HELP! My new pony has lost his manners

7
Sep
2010

HELP! My new pony has lost his manners

Trotting in an outline whilst hacking could help

"Hi H&C,
My new pony Blue and I have a really special bond but I sometimes feel he doesn’t trust me enough. He he spooks at fillers even though he used to jump them all the time a few years ago, he doesn’t let me catch him in the field and takes off with me if I’m cantering in a field (although it is kind of fun!) Please can you help me, from Jessica."

H&C's Jenny Rudall replies:

Hi Jessica, it sounds like your little pony is having a lot of fun but he needs a few manners as well. It is always hard when you get a new pony, firstly to build that bond, but at the same time earn their respect. We always want our ponies to love us so we can at times not be as strict with them, but that’s when they can become naughty and then sometimes even dangerous.

Catching tricks

To help with catching can you try putting him in a different field either with only one other horse or on his own next to a field with horses. This will help make him bond more with you than with the other horses without scaring him on his own. When you bring him in for a few days just give him a little feed and a groom then turn him out, so he doesn’t always associate you with working hard. If you give him an incentive to come in it should help.

Fillers and confidence

As for the spooking at fillers, it sounds like a confidence issue. When horses respect and have confidence in their rider they will jump; because if you say it is ok they believe you. It takes a long time to gain that so just because he jumped fillers before doesn’t mean he will automatically now. I suggest you start from scratch together and find a good instructor to help you. Doing pole work and jumping grids will help build up confidence and as he already knows how to jump it will not be long before you are flying round courses.

Clever hacking

Finally the galloping off problem: However fun it may be, it is also very dangerous and again shows his lack of respect. Make sure you are not cantering in the field he lives in, as this is his place of fun not work. Change your hacking routes and canter him in areas he is not expecting so you are in control. Lastly before you canter; do some trot work first to keep his attention and make him work using flexion so that when he does canter he has not stored up all his energy and is listening to you.

Good luck and I hope this helps, make sure you log on to the H&C forum at http://www.horseandcountry.tv/forum as we would love to hear how you and Blue get on.

Good luck,

Jenny