3Beasties
Well-Known Member
I've been mulling over what to do with my pony a lot recently but I am struggling to come up with any workable ideas!
A bit of back ground for those who don't know - Section A, 13yo mare who is a bit of a madam on the ground but a fab, fun ride for the right child. She loves to work and will try her hand at anything, be it dressage, jumping (She has the scope to affiliate), hunting or showing, she will try her heart out and will give her all once she has formed a relationship with the rider.
On the ground she can be a bit of a mare, with me she is fine 95% of the time, there are days when I know she is in a mood so tend to avoid her back end/teeth (usually it will just be lots of moody faces and tail swishing!), I'm not actually sure if she would kick/bite me but she likes to warn me off
I try to be firm but fair with her, she gets praised for being good and I ignore the bad to a degree (if she lifts her leg to me she will get a smack as that is just bloody rude!).
With people she doesn't know she can be rude and marish on the ground and probably would kick but generally she will behave if you put a new rider on her.
Little Jockey rode her for nearly two years and did a bit of everything with her, they had a great relationship and I would say Millie trusted her and treated her the same way she would treat me, ie. still a mare occasionally but generally a nice 'Person' to be around!
When LJ outgrew her I put her up for loan and this is where the problems started. Over a 6 month period she went to two loan homes but was returned both times due to her behaviour on the ground, she started off OK but would soon become a bit of a devil!
(Please bare in mind that both homes where aware she could be a madam and would need a good few months to really settle in and get to know them before she went and could ask for my help at any time, I went up to the second home a couple of times a week to go on outings with them, help with any issues etc. Both homes said she was always better when I was there!).
So she has now been pretty much redundant for the past 6 months and I'm not sure what the next course of action should be. She is the type of pony that shouldn't be sat in the field doing nothing for the rest of her life, apart from the fact she would get bored and fat she is a pony that wants to be doing something (her mood is usually far better after she is worked) and I also hate to see idle ponies sat doing nothing, I think she is to talented to waste.
So what Can I do with her?!
I've toyed with the idea of re-breaking her to drive but in all honesty I'm not feeling very confident about the whole thing and even if I did get her going well I don't know if I would have the time or the help at hand (someone to come out with me every time!) to do much with her. Fast forward to winter and I would say it would be virtually impossible to keep her in work! I did wonder if a driving person would take her on loan, if no children were involved they might be a bit more willing to let her get over her 'settling in period!' but with no guarantee that she could make it as a driving pony I doubt anyone would be interested!
Breeding from her for myself would be a big no-no although if a stud wanted her I would be willing to give it a try (but then a mare with her attitude probably shouldn't be bred from anyway!) so really that idea sucks too!
I did think about advertising for a sharer for her so that I would be 'around' when they came to ride her, a contribution towards costs and help with some stable chores would mean she could stay here for the Winter but I'm not sure I would find anyone local enough that would be interested (we live in a remote area and I really think for it to work out the sharer would have to be fairly local!).
Other then me popping out a few kids of my own
(Not going to happen any time soon I can assure you!) I really don't know what the best thing to do with her would be!
So any ideas, advice or help would be much appreciated, I am open for any suggestions - Bar shooting her
A couple of piccys of the little Madam
A bit of back ground for those who don't know - Section A, 13yo mare who is a bit of a madam on the ground but a fab, fun ride for the right child. She loves to work and will try her hand at anything, be it dressage, jumping (She has the scope to affiliate), hunting or showing, she will try her heart out and will give her all once she has formed a relationship with the rider.
On the ground she can be a bit of a mare, with me she is fine 95% of the time, there are days when I know she is in a mood so tend to avoid her back end/teeth (usually it will just be lots of moody faces and tail swishing!), I'm not actually sure if she would kick/bite me but she likes to warn me off
I try to be firm but fair with her, she gets praised for being good and I ignore the bad to a degree (if she lifts her leg to me she will get a smack as that is just bloody rude!).With people she doesn't know she can be rude and marish on the ground and probably would kick but generally she will behave if you put a new rider on her.
Little Jockey rode her for nearly two years and did a bit of everything with her, they had a great relationship and I would say Millie trusted her and treated her the same way she would treat me, ie. still a mare occasionally but generally a nice 'Person' to be around!
When LJ outgrew her I put her up for loan and this is where the problems started. Over a 6 month period she went to two loan homes but was returned both times due to her behaviour on the ground, she started off OK but would soon become a bit of a devil!
(Please bare in mind that both homes where aware she could be a madam and would need a good few months to really settle in and get to know them before she went and could ask for my help at any time, I went up to the second home a couple of times a week to go on outings with them, help with any issues etc. Both homes said she was always better when I was there!).
So she has now been pretty much redundant for the past 6 months and I'm not sure what the next course of action should be. She is the type of pony that shouldn't be sat in the field doing nothing for the rest of her life, apart from the fact she would get bored and fat she is a pony that wants to be doing something (her mood is usually far better after she is worked) and I also hate to see idle ponies sat doing nothing, I think she is to talented to waste.
So what Can I do with her?!
I've toyed with the idea of re-breaking her to drive but in all honesty I'm not feeling very confident about the whole thing and even if I did get her going well I don't know if I would have the time or the help at hand (someone to come out with me every time!) to do much with her. Fast forward to winter and I would say it would be virtually impossible to keep her in work! I did wonder if a driving person would take her on loan, if no children were involved they might be a bit more willing to let her get over her 'settling in period!' but with no guarantee that she could make it as a driving pony I doubt anyone would be interested!
Breeding from her for myself would be a big no-no although if a stud wanted her I would be willing to give it a try (but then a mare with her attitude probably shouldn't be bred from anyway!) so really that idea sucks too!
I did think about advertising for a sharer for her so that I would be 'around' when they came to ride her, a contribution towards costs and help with some stable chores would mean she could stay here for the Winter but I'm not sure I would find anyone local enough that would be interested (we live in a remote area and I really think for it to work out the sharer would have to be fairly local!).
Other then me popping out a few kids of my own
(Not going to happen any time soon I can assure you!) I really don't know what the best thing to do with her would be!So any ideas, advice or help would be much appreciated, I am open for any suggestions - Bar shooting her
A couple of piccys of the little Madam