Warwickshire people... I need help!

[Tiarella]

After last night (pony knocking my friend out, when he bronked and bolts) I think I really need someone very experienced to come and "sort him out." I am very willing to pay, but please wear a body protector (maybe 3?)

So would anyone be willing to come and have a sit on him? Or know anyone that will?

Thanks

 

[f_s_]

How big is he? What has happened? I thought he was going really well!!

 

[Tiarella]

he is 14hh native. I think he is just getting far to big for his boots at the moment, since getting a lot fitter he bucks/bronks and last night bolted flat out with my friend, she fell off and was knocked out. He has a few days where he is fab, but then a few days where I cant do anything with him. I got on him after he bolted and he was just doing flying bucks round the school with me.

 

[f_s_]

What are you feeding him? How much grass/hay/haylage etc??

Just wondering if this could be something to do with it, also how old??

Have you checked his saddle recently?? As he fittens up his shape will change. I'm sure you know all this, but just interested, trying to think of a solution, and whether my son could sit on him for you!!!

 

[Tiarella]

He has no hard feed, 1.5kg of hay in the day, and gets turned out at night. He has just turned 5. I had his saddle checked a few weeks ago, it has the fish inserts which had to be put in as his saddle was to wide for him, it now fits fine, although I may get it checked again to make sure it is 100%

Yes, your son should come and sit on him

 

[f_s_]

Ok, I would cut out some of the hay, down to a slice when he's in!! Yes, seriously!!!

Natives live on fresh air, and if he's out all night he'll get plenty!

Your grass looks pretty good, so he'll be fine.

At 5 it sounds as though he's finding his feet a bit, they all go through this stage!!Unfortunately!

Check his saddle out again, and make sure it's not nipping!! Just in case!

Now at 14hh, my son is going to be pretty big for him!!! He is 6ft!!

But, if you are having real problems, I'll ask when he's free and see if we can help! He is on holiday from Saturday, so you might have to wait a week, but hopefully you'll sort him out in that time!!

Also, try lunging him before you get on, and don't make it too exciting. Make him walk for a good half hour, anything, until he gets fed up of it, then move to the next bit etc!!!

Good luck! Let me know if you need son to come along and sit on him!!

 

[ester]

Rachael you are using a towel as a riser though? Though he has been fine with this. Just wondered if it could be causing any pressure points. I have had a problem with this set up before.

I do think that it might not be a bad idea for a temporary change of bit to see if that helps. He does need to learn this is not acceptable behaviour when he has been coming on so well, was this worse than he has ever done? If so I think you perhaps you need to do the back/teeth etc checks

He is also perhaps feeling quite fit atm as you are riding every day though it doesn't ever have the impact on Frank.

 

[ester]

pics of 6ft son on doug will be required

 

[f_s_]

Ester - I want to see those photos myself!!!!

He doesn't know I've volunteered him yet, but he will do soon!!!

 

[Tiarella]

[ QUOTE ]
Rachael you are using a towel as a riser though? Though he has been fine with this. Just wondered if it could be causing any pressure points. I have had a problem with this set up before.

I do think that it might not be a bad idea for a temporary change of bit to see if that helps. He does need to learn this is not acceptable behaviour when he has been coming on so well, was this worse than he has ever done? If so I think you perhaps you need to do the back/teeth etc checks

He is also perhaps feeling quite fit atm as you are riding every day though it doesn't ever have the impact on Frank.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep I am at the moment just until I can buy a riser. The saddle person said that he has more muscle at the front rather than the back where the saddle goes, but now he is working more using his behind it will build up in no time and it will be fine. I was a bit worried to start with, but I dont think it is anything to do with that as he has always been silly whether he has a saddle on or not.

Which bit do you think would be best? This is the worst he has done, it was a proper bolt, not just bomb off, if anything was in the way he would of gone straight through it. I have the dentist on 17th September

Well, he used to be extremly fat, think that shetland your posted pics of, but a bigger orange version

He must feel a lot lighter, and now he is a lot fitter just has more energy. I can trot him round a large field 4 times on each rein and he only just begins to puff

 

[f_s_]

What bit do you have him in atm??

 

[Tiarella]

[ QUOTE ]
Ok, I would cut out some of the hay, down to a slice when he's in!! Yes, seriously!!!

Natives live on fresh air, and if he's out all night he'll get plenty!

Your grass looks pretty good, so he'll be fine.

At 5 it sounds as though he's finding his feet a bit, they all go through this stage!!Unfortunately!

Check his saddle out again, and make sure it's not nipping!! Just in case!

Now at 14hh, my son is going to be pretty big for him!!! He is 6ft!!

But, if you are having real problems, I'll ask when he's free and see if we can help! He is on holiday from Saturday, so you might have to wait a week, but hopefully you'll sort him out in that time!!

Also, try lunging him before you get on, and don't make it too exciting. Make him walk for a good half hour, anything, until he gets fed up of it, then move to the next bit etc!!!

Good luck! Let me know if you need son to come along and sit on him!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I did used to give him hardly any hay at all, around 0.5kg of hay, but people started saying I dont feed him enough

So will go back to feeding that amount

I will try and lunge him a lot more before I ride, but if nothing changes your son can deffinately come and ride him!

 

[ester]

thats ok just trying to think of everything, we had a thorogood riser which caused rubs and pressure points just behind so just wondering if that wasn't helpin.

Frank is for ever a puffer, he likes to think it might be convince me into thinking he is really unfit and tired- it doesn't work!

The trouble is if he is proper bolting then not much is going to stop him, a friend has a bolter who has been ridden in a dutch gag and combo noseband, he would run through this if bolting. we had an issue with frank and a tyre (driving practice) the other evening and I seriously didn't know he could go that fast. for the first circuit he wouldn't have stopped for anything, he eventually stopped for grass

What I am thinking is if you could get something to stop him at the very start, ie the moment he bucks so that it doesn't then escalate into him running off. Ie get him at level 2 not when he is at level 10

Would you be happy using something with 2 reins, then it would only have to come into play when you need it.

I do think bitting is a bit trial and error as they are all different, Frank has a big collection where he has progressed over the years. I have both a pelham which I use for showing and XC which he stays forward in and I don't touch unless I need to check him. I hack him in a dutch gag though this is mostly to help with the welsh spooking, it also supplies me with ABS when required (ie when some bodies dog comes on the charge.) I can't jump him in it as he gets too short in the neck and comes back too much but it is useful for what I use it for if that makes sense. If I hack him in anything else he will be fine the first time but then start to take the mick a bit. I know that you don't want to overbit him as he is a baby but sometimes safety has to come first.

Mums horse does everything xc etc in a straight happy mouth loose ring snaffle but in the winter she can get a bit silly and if it takes more than 2 pulls to get a reaction she will go out in the gag version of it the next time which she listens to and then will go back in the snaffle again and be much improved, its just a little reminder of who is in charge and as we share our canter space with lots of others she has to behave.

 

[Tiarella]

[ QUOTE ]
What bit do you have him in atm??

[/ QUOTE ]

a eggbutt snaffle with french link

 

[f_s_]

Ok, let me know how you get on!!

We're always around, you'll have to come and sit on some of ours!!

 

[Tiarella]

[ QUOTE ]
Ok, let me know how you get on!!

We're always around, you'll have to come and sit on some of ours!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Thankyou

 

[f_s_]

That's a nice little bit, and if at all possible I would resist changing it!

At 5 you really want to stay off his mouth if you can. I know that he has been naughty, but fiddling with his mouth may not be the best thing.

Have his teeth been floated before? It's just that often until they are about 5 their teeth aren't really touched.

This may make a big difference when they're done

Anyway, you're welcome anytime. Let me know how you get on

 

[Tickles]

Maybe try soaking the hay rather than just cutting down the amount so he always has something going through his system - just less energising something?