Tips on how to deal with a nappy pony in the school?

[AngelM125]

Hey everyone,

I’m currently loaning a 11.2hh 7 year old pony who has never really done any proper schooling besides basic aids such as forwards, stop and turn etc.
I’m loaning this pony alongside another little girl who is very nervous and only 10 years old so from this he has only done little lane hacks at trot and walk.
He is an angel out hacking on his own and never naps to come back home and especially in company he loves going for a gallop with other horses at our yard.
But if we come across other horses in a nearby field then he’ll just plant and refuse to move but after a quick tap on the shoulder he soon moves forward.

I have recently (last week) started to properly school him in a local hire arena down the road. Let’s just say… it’s painful.
He bucks, plants and is continuously stuck at a slow trot regardless with how much you kick and smack. If you ask him to move any quicker he’ll shake his head and pop in a buck. He in INCREDIBLY nappy and strong as he’ll try and drag you around the arena if he can get away with it, it truly frustrates me.

I have tried every trick I know, from cutting off part of the arena with the gate, to constant changes of rein, to pole work which he just kicks around. I’d love to try and jump him in there as he’s gone cross country schooling with me and absolutely flew over jumps. but considering I can’t even get a forwards trot going there’s no chance!

I’m going to try and lunge him and see where I get with that and if that doesn’t succeed I’m going to try and go back to basics and do groundwork and long rein him in there.


Any tips would be super helpful thank you!!

 

[maya2008]

Lunge then long rein then ride. Ponies can also find arena surfaces difficult, especially with a heavier rider. An 11.2hh should weigh around 220kg (or a little more if a cob), so anything over 7 stone including tack is heavy for them. Try him in a field for initial schooling if you have that option.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would check the basics teeth, back and saddle schooling is a lot different from just mooching on a hack so if something is not right it often will show up in the school.

I'm assuming you are an adult but I really can't see how an average size adult is small enough for an 11.2 pony?

I'm only 8.5 stone which is light for an average adult but I would even be too heavy for an 11.2.

 

[AngelM125]

Lunge then long rein then ride. Ponies can also find arena surfaces difficult, especially with a heavier rider. An 11.2hh should weigh around 220kg (or a little more if a cob), so anything over 7 stone including tack is heavy for them. Try him in a field for initial schooling if you have that option.

i’m under 7 stone currently at about 6.3st. i’m also only 4ft10 and he wears a velociti pony pad which is as light as a feather with a padded saddle pad underneath to stop any irritation that might occur. Hes flat backed and wide so finding a saddle that fits him is difficult.

 

[AngelM125]

I would check the basics teeth, back and saddle schooling is a lot different from just mooching on a hack so if something is not right it often will show up in the school.

I'm assuming you are an adult but I really can't see how an average size adult is small enough for an 11.2 pony?

I'm only 8.5 stone which is light for an average adult but I would even be too heavy for an 11.2.

im 4ft10 and 35kg so im not exactly the tallest lol.
Hes not technically in a saddle atm he’s ridden in a pony pad with a padded saddle pad underneath.
the thing is we’ve taken him out cross country schooling and he was so forwards, very responsive to leg and pinged over jumps. I’m wondering if i should just go straight back to basics with him and try it again with him in the school

 

[Glitter's fun]

im 4ft10 and 35kg so im not exactly the tallest lol. i’m under 7 stone currently at about 6.3st. [40Kg]

He does sound uncomfortable. And sorry, I do think you might be too heavy for him especially if he isn't very fit, or has been used to a smaller rider previously.
How long have you been loaning him for?



(Edited - Sorry but I did the sums . Lets presume he could be heavier than @ maya2008 's estimate, maybe up to 250Kg, so for light hacking he could carry 20% of that - a total of 50Kg (7 stone) including tack, rider and all the rider's clothes, hat, boots etc. Most people are really shocked how much their tack and clothes weigh.
Actually it's usual to take a limit of 15% for schooling & jumping. That's a maximum load of 37.5 Kg .
I don't have a Velociti here to weigh but a basic Shires pony pad is 5kg including stirrups, & then you've got the bridle.
For that 250Kg pony the rider needs to be below 32.5 Kg fully dressed for riding, including boots & hat. -and I'm presuming he's a very chunky 11.2 to get to that. )

 

[FieldOrnaments]

Get him to long rein, maybe try some liberty work/free jumping, if introduced properly it can be really good at getting them to go forwards in the face of scary stuff and IME is well suited to crafty little pony brains

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Why do you need to ride in an arena to school him? What are you hoping to achieve by riding in an arena (other than a bored, bolshy pony)? Why not just school on your hacks?

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Stop smacking the pony it ll reinforce the fact he hates schooling in an arena. Find a grassy area on your hack and school there..lateral work along bridleways etc

 

[FieldOrnaments]

Wait I thought "kicking and smacking " was just hyperbole.

 

[AngelM125]

Stop smacking the pony it ll reinforce the fact he hates schooling in an arena. Find a grassy area on your hack and school there..lateral work along bridleways etc

there’s no where grassy at all it’s all roads around a us. the only place i could is in the canter fields but that’s one singular strip

He does sound uncomfortable. And sorry, I do think you might be too heavy for him especially if he isn't very fit, or has been used to a smaller rider previously.
How long have you been loaning him for?



(Edited - Sorry but I did the sums . Lets presume he could be heavier than @ maya2008 's estimate, maybe up to 250Kg, so for light hacking he could carry 20% of that - a total of 50Kg (7 stone) including tack, rider and all the rider's clothes, hat, boots etc. Most people are really shocked how much their tack and clothes weigh.
Actually it's usual to take a limit of 15% for schooling & jumping. That's a maximum load of 37.5 Kg .
I don't have a Velociti here to weigh but a basic Shires pony pad is 5kg including stirrups, & then you've got the bridle.
For that 250Kg pony the rider needs to be below 32.5 Kg fully dressed for riding, including boots & hat. -and I'm presuming he's a very chunky 11.2 to get to that. )

should i stop riding him all together? I’d hate to know that i’d be putting any form of stress on his back.

Other than me i think the owner would have to sell him in the end as i’m the only decent amount of exercise he gets :/

 

[AngelM125]

Why do you need to ride in an arena to school him? What are you hoping to achieve by riding in an arena (other than a bored, bolshy pony)? Why not just school on your hacks?

i was advised by the owner to
she wants him to become more fit and responsive but i’ll look into doing exercises on the road

 

[McGrools]

Can you lunge him in the field he lives in?
My 11.2 is great on the lunge and I have some xc jumps in there which he loves to jump and it keeps him fit and happy x

 

[Glitter's fun]

there’s no where grassy at all it’s all roads around a us. the only place i could is in the canter fields but that’s one singular strip

should i stop riding him all together? I’d hate to know that i’d be putting any form of stress on his back.

Other than me i think the owner would have to sell him in the end as i’m the only decent amount of exercise he gets :/

Sorry, just saw this, I'd gone to bed when you posted. Hope I didn't upset you.
I think you'd be fine for hacking, not sure about jumping though. Maybe weigh yourself fully dressed for riding & holding your saddle - I was just guessing.

Rider weight isn't the only possibility for what's bothering him. It's quite common for a pony with a mild lameness to be sound hacking but uncomfortable in the school because of tighter corners etc. Or he could just be unfit and finding it hard work. There was another lady asking about a pony that's ok on hacks but nappy in the school. There was a lot of advice on that thread , I'll try to find it & edit it in.

 

[Glitter's fun]

Here we are. Took me a while to find - not an easy user name to search for!
There are two threads but not many replies on the 1st one.

Stubborn pony

Hi 👋. I have recently got my 8 yr old daughter a pony on full loan. I already have my own but he's a bit big for her. This pony is brilliant out hacking and she's doing great handling him. But take him in an arena and he will literally not move at all for her. Starts spinning round ! He is 11...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

Nappy stubborn pony in the arena

I have posted before about my daughters stubborn pony ! He is absolutly great hacking ! But soon as we take him in an arena he just trys to follow me and won't listen to her at all just plants or tries to get to me. I have tried stepping out of Arena but he just comes to the gate. If I walk at...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

 

[MagicMelon]

Personally, I dont think Id want to go in a school to get kicked and smacked the whole time. Im sure he finds it a miserable experience. I think I'd either hack, or perhaps try jumping in the school - it might light a fire in him. And if I did that and he seemed to enjoy it then Id do lots of praise and treats (clicker training might be worth looking into) to keep him willing and making the school a more enjoyable space.

 

[Birker2020]

I have recently (last week) started to properly school him in a local hire arena down the road. Let’s just say… it’s painful.
He bucks, plants and is continuously stuck at a slow trot regardless with how much you kick and smack. If you ask him to move any quicker he’ll shake his head and pop in a buck. He in INCREDIBLY nappy and strong as he’ll try and drag you around the arena if he can get away with it, it truly frustrates me.



Any tips would be super helpful thank you!!

Sounds to me like he is not very fit and is finding the work in the school tiring.
It might also be that he has a soft tissue injury and this is excacerbated by riding in the school, especially if the surface is deep in places.
Think how you feel running through deep dry sand, its very hard work.

His planting and bucking is his way of telling you he's not happy. At this point he is shouting at you. Soon he will be screaming and your child may end up injured. I think a vet might be appropriate to just give him the once over. Horses aren't normally naughty for no reason, although I know ponies can be awkward at times!

 

[Skib]

Apart from a vet check, Mark Rashid at a demo once explained that schooling for a pony is like a human going to the gymn. Start with very little. He demonstrated by asking the pony for only three paces of trot collected, just a couple of times, once on each rein. Then next day he increased it to six paces.

 

[YourValentine]

Apart from a vet check, Mark Rashid at a demo once explained that schooling for a pony is like a human going to the gymn. Start with very little. He demonstrated by asking the pony for only three paces of trot collected, just a couple of times, once on each rein. Then next day he increased it to six paces.

Assuming all pain causes eliminated I was going g to suggest the same. Keep the sessions exceedingly short and sweet and slowly build them up.

Even if you don't make it to trot, alot can be done in walk and walk transitions.

On hacks can you make sure he is 100% in front of your leg, so when you ask for trot he trots immediately? Not 2-5 strides later? I'd also do lots of transitions walk/halt/trot/walk etc on hacks and work on lengthing and shortening his stride in walk & trot. This will all help build strength and response to the leg which should translate to the arena.

 

[Glitter's fun]

Hope no one minds, I'm just going to put another link here. Might not be relevant to OP's pony but i know there are a lot of internet searchers who end up here for advice. This is another "ok on hacks but not in the school" thread , with a very helpful OP who returned a month later to bring us up to date with veterinary results.

Cold backed only in arena

Have a bit of a conundrum, have a just turned 5 yr old ID mare, done intense showing before I got her in February, loves hacking and going out and about, always been a bit sour in arena, lately started being cold backed and pushes the saddle forward when I first get on, saddle just been swapped...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

 

[spacefaer]

My initial thought was that he may not understand. Most small ponies are only started sufficiently to be safe and well behaved on a lead rein. He's possibly never been taught the correct aids ( or indeed any!)

 

[JenJ]

I have recently (last week) started to properly school him in a local hire arena down the road. Let’s just say… it’s painful.
He bucks, plants and is continuously stuck at a slow trot regardless with how much you kick and smack. If you ask him to move any quicker he’ll shake his head and pop in a buck. He in INCREDIBLY nappy and strong as he’ll try and drag you around the arena if he can get away with it, it truly frustrates me.

I have tried every trick I know, from cutting off part of the arena with the gate, to constant changes of rein, to pole work which he just kicks around. I’d love to try and jump him in there as he’s gone cross country schooling with me and absolutely flew over jumps. but considering I can’t even get a forwards trot going there’s no chance!

You say you started last week, but also say you have tried every trick in the book. It may be that he's confused with so much going on.

Go back to basics - if the arena is new to him, start with going in, walking a few laps, and coming back out before going on a hack. Keep getting him used to being in there. Lots of walk-halt transitions, circles, serpentines. Don't ever get from one corner of the school to another without doing a transition or movement. Don't go up to a trot until he's happily walking forward at all times, even if this takes a few weeks.

 

[spacefaer]

You say you started last week, but also say you have tried every trick in the book. It may be that he's confused with so much going on.

Go back to basics - if the arena is new to him, start with going in, walking a few laps, and coming back out before going on a hack. Keep getting him used to being in there. Lots of walk-halt transitions, circles, serpentines. Don't ever get from one corner of the school to another without doing a transition or movement. Don't go up to a trot until he's happily walking forward at all times, even if this takes a few weeks.

Totally agree. And if one thing should be learnt from this week, that kicking and smacking any equine is not the way to communicate with them.

 

[sbloom]

Some surfaces would be a lot, especially for a little pony. Have a look at some amazing ground work courses like that from https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558578913621. This may help if he does have milder physical issues (way more common than you'd think) and you could add something like horse agility for more movement, in hand hacking etc. Slow work across irregular ground, helping him feel into his body and have to use all parts of his body that he might have almost forgotten how to access, again way more common than you'd think.