I am copying AR0... but I kind of want this in one place... to reflect when we have a bad day about how far we have come...
April 09
I was coming up to finishing uni, and had moved house. I decided I was ready to commit to a part loan or excising someones horse/pony for them. I placed the ad on Preloved on the Saturday night, and 1030 Sunday morning, I had a phone call from Silver's owner who had seen my advert and said her pony was challenging and needed riding - would I be interested?...
I agreed to help out with her - a chubby, 12hh Welshie called Silver Star. She kicked and bit. You couldn't bring her in the from the field without being bitten or dragged off, you couldnt groom her or cuddle her. She stood at the back of her stable, and spun if you opened the door. It took three of us to tack her up, and three to get me mounted on her.
She rode like a dream the first few times, and then the napping began. This is my first post on NR, desperate for help...
I am helping out with a pony for someone who's daughter has lost interest/is scared of the pony.
She is fine to catch, but can drag you back to the field;
She bites and kicks with fronts and backs when you are handling her (such as grooming, putting on her sweet itch lotions, skipping her out!)
She spins and kicks when you try to go near her with a saddle (which is properly fitted and was bought and fitted for her recently as a result of behaviour)
Gettin on involves spinning like the wind and a gymnasts vault.
She is better when ridden, goes forward off the leg - she just gets silly (plants and spins) when with her bestest friend (who is part Arab so she copies Silver... which leads to chaos).
I tried the firm "No" and sometimes a smack on the shoulder with back of hand, but she doesnt even acknowledge it, i've tried the calm praise way but again she doesn't acknowledge it and the only thing I found that works is either rewarding with carrots (which is making her nip) or letting her eat grass outside while I groom her. Putting saddle on takes 2-3 of us - she is only 12"2!!!
In terms of riding, if she stops I could "kick" her til the cows come home - she isnt scared shes bombproof pretty much, and she doesn't flinch - even with a stick it makes no difference. If I let me reins go (to indicate that I want her to go forwards to make sure Im not giving mixed mesaages) she takes it as an invitation to turn around a head for home. Funnily enough she is fine out by herself once she has left the barn in the direction she wants to go - she is very dependant on the arab so likes to go past her field first). The problem comes if in company I have to get off and lead her (because I wont let her win on naughtyness) because then I can't back on unless the other person gets off. She has had back/feet/teeth checked and before this week (shes not been ridden this week) her sweet itch hasnt flared up as being closely managed - im sure its just naughtyness.
Not sure of the best way to correct behaviour - we dont have asmall paddock/scchool or I would try some of the join up type stuff...
May 2009
I had loads of useful advice from the last thread, and began to question everything that was accepted. Shamefully, I had never done this - I had grown up riding and working at a riding school with very well looked after horses/ponies and everything fitted and worked, and if it didnt, we were rarely there to experience it as vet/saddler etc only came out during the week.
I questioned her saddle, which turned out to be a huge problem. Following advice from here, and finally managing to get a saddler to come and see her, I got her a maxam which resulted in a dramatic change of behaviour in seconds - we put it on her back, took it off and after the first time she realised it wasnt the same as her old one and had no problems putting it on. I could now tack her up with no head collar on and therefore loose in the barn with no problems at all.
June 2009
I had been riding madam, and we had been doing well at weight management (although still overweight). I went away for two weeks, and when I came back, I rode her once. She was unhappy at being tacked up - all be it mildly (swishing tail and glaring at me).
She then cast a shoe. This left her foot sore for two weeks, so she was unridden. She expanded width ways out of the maxam, and I was back to no saddle, so we began the weight crusade.
I had already tried her in the lami field, where she was bullied and got double barrelled while I was trying to get her out of the gate.
So I tried lunging, I eventually realised she would lunge on two lines, but didnt understand one line. Hwoever I couldnt get to grips with holding so much - and with out a whip she just kept dragging me off for grass or standing still and refusing to move! I also had the same problem with long lining - she just stood there and a loooked at me as if to say "what you doing back there?!"
I then invested in a grazing muzzle... which cut her lip. So I couldnt ride, lunge or limit the food intake - I was really stumped.
August/September
The last peroccupied June and July, and before we knew it, it was August. I got offered a job on the basis of clearing security checks - so I asked if I could buy Silver from her previous owner. She said yes, and so she became my baby. She is not my perfect pony - she is complicated, moody, difficult, I have spent most of the past few months with her being unridden and if I was picking and choosing, I would have one more around the 13"2 mark.... but I couldn't not buy her now that I could fund her, we had come to far to throw it away.
And I loved her. That was my biggest problem!
So, I have now bought my baby, and everything seems to be pretty good - she is generally pleasant to be around - not really bad days, just average and good ones. Her sweet itch is really well under control at the moment, with a bite only every few weeks now.
She had learnt that washing her tail is not the end of the world, and now no longer kicks and spins when trying to wash her tail. I was grooming her untied up, rugging her loose, she was occasionally coming to call - I will try and upload the video soon of my favourite day of her coming to call. She was coming out of her shell - she enjoys cuddles, and when I hurt myself in the field and had to sit down she stood and nuzzled me until I got up. She now comes to her door when she hears me in the morning, and grooms me.
We had a professional photo shoot, with some lovely photos IMO! I am going to get one framed and put up at home - she ensured she thoroughly humiliated me though by scarpering off at every opportunity!
I have now bought a Libra Trec/Trail saddle, and am experimenting with this as an option - she was off the saddlers width scale as she has fat pads either side of the withers which makes it difficult to fit when they fill out. I am currently sourcing a haf pad and suitable girth, and will then retry several times to see how she goes in it and if she likes it or not.
She is now out in the lami field as I reintroduced her last week, and seems to be coping although not enjoying it a lot. She was latched onto a nice timid mare in the field, but the last two days she has been in a a STINKING mood ( I got kicked for fastening leg surcingle last night
) so has been lashing out at everyone inc other horses. So... that is us so far!
April 09
I was coming up to finishing uni, and had moved house. I decided I was ready to commit to a part loan or excising someones horse/pony for them. I placed the ad on Preloved on the Saturday night, and 1030 Sunday morning, I had a phone call from Silver's owner who had seen my advert and said her pony was challenging and needed riding - would I be interested?...
I agreed to help out with her - a chubby, 12hh Welshie called Silver Star. She kicked and bit. You couldn't bring her in the from the field without being bitten or dragged off, you couldnt groom her or cuddle her. She stood at the back of her stable, and spun if you opened the door. It took three of us to tack her up, and three to get me mounted on her.
She rode like a dream the first few times, and then the napping began. This is my first post on NR, desperate for help...
I am helping out with a pony for someone who's daughter has lost interest/is scared of the pony.
She is fine to catch, but can drag you back to the field;
She bites and kicks with fronts and backs when you are handling her (such as grooming, putting on her sweet itch lotions, skipping her out!)
She spins and kicks when you try to go near her with a saddle (which is properly fitted and was bought and fitted for her recently as a result of behaviour)
Gettin on involves spinning like the wind and a gymnasts vault.
She is better when ridden, goes forward off the leg - she just gets silly (plants and spins) when with her bestest friend (who is part Arab so she copies Silver... which leads to chaos).
I tried the firm "No" and sometimes a smack on the shoulder with back of hand, but she doesnt even acknowledge it, i've tried the calm praise way but again she doesn't acknowledge it and the only thing I found that works is either rewarding with carrots (which is making her nip) or letting her eat grass outside while I groom her. Putting saddle on takes 2-3 of us - she is only 12"2!!!
In terms of riding, if she stops I could "kick" her til the cows come home - she isnt scared shes bombproof pretty much, and she doesn't flinch - even with a stick it makes no difference. If I let me reins go (to indicate that I want her to go forwards to make sure Im not giving mixed mesaages) she takes it as an invitation to turn around a head for home. Funnily enough she is fine out by herself once she has left the barn in the direction she wants to go - she is very dependant on the arab so likes to go past her field first). The problem comes if in company I have to get off and lead her (because I wont let her win on naughtyness) because then I can't back on unless the other person gets off. She has had back/feet/teeth checked and before this week (shes not been ridden this week) her sweet itch hasnt flared up as being closely managed - im sure its just naughtyness.
Not sure of the best way to correct behaviour - we dont have asmall paddock/scchool or I would try some of the join up type stuff...
May 2009
I had loads of useful advice from the last thread, and began to question everything that was accepted. Shamefully, I had never done this - I had grown up riding and working at a riding school with very well looked after horses/ponies and everything fitted and worked, and if it didnt, we were rarely there to experience it as vet/saddler etc only came out during the week.
I questioned her saddle, which turned out to be a huge problem. Following advice from here, and finally managing to get a saddler to come and see her, I got her a maxam which resulted in a dramatic change of behaviour in seconds - we put it on her back, took it off and after the first time she realised it wasnt the same as her old one and had no problems putting it on. I could now tack her up with no head collar on and therefore loose in the barn with no problems at all.
June 2009
I had been riding madam, and we had been doing well at weight management (although still overweight). I went away for two weeks, and when I came back, I rode her once. She was unhappy at being tacked up - all be it mildly (swishing tail and glaring at me).
She then cast a shoe. This left her foot sore for two weeks, so she was unridden. She expanded width ways out of the maxam, and I was back to no saddle, so we began the weight crusade.
I had already tried her in the lami field, where she was bullied and got double barrelled while I was trying to get her out of the gate.
So I tried lunging, I eventually realised she would lunge on two lines, but didnt understand one line. Hwoever I couldnt get to grips with holding so much - and with out a whip she just kept dragging me off for grass or standing still and refusing to move! I also had the same problem with long lining - she just stood there and a loooked at me as if to say "what you doing back there?!"
I then invested in a grazing muzzle... which cut her lip. So I couldnt ride, lunge or limit the food intake - I was really stumped.
August/September
The last peroccupied June and July, and before we knew it, it was August. I got offered a job on the basis of clearing security checks - so I asked if I could buy Silver from her previous owner. She said yes, and so she became my baby. She is not my perfect pony - she is complicated, moody, difficult, I have spent most of the past few months with her being unridden and if I was picking and choosing, I would have one more around the 13"2 mark.... but I couldn't not buy her now that I could fund her, we had come to far to throw it away.
And I loved her. That was my biggest problem!
So, I have now bought my baby, and everything seems to be pretty good - she is generally pleasant to be around - not really bad days, just average and good ones. Her sweet itch is really well under control at the moment, with a bite only every few weeks now.
She had learnt that washing her tail is not the end of the world, and now no longer kicks and spins when trying to wash her tail. I was grooming her untied up, rugging her loose, she was occasionally coming to call - I will try and upload the video soon of my favourite day of her coming to call. She was coming out of her shell - she enjoys cuddles, and when I hurt myself in the field and had to sit down she stood and nuzzled me until I got up. She now comes to her door when she hears me in the morning, and grooms me.
We had a professional photo shoot, with some lovely photos IMO! I am going to get one framed and put up at home - she ensured she thoroughly humiliated me though by scarpering off at every opportunity!
I have now bought a Libra Trec/Trail saddle, and am experimenting with this as an option - she was off the saddlers width scale as she has fat pads either side of the withers which makes it difficult to fit when they fill out. I am currently sourcing a haf pad and suitable girth, and will then retry several times to see how she goes in it and if she likes it or not.
She is now out in the lami field as I reintroduced her last week, and seems to be coping although not enjoying it a lot. She was latched onto a nice timid mare in the field, but the last two days she has been in a a STINKING mood ( I got kicked for fastening leg surcingle last night
) so has been lashing out at everyone inc other horses. So... that is us so far!
