HELP!!

Alicia Johnstone

New Member
Jul 6, 2017
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Hi guys I need help I'm 13 and my mum bought me a new horse as I sold my old one I had for 3 years and the new one she's green but mum seen videos of her and today I rode her for the first time and she bolted when I took her up to a trot and I couldn't stop her and she was quite strong is there anything I can do because I fell off and I feel like my confidence will go again as I just got my confidence right up last year so I need help on what to do next time I ride her if i should lunge her first or just get on her and she is very sensitive I mean very sensitive slightest touch can get her going
Ik this is long but I just need help
 
Oh no! You poor thing! 1. You GOT this. It will come right. With the right help she will come right. How is she on a lunge? Have you had her saddle/tack properly fitted? Doesn't matter if she came with it, still get it checked.

Was she in work before you got her? Any idea what her background was before this?

Have a look for how to do a "one rein stop". If you can get her into a circle if she bolts, she'll slow down once she realises her bolting isn't getting her anywhere.

Do you have an instructor you could call for help?

Just remember- she's telling you something. You just have to find out what. You can do it- don't give up. The sense of achievement you will feel when you do will be epic.

Let us know how you get on. Xx
 
We haven't had her on a lunge all the tack was properly fitted she was in work before she got broken October time and the.old owner said when they got her she was nervey and when I got on her today she didn't get Ridden since January as I just got her 2 weeks ago but she is very sensitive like a tap would make her go and I'm not used to a sensitive horse and I'm searching for an instructor and I'll try the one rein stop if it happens again
And thanks for your responses I'll keep u updated on how it goes thanks
 
I think it's a combination of green horse, new home, not having been ridden much for a while etc...I expect she will settle.
Doing circles as HaloHoney says is a good way to slow her down if she goes off too fast. In walk, then trot.
Do you have a small space, say half a school or a small paddock you could ride her in a few times? Then she can't bolt too far.
Do 10m circles and lots of walk/trot transitions.
Do let us know how you get on and good luck
 
A friend got a green mare back in Feb- she was really unsettled by the move to a new yard. She was really unfit, and the difference just a few weeks was immense. Spend loads of time with her on the ground. As well as riding, loads of grooming. Just hang out with her as much as you can. Grazing in hand, doing your homework reading near her, whatever it takes. It'll build her trust in you. And get her feeling confident in her new surroundings.

Just as Taffie says, I would do small circles almost in walk only for your first few rides. Talk calmly to her in a gentle voice when you're in the saddle. I would probably just walk her for 5 minutes and almost do no trot at all, and get off while she's still calm and happy so you have a few really calm, positive rides with her, and you'll both get confidence from that.

Imagine she's like a little toddler that you're trying to get to take her first steps- you want to keep it happy, kind, positive, encouraging, nurturing- even if she doesn't understand what you're asking her. If you try to fight her, or tell her off, you'll you'll get a tantrum/tears. If you try to be her friend, you'll get the best out of her.
 
Hi my riding school is small and when she bolted my mum was at the gate but we don't have a fence around the school it's just like a little hole and she take me up over there when she does I'll try do little circles and spend more time with her would it help if like I do circles with her but she is on a lunge line so if she did try and bolt she couldn't
 
If the mare was broken in October and hasn't been ridden since January she's probably only ever been ridden for about 12 weeks and thats if she was ridden consistently for those 3 months. Given the time off she's had I would be treating her like she's being rebacked, especially as she is nervous. You are basically starting her all over again and it would be some weeks before I would be trying trot with her again, I'd want her totally relaxed and not over sensitive in walk first.
 
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why did your mum choose this horse for you!? get the advice/support of an instructor. I hope you are on a yard with experienced people who know what they are doing.

suspicious hmm.. school holidays.
 
How old is the pony? Did your mum see anyone ride the pony first? Did she/you ride before buying. If not, you have no idea what the pony is like and I would treat her as out of work, needing to be re--backed and started from the beginning. I would absolutely not be getting back on until I had done a few weeks of ground work and long reining in full tack. Then I would progress to riding out on walk on long rein with someone at her head etc. If she is fine, you can get through all of that very quickly, but any issues she has physically, emotionally or in terms of gaps in learning will show up. If you/your mum don't have the experience to re-back a horse then you really should send her away for re-backing or find a different pony. She could be totally fine and just testing you out or she could be totally clueless and terrified!

This thread describes the process of re-backing a pony - might give you some ideas of the steps in the process: http://newrider.com/threads/xavier-new-beginnings.245926/

If you can't see the diaries section some the key bits are quoted below:


"I have treated him like a youngster and introduced new experiences one at a time. But I have also been very matter of fact with him. I've noticed that he tenses any time I do anything new with him, but he also very quickly relaxes when nothing bad happens. Within a short space of time he becomes happy and relaxed.

So over the past 4 weeks we have:
* Handled in the field
* Led a few steps in the field
* Led out of the field
* Led out and groomed
* Had feet handled
* Had farrier attend to feet
* Lunged in head collar
* Bitted
* Bridled
* Yielding to pressure from the ground: hind/fore quarter yields and backing up
* Lunged in bridle
* Long reined in bridle in walk
* Long reined including walk/trot/poles and backing up
* Saddled
* Long reined in full tack in w/t/poles and backing.
* Ponied off Zak
* Walked in hand
* Weighted stirrups
* Leant over

And today........

BACKING (Or re-backing I should say!)


And that was just the start...... After re-backing we still did not get out of walk for a few weeks, then just walk and trot. Finally canter and jumping.
 
I'm sorry to be blunt but a 13 year old with a green horse is an accident waiting to happen. A friend of mine is 15 and she brought a young unbroken horse. She has backed it but it was far too much for her and after 8 months and a couple of accidents she has sold it.
You need to get yourself and instructor and someone who knows about backing horses. If the horse has not been ridden since January, broke in October, with new surroundings it should not be trotted. Everything should be at walk. It sounds to me like as soon as you touched the horse with your legs it didn't know what to expect and just bolted. I would be doing ground work exercise before riding.
Why did you sell your other horse out of curiosity.
 
What is your mum thinking getting this horse?
Sorry but a horse just started in October that hasn't been ridden since January hasnt't a clue what it's doing. It's nervous.

It's threads like this that make me pleased in a way my parents said no to buying me a pony at this age. Especially if they would have bought me something so completely unsuited.

Send her back.
 
You have a young just started horse who is sensitive and hasn't been ridden for six months. I would bet she hasn't bolted but just went faster than you wanted or could cope with.

You have two choices to be fair to the horse,.either pay someone to restart her and assess her suitability for you as a rider or sell her on as a project for someone more experienced.

Sorry to be harsh but you are going to end up hurt or ruining a young horse
 
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