riding a 'tigger' pony.....

[H & Bailey]

got you wondering now..
Bailey was doing a 'tigger' impression past a field of youngsters on sunday.He must have looked really impressive and was doing a good performance of a spanish riding school horse.
he was trotting really slowly almost on the spot and really lifting his legs right up,his tail was up and also head.
i found it really difficult to sit and not bounce!I really thought i was going to fall off.how do you make the horse go normally and forwards as the more i was trying to keep my hands low and use my legs to push him forwards he was just elevating higher and faster if i tried to slow him ,by half halting he was prancing on the spot!
I did manage to get him past and after they were out of eye sight he was back to plod mode
I do find that now that I have sold Rosey ,we ride out by ourselves and any time he sees another horse out hacking or in a field he turns into tigger or stallion from shrek and moonwalks.His steps get shorter and his head comes right up.If i push him on he gets elevated instead of forwards,he gets behind the bit or trys to open his mouth .
I have put his flash back on to stop him opening his mouth but should i put his standing martingale back on?
i dont want him reverting to how he was when i got him.The rest of the time he is so chilled and needs chivvying along.
any ideas.

 

[coss]

have to tried going like a jelly person? relax so much that you're like a ragdoll and they normally calm down (although it is hard to relax i know!)

another idea is instead of trying to half halt or anything like that (where your using both hands) turn his head to one side, ask for shoulder in and things like that, do rising trot if its easier and just use all the extra power you've got, if he want to give you all that energy, use it.

My pony does this when i take him to dressage competitions at one place, tail up and passage, it feels like you have no control. at a competition i will ride a 20m/10m circle until he calms (providing i'm not half way through the test) but if you're on the road that isn't an option. as soon as you feel him begin to bounce turn your shoulders and ask for shoulder in past the exciting thing, if he does it in passage, do you really care? eventually he'll be bored with it and stop. i would leave the martingale off for now as it may do more harm than good.
My RI always said you should just start asking for passage if they give it to you, you never know if you may want it in the future

 

[H & Bailey]

I did the jelly thing and let myself sink but probably stiffened as i was trying to keep him from swinging his butt out and watch out for traffic coming behind as i was on a bend going down a hill.I did eventually turn his head the opposite way when we were next to them ,but had to fight as he had set his head and neck .It didnt help that the youngster was charging up and down snorting and bucking
If i have horses riding towards me should i trot him on?or is it bad manners?
If i have a horse in front who he wants to 'go and see' how can i get him to behave and listen ?