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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Original poster

bloody pony

30 replies

NellyJob · 06/09/2012 23:39

I bought a pony for dd at the sales at Christmas time, madness really, spur of the moment, had some cash in my pocket, a neighbour was there with transport, bid on a lovely looking pony and the next thing she was ours.
She turned out to be younger than described, rising 3, so dd did alot of groundwork with her and didn't ride her til she turned 3 a few months later.
She was bred and raised to be a showpony (welsh section c) and she has been great really, dd just hacks her out and does a bit of lunging and schooling under the supervision of my friend who is AI/stage 4 with years of experience and also with some advice from me (dd not keen) I was working towards stage 4 (years ago).
If you compared pix of her from the first weeks to now you wouldn't recognise her, she has loads of muscle and a lovely coat, where before she was scraggy and rainscaldy with dropped down muscles.
well now dd has said she is getting nappy when hacking out alone, I saw it for myself this evening as I was walking down the lane with them, she just spun round and carted dd back to the field, no control and unstoppable. nothing much I could do really........
I would have got on her myself but she is only 13.2....and I am now quite heavy and not riding fit.
anyone from the 'tack room' got some advice? some of you seem quite experienced riders.
fair play to dd, she was bareback and coped really well, and at the gate to the field turned her round and rode back but lost her nerve and jumped off and led her back to the spot where she had freaked. Then I led her back to the field.
But I feel we could have done better......
any suggestions for tomorrow?
she is fine hacking out in company.

OP posts:
marialuisa · 07/09/2012 08:09

I'm a long way from an expert but it sounds to me as if you're doing too much with such a baby. Presumably you've broken her yourselves, has she been turned away at all afterwards?

Original poster
NellyJob · 07/09/2012 09:27

she had already been backed, too young IMO which is why she had the few months break before dd sat on her again.....I don't think hacking out and light schooling is too much at this age, and she gets regular days off and time off....

OP posts:
alwaysGOLD · 07/09/2012 10:28

Hi
Perhaps now your pony is feeling well (as she was poor to begin with and nows shes been fed/worked/fussed over, shes probaly feeling v.good in herself) she is testing the boundries with your dd?

I had a couple of nappers in the past they were young and i felt they were just testing me to see what they can get away with.
I was firm with them. if they didnt listen to encouraging aids first then they did get a boot and whack as if to say 'no you are going forward'.
Maybe if your dd is not confident about the napping the pony will pick up on it. Could you ask someone to ride her out just to get your pony thinking forward and show it napping is not acceptable
Also just another thought have you changed her feed recently? If its too heating that could see a change in behaviour too

Sorry that probaly wasnt much use to you hope you get the napping sorted and well done for your dd staying on bareback!

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 07/09/2012 10:49

Cut back on her feed. If she's all round and muscly, she's probably also full of energy and devilment!
Now she is up to full condition, have you cut her feed back to maintenance levels?

LisaD1 · 07/09/2012 11:24

Agree with Saggy re the feed. I would also insist that DD has correct tack on the pony for the forseeable future, riding bareback is great fun but a saddle will give her added security when pony is being cheeky/naughty.

We have had similar issues, bought a very poor little mare at the beginning of July and she has changed shape and is having a great life full of love and tlc, the result is the down trodden depressed, slow moving pony has gone and in its place is one that is full of confidence and has a really cheeky character!

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 07/09/2012 12:58

Yes. Tack on all the time. Dds pony is beautiful, and dd gets her working nicely, but bareback she takes the piss entirely!

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 07/09/2012 13:05

P.s, a fully muscled 13.2 sec C should happily carry an adult, unless you weight 17st!

Original poster
NellyJob · 07/09/2012 13:06

she doesn't get any hard feed just grass and hay and lives out, welsh ponies are such good doers. Good point about the tack, riding out bareback was just lazy and we did discuss that.....

OP posts:
Original poster
NellyJob · 07/09/2012 13:07

really saggy? I thought i would squash her I am about 13 stone.....

OP posts:
Original poster
NellyJob · 07/09/2012 13:13

Reading through the posts again...thank you all for good advice..xx

OP posts:
SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 07/09/2012 14:33

I used to ride. 13h newfie at that weight! Also my giant trad Shetland. Not necessarily far or hard, but they are more than capable! My friend 10st ish, regularly rides her 10h Shetland stallion. She can hack him for hours and he's still a nutter!

chocolatecakeystuff · 07/09/2012 19:53

sorry to crash your thread but...just curious i'm 11st... if i sat on my 11h welshie does that mean i wouldn't squish her? Trying to find someone to help back her properly is a nightmare as she's frightened of everyone except me & my daughter. Soooo many times i've been tempted to just get on her just to see what she does so i know it's safe to put dd on her. but think i'll break her back. I lean on her all the time & have put my leg over her.... little bugger didn't bat an eye lid.

Original poster
NellyJob · 07/09/2012 20:03

I think that would be OK cakeystuff

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SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 07/09/2012 21:21

Well there's only one way to find out!! Our philosophy is, if it can still bugger you about, you aren't too heavy!

Eve · 07/09/2012 21:40

Maybe too much grass?

Sounds like young and trying it on, with my youngster when we had napping and wouldn't go forward, then we either went backwards or stood. He soon released that going forward was better.

Original poster
NellyJob · 09/09/2012 01:58

update on the bloody pony, she had a day off, dd is not going to ride her bareback any more, she rode her out today and she pulled the same trick, but dd managed to stop her and make her go back. Later on I was brushing her off a bit and realised she is in season, and might have been rushing back to the boy ponies who live in the field!! the dirty little mare! I have asked my friend to ride her out a couple of times a week......

OP posts:
ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmm · 10/09/2012 20:50

Its apparently for natives 1st per HH so should get away with it cakeystuff

SOCCP .. LOL yep if they can bugger about then you're obviously not squishing em' Grin

ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmm · 10/09/2012 20:52

How is her seat because i had a nappy horse and when he started i just used to tilt my pelvis forward and lean back (i think, it was 7 years ago though) and that meant he couldn't raise his back to walk backwards, that put a stop to it and we went nothing but forward from then on.. good luck :)

Original poster
NellyJob · 10/09/2012 20:59

ooh pony chat great!!
this pony's version of napping is doing a quick turn and buggering off back to the field.....so not sure...
anyway I walked out with them this evening, they ride out with a headcollar on under the bridle with no noseband, I just held the back of the headcollar until dd considered that they were past the 'danger zone', they were fine after that....except I was jealous cos I had to walk miles and miles and now want a horse to ride!
I have asked my (expert, lightweight) friend to ride her out twice a week....

OP posts:
ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmm · 10/09/2012 21:53

That should teach her some manners, is she being turned away for the winter?

Dont forget your hi viz :D if you're on fb

Dratted ponies doing a ballet move because i can't spell offhand the one i need beginning with a p mine did that and often so fast it almost left me facing backwards lol, serious side is that its easy to come off and end up on the road when they do that :(
Mine used to be ok with motorbikes but be in the air off all four hooves if he saw a crisp packet!

You CAN realise when they're about to be a shit with practise, sadly this means spending most of the ride worrying about it which is more likely to make it happen.. i was a complete novice when i had mine and he was a foal Hmm worked out ok though, once we got past the problems we were a great team, .. then he got stolen gahh :(

You will get her sorted :) Get yourself a horse !

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 10/09/2012 22:52

Nelly, it sounds like your pony is doing what Dds pony did to her, and to me, when I rode her. She had three or four naps that she scrolled through, one of them being 'drop through her shoulder, rotate and piss of in the opposite direction'! Get your dd lifting her hand on the side she is napping to, as soon as she feels it coming on, so that she can't drop her shoulder,and put her leg on that side to block her. Keeping her hand up is very important!
Our beast, managed to get me off, doing this, and I broke my arm! my fault for being fat and unbalanced
Dd has her cracked, can stop her pissing off sideways, and the git has now had to think up something new to throw at her!

Original poster
NellyJob · 10/09/2012 23:21

thanks for good advice and tales both of you! she just lives out all year as she is a cribber and had a stressful foalhood being produced as a showpony and probably weaned very young (poor baby).
dd always has hi viz and looks like a binman when she rides out with grubby hi viz and wellies.
it's my age and weight that worries me about getting a horse......falling off at 45 + is no joke!

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ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmm · 10/09/2012 23:35

No me too after a certain age you don't bounce like you did when you were a teen lol things kinda break..

I totally agree with what SOCCP says, if you catch it soon enough you can block the swing.

Silly question but her teeth tack ect have all been checked out fine?

It does sound like boundary pushing though more than pain and its a battle of wills now :) Your DD sounds like a cracking little horsewoman i fully expect to see her at the olympics one day Grin

Original poster
NellyJob · 10/09/2012 23:42

aww thanks things I am proud of her, she has only been riding for two years but had a great start with lunge lessons from me and then bareback/no reins hacking with nutty friend.
Pony has had a visit from the dentist, he removed some tiny teeth, is it the wolf teeth? and the saddle is ancient and tatty but sound and a good fit......

OP posts:
SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 10/09/2012 23:49

Oh, I bounced plenty! I came off that pony through every door possible, and then invented a few of my own! Blush
I once landed on my bum, in the manege mud pit, and when I stood up, the bum print slowly filled up with water!
Another time, face down in a puddle!
We both jumped sideways into a ditch, I went over her head and landed on my back in the nettles!
Ive had whiplash, a bruised coccyx, a black eye...
but I bounced every time! Wink
Youll be fine, just get back in the saddle! Grin