Suggestions for Kangaroo Hopping Pony?

[JAK]

MD (still feeble & poorly!

) decided to ride in field last night. Pony walked 'briskly' to field & once through the gate practically sat on her hocks & set off in a series of what could best be described as controlled bounces!

Refused to get her head down at all & with her head so high & back, MD would have had very little control at all but opted to just drive her forward with her legs & wait for her to settle down, which she did within a couple of minutes!

This is normal Baggage behaviour (hence the 'not novice ride' bit! lol) & if she did this out & about & decided to follow it through by tanking, MD should be able to stop her in the kimblewick, as BB would have to bring her head down to run!

It is only exuberance & she is very sure-footed & tends to run with her head very low, so she can see where she's going, which can be very disconcerting if you're not used to her! lol

I was thinking more of if she continued with the brain-dislodging jogging & bouncing, which could be highly irritating in the extreme if she did this for more than a few moments & the total lack of control you have whilst she's doing it!

MD seemed quite unperturbed but this was at home & I am quite certain that were BB to do this on a Fun ride for example, MD would soon suffer a fairly serious sense of humour failure!
Riding suggestions that don't involve starting an argument with the pony?

 

[JAK]

Should add that previously I believe control has been regained by (not by MD!) wrestling with her & sawing violently at her mouth, which MD is not prepared to do except in an absolute 'me or her' emergency, in which circumstances my kids know that 'anything goes'!
(Sounds awful I know but if it comes down to pony's mouth or kid's neck, I've told them to save their necks!)

 

[tabithakat64]

My friends mare does this and the key is to just sit there when they bounce then either push them on or turn them sharply into a wall/hedge/bank thats too big for them to jump to stop them bolting. Unfortunately she's yet to find something that works whilst in the school as the mare would just jump out if you turned her into the fence.

 

[PapaFrita]

Remember the pony I told you about who has a 15min attention span and then carts my pupils out of the school? He does this too. At least it sounds like that from your description.
Would it help if MD turned her head (pony's, not her own

) and put her on a small(ish) circle?

 

[JAK]

Thanks tabithakat & PF!

I was expecting her to run at any moment but no, she just continued to bounce along on her haunches & then settled down & behaved perfectly! (MD has her reins in one hand & is waving back at me calling out 'It's fine.....I've got her!', so maybe it just looked worse than it was?)

I think MD just kept pushing her forwards, as I imagine she was however (despite the waving & the cheery assurances!), thinking that if she turned her in a circle, the second she was facing the original direction again, she would just go vrooomph!

Not sure which is the lesser evil - getting her back under control if she runs or having no control whatsoever whilst she boings along at 5mph with her nose in the air & her backside inches off the ground?

No, darn it, we'll do the small circle thing! If she does try zooming off, maybe once she's been pulled up & brought back to the original starting point a few times & realises she's not actually getting anywhere, she'll get fed-up of doing it?

I just don't want her doing this in company! MD went out with Hedgehog Child the other day & wanted to gallop but HC was apparently terrified & wanted to exit the field asap - MD said BB was 'behaving' but if she was doing this, I can see why HC was probably thinking 'Err no, hell no!' !

 

[lucemoose]

Oh! I call it "Tiggering"! Its what my horse does best..small circles seem to rile him up, so I just sit...and sit... and sit.. and continue to talk utter nonsense and scratch his withers etc. Its frustrating but he gets over it eventually, or finds something else to do.