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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

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Original poster

New Pony

32 replies

ginauk84 · 21/06/2018 11:40

I have been riding years, owned horses and ponies and when moving yards they have generally settled down straight away.

We have recently had a little section a for our daughter and he moved to the yard Tuesday, we took him into the menage yesterday and he was really spooky and to be honest too much for her. I guess I just want some reassurance he will settle down? I know we haven't given him any time but then I start thinking well if he is always like this in new environments how will he react when we take him to a show?

How long would you give him to settle in? Just tying him up outside the stables he is whinnying like crazy and really on his toes, yet he wasn't like that at his previous home. I don't want to put my daughter off riding, am going to do some lunging with him to settle him down hopefully. Is there anything else I could do? It concerns me he is getting so excited by the other horses that he may be the same at shows, he has come from a big yard with lots of horses so it isn't new to have so much company. However he was settled previously so I hope he will settle again?

OP posts:

DiplomaticDecorum · 21/06/2018 11:45

I can offer no reassurance, nor can anyone else (other than the previous owners).

However, it takes time for the pony to get to know you - something that I think takes weeks rather than the 24 hours you've given him. It takes him time to know the yard and other horses too. I hope it goes well for you, it usually does, just give the little dude time to find his feet.

Pebblespony · 21/06/2018 11:46

The whinnying sounds like he might need a bit of time to settle before you can really assess him properly. He might be missing a particular companion etc. We sold a pony and a companion left at home went a bit mental for a few days. It's a bit early to really know.

Original poster

ginauk84 · 21/06/2018 13:03

Yes we said we would give him a month and hopefully he has settled, he was fine in his old home so am hoping he will become like that here. I hadn't thought about him perhaps missing a companion. We are going to do lots of quiet work with him and hopefully he learns to trust us and doesn't find everything quite so scary.

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Thundersky · 21/06/2018 14:33

Is he at home now? What's the setup like? Has he got company and can he see other horses when he's tied up?

Original poster

ginauk84 · 21/06/2018 18:52

We took him into the menage this this afternoon and lunged him, he seemed to be settling better today and working past the other horses without making a fuss. So fingers crossed, going to try lunging him a good 15 mins before my daughter gets on board. Fingers crossed, he is very jumpy with sudden movements so we have been rewarding him for not reacting.

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AwkwardHeliotrope · 21/06/2018 19:00

We are in an identical position! Having a bit of a nightmare with our Sec A but he seems better with a good lunge a couple of times a week, unfortunately I'm manic at work so horses have taken a back seat for a couple of weeks but he's no longer spooking every time I turn up at the field and I've managed to get him onto the yard calmly on his own, at one point I couldn't even get him the to eat a bucket of food on the yard and if he's have been any bigger he might have buggered off back to the field without me!

I think they're just sensitive things, mine has until next year to settle in before I think about moving him on but I'm sure he'll be fine, he's already improved a great deal!

AwkwardHeliotrope · 21/06/2018 19:01

I'm going to clicker train mine, he seems quite receptive to it so far!

sandycloud · 21/06/2018 19:04

We have had our horse 3 years now. The first 2 weeks were a nightmare. Bombing round the ménage. Couldn't catch her. Grumpy in the stable then all of a sudden was lovely. I was thinking what have I done!!! Give it a bit longer. Good luck.

ReadytoTalk · 21/06/2018 19:05

Why so keen to get your daughter on him? Why can't you give him a week to settle in?

DashingRed · 21/06/2018 19:15

How old is he? I presume he's gelded?

Pebblespony · 21/06/2018 19:45

Sounds good OP. Sounds like he's settling so a bit of time should sort it out. You'll know after the month if he's a keeper. I hope he is. Good children's ponies are like hen's teeth.

Original poster

ginauk84 · 21/06/2018 20:45

Aww AwkwardHeliotrope I am glad I am not the only one then. Yes I did clicker concept in the menage today, I use a word with my dogs instead of the clicker 'yes' so started this a bit with him.

Good to know I am not on my own - yes he is gelded and was done at an early age, he's 8 now.

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DashingRed · 21/06/2018 22:00

Honestly, I'm going to predict that he won't be suitable for your daughter.

Yes I get that some need time to settle, but a kids schoolmaster (I presume he was sold as such?) you really need them to have that laid back temperament and he's certainly not showing that.

Yes he 'might' settle at home, but he will likely need a lot of work at shows where there is so much going on.

I've had horses who've settled instantly and those who have taken much longer. The latter always tend to be quirky types.

Thundersky · 21/06/2018 22:29

Are Section A ponies still good first ponies as a rule? I'm thinking about those that I know. Has the breed become more sharp, a bit like small Section Ds? I don't know if the breeding of them has changed over the years, certainly their faces are different?

Theresahairbrushinthefridge · 21/06/2018 22:33

I bought a 15 year old gelding a month ago. He had been in the same home 10 years. I moved him to our yard. He went mental.

He is now quiet as a lamb. A total delight. He just needed time. He is now the horse I viewed and rode.

Whatever you do don't rush to ride him. Especially not with a child. Keep lunging. Work on his behaviours and your relationship.

decena · 21/06/2018 23:32

Section As can be sharp hence often on lead rein rather than first ridden. Hopefully he will settle but generally a pony is either spooky or isn't so I'd keep in touch with the previous owner just in case you need to try and send it back (on the grounds that it isn't suitable child's pony).
It's not uncommon for ponies to have been lunged a lot and water withheld when being sold hence they appear quiet in the old home. Hopefully not, of course, good luck!

Sarahlou63 · 21/06/2018 23:44

Apologies in advance if this sounds a bit woo-woo but have you tried talking to him? Reading all the comments there's a lot of reactive posts about doing stuff "to" the pony but perhaps spending some quality time with him doing nothing other than being together with no other agenda, trying to see his world through his eyes and breathing together might works wonders. Give it a try :)

Original poster

ginauk84 · 22/06/2018 09:07

Theresahairbrushinthefridge that's a bit reassuring thanks.

We intend to pop down tonight and just spend time with him, when we have lunged him we also spend time in between and when we take him back to his field just doing nothing and rewarding him and fussing him.

DashingRed that is my concern as my daughter enjoys shows but he has been out to shows before so must have settled okay then. She is only lead rein and we had him on the basis he is lead rein and not first ridden. We have local shows we can hack to so at least he won't have the stress of travelling and us wasting time travelling him either.

Thundersky it does seem some Section As can be sharp, there are some that do make good first ridden but I guess because they are so small they don't often have decent riders on them in the breaking process so only ever are used on the lead rein. Whereas a section B could take a small lightweight adult so has more schooling in the breaking process and not just lead rein? Not sure. I thought about a 11.2h dartmoor or exmoor but I don't really know much about them so I went for a section a just because it's usually what you see in the show ring and I have always had section Cs or Ds so I felt a bit more comfortable with another welsh.

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StaySafe · 22/06/2018 10:06

I've recently been on a riding holiday and was very interested in the various horses. One of them, being trained as a lead horse became quite agitated if any of the horses left the ride but with constant reassurance had improved in the first few weeks. She had come from a herd of the same breed type and had not been worked much in the months before she was sold. She had found it very difficult to settle in the new herd and once she had fitted in seemed to be anxious about further change to the group.
I'm sure the replies above are from people far more experienced than me but horses are living creatures with feelings and yours may need more time and reassurance to be settled.

Theresahairbrushinthefridge · 22/06/2018 14:13

Just been riding my totally placid horse doing fancy moves.

He found the new herd stressful. Was screaming his head off. When I got on him he was boiling underneath me. He just needed time. Lots of grooming. Lunging. Then hacking out with other horses.

He is now the totally chilled out boy I first met.

He had also done a lot of competing.

I would say don't give up too soon. But don't take any risks with your daughter.

puppymouse · 22/06/2018 14:35

I'd give him way more time. When I get my next one I won't be getting on for a while and just doing groundwork. Warwick Schiller has some magic training techniques of you subscribe.

DashingRed · 22/06/2018 15:44

Yeah I agree that Welsh A's can be little sods, but that can be said of any variant of the Welsh breed!

I just think when it comes to kids, they need to be sane and easy from the get go, because if they're not, where is the fun for the kid?

Confidence is so easily lost.

Give him a month to six weeks and do as much as you can with him but don't waste your time beyond that.

Original poster

ginauk84 · 22/06/2018 16:07

Thanks yes I have a month or so in my head and like you say I don't want her to lose her confidence. There was a little girl at the last show on a naughty pony and she was so freaked out I said I don't want that to happen. So yes lots of groundwork then and a month to 6 weeks before we know what he is really like. Thanks

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maxelly · 22/06/2018 16:26

Feel for you OP, it's a worrying time esp with a small child involved! For what it's worth most horses I've known take a good few weeks to properly settle in a new home, so much changes for them, not only their surroundings but the handler/rider that they're used to, their routine, feed, sights and sounds etc. I think settling into a new herd and finding their place within herd dynamics plays a big part too (is yours turned out with others yet, a lot of yards insist on keeping them separate at least initially?). I don't find how long they take to settle at home directly relates to how they are at shows, as only one of those variables changes when at a show, if you see what I mean? There is a good chance though that if he's a stressy type naturally and hasnt done much showing he won't be suitable if your DD wants to compete, or at least not without a lot of time and patience on your part. Any chance you can get him out to somewhere quiet and low key before you have to make a final decision? Go without your DD and just lead him around or do an in hand class, see how he is? In the meantime your plan sounds perfect, minimal feed, maximum turnout, give him a good workout on the lunge before you put your DD on. Don't be afraid to keep things short and easy for them both, 10 mins pottering quietly on a lead rein without any drama will be infinitely better for them both than trying to run (or canter!) before they can walk! Good luck and keep us updated!

Original poster

ginauk84 · 22/06/2018 17:43

maxelly thanks yes my thoughts about the show too like you sat everything else is the same apart from venue and actually it is almost held on the yard and is a tiny show so ideal. I had also thought I will take him an hour before and take him in hand. Good thoughts about just a short happy 5-10 mins and end on a good note.

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