on your video warrants being PTS. :(
 
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