Strong pony eating on rides out

[horselover3107]

Hi, I ride a strong green(ish) pony who hasn't previously been worked before and I'm teaching him. He knows the basics and i have introduced a few small jumps and he loves it, it keeps him engaged because he really dislikes flatwork haha! We don't have an arena, we only have fields, but they're muddy and just repairing themselves for spring. I ride him out occasionally but am now considering bringing a few of my jumps in the field we regularly ride in on hacks. Only problem is, he eats like there's no tomorrow on hacks and is so strong and moody when i pull his head up. Obviously if im intending to jump, I can't have grass reins or daisy reins because the necks won't have full ability to flex and move but I was wondering if there was any way around this or will i need to wait until our field is done ? thanks x

 

[Winters100]

Regarding the eating just keep him moving forward and don't give him the chance to get his head down. But overall it sounds like you might need a bit of a hand from an instructor. I am guessing that you are not very experienced with young or green horses, and it is very important not to let bad habits creep in. A good instructor will put you on the right road and help you avoid problems.

Good luck with your pony and I wish you many years of fun with him.

 

[ecb89]

Don’t let him eat out hacking. Be very black and white with what is acceptable and what isn’t.

 

[meleeka]

You need to be paying attention at all times and stop him before he eats. He needs to be kept going forward, with the reins the correct length and he won’t get the chance to put his head down. Eventually it will break the habit and he won’t keep trying.

 

[horselover3107]

Regarding the eating just keep him moving forward and don't give him the chance to get his head down. But overall it sounds like you might need a bit of a hand from an instructor. I am guessing that you are not very experienced with young or green horses, and it is very important not to let bad habits creep in. A good instructor will put you on the right road and help you avoid problems.

Good luck with your pony and I wish you many years of fun with him.

I don't have an instructor and have backed another green horse before but that was with an arena and no riding fields, so the complete opposite. I can't afford an instructor right now but we are really trying to slim him down for spring (we are on a public footpath, where everyone feeds them, we have signs up, and he's prone to laminitis every year) x

 

[horselover3107]

You need to be paying attention at all times and stop him before he eats. He needs to be kept going forward, with the reins the correct length and he won’t get the chance to put his head down. Eventually it will break the habit and he won’t keep trying.

Thank you, its like as soon as we get into that field itll be like, head down! He's got a very soft mouth and he's not the best with the bit being pulled with heavy hands, but gonna try him bitless to see what hes like haha x

 

[horselover3107]

Don’t let him eat out hacking. Be very black and white with what is acceptable and what isn’t.

yeah, it's just a habit he got into when i fell off from a saddle slip, he worked out how to eat with a bit in the mouth and is honestly so strong! Gonna try a couple of things to see if they will help for me and him! x

 

[PapaverFollis]

I'm afraid when it comes to a horse eating under saddle I would not be all that concerned about protecting a soft mouth. Anchor yourself in the saddle, lock your elbows into your sides, have the reins an appropriate length and do not let him get his head down... you don't have to pull back you just have to block whatever force he puts on the bit himself, his choice if he wants to hurt himself. Ask him to go forwards and get him working and thinking. Turns, loops, circles, transitions. You're in charge, make sure he knows that!

If you aren't jumping right now you could use grass reins etc to give you a hand to break the habit. Then obviously remove them at a later date.

 

[horselover3107]

I'm afraid when it comes to a horse eating under saddle I would not be all that concerned about protecting a soft mouth. Anchor yourself in the saddle, lock your elbows into your sides, have the reins an appropriate length and do not let him get his head down... you don't have to pull back you just have to block whatever force he puts on the bit himself, his choice if he wants to hurt himself. Ask him to go forwards and get him working and thinking. Turns, loops, circles, transitions. You're in charge, make sure he knows that!

If you aren't jumping right now you could use grass reins etc to give you a hand to break the habit. Then obviously remove them at a later date.

Thanks so much! It's just whenever I've accidentally been to heavy with my hands, the next day he will run away from me and that'll be for weeks. I think I'm gonna try bitless at somepoint because i went out in a headcollar and bareback (supervised) the other day and jumped a few logs. But I'll deffo make sure he cant get his head down!

 

[JackFrost]

I have some sympathy because I had one of these - a pony so fixated on food it just couldn't focus on anything else. I didn't have the horse for long but what seemed to work was putting it *temporarily* in a flash tight enough so opening its mouth was no longer so easy. I combined this with riding it forward and giving it enough to think about. After the first few times with its mouth kept shut, it got the message that the flash meant eating wasn't an option, and got on with the job. After that I could slowly loosen off the flash so it wasn't actually doing anything, but the horse didn't realise. A muzzle might also be an option - easier to fit if you are contemplating bitless.
But you will have to be persistent - you just need some tricks to break the habit.

 

[honetpot]

If you get daisy reins with clips on the end and a loop the other end, I would put the clip end to the D ring of your saddle so you can unclip them if needed, and clip them together, and then they lie on the neck.
The secret is always keeping them moving at a brisk pace, and be one step a head. Really before trying jumping the basics should be established because he will learn more quickly than you on how to get out of doing things. Learning to use your seat and your back as an aid is more important than learning to jump.

 

[horselover3107]

I have some sympathy because I had one of these - a pony so fixated on food it just couldn't focus on anything else. I didn't have the horse for long but what seemed to work was putting it *temporarily* in a flash tight enough so opening its mouth was no longer so easy. I combined this with riding it forward and giving it enough to think about. After the first few times with its mouth kept shut, it got the message that the flash meant eating wasn't an option, and got on with the job. After that I could slowly loosen off the flash so it wasn't actually doing anything, but the horse didn't realise. A muzzle might also be an option - easier to fit if you are contemplating bitless.
But you will have to be persistent - you just need some tricks to break the habit.

Thank you! I've got a flash, just not been doing it too tight because he's still green and can we quite sassy when there is something he dislikes and the thing that i dont like is he tries really hard to open his mouth with a flash :/
the muzzle would be a no go because we only get that out when he has laminitis and he will hate me and never forgive me. But will try the flash x

 

[horselover3107]

If you get daisy reins with clips on the end and a loop the other end, I would put the clip end to the D ring of your saddle so you can unclip them if needed, and clip them together, and then they lie on the neck.
The secret is always keeping them moving at a brisk pace, and be one step a head. Really before trying jumping the basics should be established because he will learn more quickly than you on how to get out of doing things. Learning to use your seat and your back as an aid is more important than learning to jump.

thank you x

 

[JackFrost]

Some of his behaviour = eg being moody when you pull his head up, getting sassy etc - indicates that he is not yet really respecting you. If he has a more forceful personality, or possibly hasn't learnt the right relationship with people, groundwork to instill respect and obedience might also help, both with this issue and with his general progress. If you try this it might give you a clue as to whether his habit of eating when ridden is really just disobedience or if he is genuinely struggling with feeling hungry. At this time of year, especially if you are trying to slim him down, he may feel that he desperately needs to eat.

 

[horselover3107]

Some of his behaviour = eg being moody when you pull his head up, getting sassy etc - indicates that he is not yet really respecting you. If he has a more forceful personality, or possibly hasn't learnt the right relationship with people, groundwork to instill respect and obedience might also help, both with this issue and with his general progress. If you try this it might give you a clue as to whether his habit of eating when ridden is really just disobedience or if he is genuinely struggling with feeling hungry. At this time of year, especially if you are trying to slim him down, he may feel that he desperately needs to eat.

Thank you so much! Groundwork is a bit tricky to get around at the moment because our paddock is still muddy and it's hard to instil it on hacks when he's excited! But as soon as spring hits it'll be my priority and then summer ill mix the groundwork and jumping. x

 

[Gloi]

https://www.munch-n-done.com/

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Thank you, its like as soon as we get into that field itll be like, head down! He's got a very soft mouth and he's not the best with the bit being pulled with heavy hands, but gonna try him bitless to see what hes like haha x

Use your seat and legs to keep him moving forwards.

 

[Skib]

Best to prevent the head going down in the first place. But if it does, use one rein. Then tight circle in each direction and then back up.
Prevention can be exercised by two things.
First watch ther eye of the horse. A horse always looks to the food before actusally grabbing it. A tiny half halt on one rein is sufficient reminder if one gets in early.
Then while riding, control the position, height and direction of the head of the horse. By this I mean changing the head position at will. As if schooling. What happens at the poll is very important in riding (I was taught) and controlling head position and head height can be vital out hacking, especially to calm a spooky horse. But also to prevent snacking.
I had trouble with my old share who would grab at tall grass even when cantering and I was about to buy a new bit to prevent her snaffle slippingsideways through the mouth. However sensitive rerin control proved sufficient. No pullung or tugging, just a constant conversation through my fingers to her mouth. This possibly occupies the horse's brain and distracts it from feeding. But it worked.
Like much of my riding, this solution was given me by Mark Rashid. Moreover, he refused to sell me the new bit I wanted until I had first tried solving the problem with rein control of the head.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I've had a similiar problem and started to approach this in-hand and then transferred that to ridden.

I started by taking him out into the field or out hacking and asking for his attention on me - so keeping him walking, backing up etc - and rewarded him with a combination of treats and attention for not eating. When he tried to eat the grass, I'd get his head up, circle him tightly and then reward him when he'd stopped. I added a voice cue of 'Head Up' so he associated the word with the action.

He learnt fairly quickly it was much easier (and more in it for him!) to stand quietly than to try to pull me about.

Then I transferred it to riding using the same principles.

When I was confident I could, I started to let him eat out hacking on a ride but on cue which is a great for us and has come in handy so many times

 

[scruffyponies]

Hacking on roads - especially little suburban estates etc. is great for establishing a young horse - nothing to eat and plenty to worry about, keeps his attention on you.

 

[Hallo2012]

smack on the arse?!

seriously why is he not being sent forward and it made totally clear that stopping and yanking you around to eat isnt acceptable............