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fatpony

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Hi. Im struggling a bit with my pony at the moment and just looking for some unbiased opinions.
He is 5 in the spring and a small cobby pony. He was very very well behaved over summer - hacking out in company and schooling and jumping - bombproof in traffic and just starting to hack out alone and doing really well. Since the weather has turned bad and the fields are waterlogged and very slippy he is now stabled and turned out as and when possible - not every day and sometimes is in for a few days in a row. Because of this he is becoming very fresh and now when I ride him he is regularly spooking at things/looking at things and at his worst setting off bucking. Always sets off bucking in a straight line but obviously I just cant tolerate this kind of behaviour on a road or where there are pedestrians. There is a small field I can school him in but because it is grass I am limited to what I can do without slipping or churning it up - i.e. walk/halt/small bit of trot and poles on the ground to walk over. The problem is he is spooking and setting of in here too. I feel he is just fresh and bored and young and that getting him turned out more would solve the problem but it isnt safe in the fields (on a slope and very slippy) I am begining to think I should give him a couple of months off until the weather improves but then he will be getting out even less but I am worried that continuing to ride him while he is like this will undo all the good work of the summer and I will be left with a spooky pony who thinks its alright to piss about when he wants. There is no where to lunge him and I can only ride out in company once a week. Sorry for the essay. The main question is should I stop riding him over the winter or persevere. And if I persevere then any advice.
 
I think I'd try to find somewhere where he can be turned out for at least a few hours daily, my mare is terrible if she is stabled for long periods so I understand the issue. If you aren't able to move then lungeing before you ride might help, your pony simply needs to let off steam by the sounds of things.
 
If he is just turning 5 I would wait till spring and give him time to mature after being broken in. But on the negative side he may think you have stopped riding because he is naughty then he begins to be naughty all the more. Have you tried giving him a calmer to take the edge off or changing his feed?
 
Personally, I would give him the winter off.....if you are only able to ride once a week, that isn't going to be enough to take the 'edge' off him, but will prevent him from not expecting to be ridden. I found with my young gelding last winter, that when I didn't ride him for a week, he was a PIA, but when I didn't ride him for a couple of months, he was much more chilled....

If you aren't happy riding him, he will pick up on it, and behave even worse! Better to get back on when you are going to enjoy it.....:-)
 
Thanks.
He actually had a couple of months off in the summer to mature though i am sure another couple wont hurt. I would rather have finished on a good note though. Food wise he gets hay and a bit of lo-cal balancer.
I dont think lunging is an option as the ground is too slippy - I think he would try some high jinks and end up falling or I would end up mud-skiing
I think I might try grazing in hand so he gets a bit of variety and fresh air. With hat/bodyprotector/gloves/shin-pads on!
 
I'd prefer more turn out especially when young but understand you can't atm.
I wouldnt be happy with no turn out though :( Problem is if you don't ride and turn away, he'll the be in a stable for several days straight without any leg stretching? I wouldn't be happy with that.

Will he walk out in hand sensibly? Perhaps walk to a local outdoor school if one or just wall in hand for exercise.

Or is there any land by yours that you could ask for access to a bridleway or farm tracks etc.

If he loads then maybe a box to an indoor school for a lesson focussing on calming him, where they can actually see what he's like?
 
touchstone said:
I think I'd try to find somewhere where he can be turned out for at least a few hours daily, my mare is terrible if she is stabled for long periods so I understand the issue. If you aren't able to move then lungeing before you ride might help, your pony simply needs to let off steam by the sounds of things.
Click to expand...

Btw....I don't think its so much letting off steam....I can turn my horses out whenever I want, regardless of the weather conditions (not that I do!!!), but even when my youngster was out every day, he was still lively.....I think its just the time of year.....
 
Ah I was reading as ridden once a week in company. Didn't realise in all.
I'd probably turn away but take out in hand for leg stretching and more seeing the world.
 
Maisy, thanks, I can ride him about 3 - 4 times a week but only have a hacking partner once a week. But still dont think this is enough to get the edge off him. I am desperate to ride him and give him the benefit of the doubt at the start of each session. The bucking itself isnt a problem - its more the deterioration of his manners.
 
My young horse was like this as hes been living in as my fields are trashed! He is ridden everyday but came out bucking, spooking and being a pain! I have a school though luckily. I just kept going everyday, ignored the bad behaviour and rode him through it. Now he comes out sweet and ready to work. Even got right on him today after he had yesterday off and he was fine! He is a 4 year old and seems to learn fast. My 9 year old mare doesnt go out often for many reasons. She has chilled in her routine and never had the issue of being naughty in the school. Dont get me wrong she gets fresh but not bucking ect.

I think routine routine routine!
 
Damn, you all post so quickly I cant keep up!!
No transport and no nearby schools. If I could turn him out or hack him out with company I think it wouldnt be a problem.
I am leaning towards walking him out for grass until the weather improves. Just wish I could be finishing on a better note - though if I dont finish now could be even worse next week.
 
I wouldn't worry about finishing on a great note this time. Turned away for a bit I'm sure it won't be a huge issue and if it is you get an instructor in, if you think it's going down hill though, as you said, next ride might be a worse note.
Enjoy walks, great for getting to know then well :)
 
I think if there is no turn out you have to be "doing" with him for at least 2 hours. I'm sorry - I know two hours of walking isn't fun but 22/23 hours in a stable a day is a hell of a long time.

If I were you I'd be looking to find somewhere to put him on grass livery over the winter.

Good luck!
 
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I know FreddiesGal, which is why I have been persevering with riding him but now I think this is actually making things worse. Personally I would quite enjoy a 2 hour walk out with my pony though I think it is safer to ride even with a spooky pony. We will have to make do with a mixture of grazing in hand and in hand work. And lots of dry weather dancing at night to get rid of the rain and firm the ground up.
 
Maisy said:
Btw....I don't think its so much letting off steam....I can turn my horses out whenever I want, regardless of the weather conditions (not that I do!!!), but even when my youngster was out every day, he was still lively.....I think its just the time of year.....
Click to expand...

I'd have to disagree with you there Maisy, every horse I have owned or worked with barring perhaps the odd one has been fresher when confined to the box for days on end, youngster or not. In fact I think it is even more important for youngsters to have the stimulation of regular turnout for mental as well as physical benefits.
 
So are you not allowed to turn out, or you just don't want to because it's muddy? Horses are much better on mud than we are because they have 4 legs. My 5 year old spent her 3 year old winter on an incredibly steep muddy field, she had to skid down it to get her hay but go back up to get water, teaching herself to be aware of where her legs were, take weight behind etc etc. As a result she came out of winter incredibly sure footed and much more in control of her body than when she was backed as a 3 year old
 
I would consider moving to a yard with better turnout so he can be out more or that has a school, at least you can lunge before riding and he wont be so fresh to ride, what are you feeding him?

My horses go out for at least 8 hours everyday if I left them in for a few days then rode they would be a nightmare and they are ridden most days.
 
TBH I would be looking at moving. If not able to move somewhere with better turnout then moving somewhere with a school at least.

So you can either lunge before you ride for 10 minutes to let him get his silliness out of the way, or at least give him half an hour a couple of times a week to have a free schooling session and really get a couple of bucks out of himself.
 
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