New Pony

[ginauk84]

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?

In my experience, little dartmoors are generally more chilled than section As- I think there's a lot of variation between section As and those with more showing lines can be quite hot/sharp/spooky. However, you say he was good at his last home, so I would continue to give him a chance.

As you're talking a lot about shows, I'm guessing you want something breed society registered? I think the best first riddens are often more heinz 57, because they have often been bred/brought up with temperament in mind rather than showing success.

Having worked for riding schools in the past, true first ridden types that you can really trust with, say, a 5yo independently on board are very hard to find. As ponies get a bit bigger and you can stick a small adult/teen on board, even occasionally, I do think it gets easier. Small ponies are often either very good at figuring out tricks to take the mick and have an easy life, or haven't received brilliant training and get confused.

If things don't work out with this one (and I totally agree for your daughter you want things 100% safe, and it sounds like you have the option to return?) then I'd look for a much older pony who has been there and done it all in several homes.

I had a smilier situation with my horse. He was totally chilled to handle when I saw him and was completely different when I got him to his new home sometimes I couldn't get near him he was so unsettled. In his life he's travelled a lot and I thought he'd take moving in his stride. I quickly realised the yard he was on just didn't suit him and moved him, literally within hours of arriving at his new yard he went back to being the totally chilled horse I first saw now everyone jokes about how chilled he is.
Like other have said above being part of a herd and being able to see other horses all the time for him is very important. How closely does your current stabling and also the way you keep hi e.g. turned out 24/7 in at night etc replicate that which he is used too? Mine could see and touch horses all the tine when in a stable there were just bars between them, and he was turned out with others most of the time. At the first yard he couldn't see other horses very well and was often the only one in and turned out individually and was in at night.

Just thought I would add an update, she has ridden in the menage and I realised he was twitching when she adjusted her reins so I have been flicking them a bit myself and rewarding him to try and desensitise him to that. I have also got her to hold onto the saddle in trot to stop her from raising her hands in trot.

We took him to the show yesterday, literally three fields down from where he is kept! I got there an hour early and was going to perhaps do in hand but he settled well and she rode him in a couple of classes. I feel I know him better and can feel when he gets a bit wound up to be able to calm him down but I think there was only one moment when that happened. We stayed the day to really get him used to it and he was golden. She came home with a few rosettes and has really bonded with him.

So he has made good progress in just under 2 weeks and we just need to get him used to her reins moving as she needs to learn rising trot without holding on, I think he catches them out of the corner of his eye and it makes him jump a bit. But we will take this slowly as I want him to be happy with her on his back trotting first so she can hold on a bit longer :)

Presumably you're not feeding him - they can live on nothing but grass/hay in the summer..

Is there any chance that you've got a competent teenager to sit on him before your daughter rides him as you don't want to be lunging on this firm ground at shows?

I think he'll calm down - we love Section As and they were always easier than our Dartmoor (which had to move on..). We know plenty of dartmoors ridden by professional show riders who can still be little buggers and often have adults off..

Go on the Dinky Ponies website and they do a clip on strap for the front of the saddle, hook a finger or two under and that will help keep hands stable, or some bailer twine!

No I didn't lunge him just walked him round and stood by the rings a bit. Most teenagers I know are bigger than me lol, am 5ft2 and 8 1/2 stone but he is quite fine so wouldn't want to get on him.

Yes johnsons we have one of those so I dug it out and used it at the weekend :)

Thanks for updating us, sounds like it's all going really well! Re the reins, could you try loosely knotting them around his neck when she trots, so they are not flapping around?