Very funny lesson!

[nrgy]

At lessons today - just as we were starting - the wet pony in front of me decided she had an itch that could not wait! With her rider still on - she lay down and began to try to roll over in the dry dirt of the ring. The trainers were yelling "kick her, kick her" but for a novice it was too late. The rider made an easy exit as she lay down. The pony still had the saddle on so attempting to roll out that itch wasn't working for her. Our instructor quickly grabbed the pony - and decided she'd be sympathetic to the pony and let her get her itch out - so she took the saddle off - let the pony have a few rolls in the dry sandy dirt - and start over. The pony I was on - saw what was happening and thought -"hmmmm...if it works for her...." - and as we walked by - he attempted to also go down - but luckily another trainer was already there with an assist and gave his butt a good poke - and off he went. We were in hsyterics! It turned out to be our best lesson ever. Once this mare got out her itch she was happy to oblige and was quicker than I've ever seen her before. Our instructor is truly the boss of her ponies but with such gentleness - and knowing their personalities as she does - really showed today. Probably not a common thing for a pony to do with a rider - but at least now I know - it doesn't have to be a disaster. Fun day!

[maria9657]

I love ponies, even though I am too big to ride them they are often the source of amusement at my weekly lesson.

One of the funniest things I have seen a pony do is scratch her neck like a dog. You know when a dog balances on 3 legs and then scratches at its ear or neck with a hind leg. Well seeing a pony do this with a 6 year old on its back is the funniest thing in the world. Were were trotting around the arena and then we all slowed and eventually stopped because of an equine traffic jam, so we all look ahead and there is little flower scratching her ear with a terrified little boy on her back.


So funny it still comes up in conversation to this day.

[Wobblydeb]

LOL.... I am sitting here giggling my head off. I've seen one or two roll before now, but never one scratching their neck with a rider on board!

nrgy - At my old stables we used to have to watch out for a young friesian starting to paw the sand in the school when you stopped because he thought it looked inviting. It was always stressed that if we couldn't stop him from going down, we had to bail out quickly or end up with half a ton of horse rolling on our leg! :eek:

[nrgy]

Yes, I thought about what if she hadn't gotten her legs out of the stirrups as the mare went down - it all seemed to happen in slow motion....and she was lucky she made an easy exit from the situation. As funny as it was.... it might not have been.

[MelanieD]

My horse can scratch her head with a back leg with me on board! She put her head down and I assumed she was going to scratch her nose on her leg so let her get on with it, but then the back leg came forwards and had a good scratch :D

Even more entertaining is a 16hh big cob trying to do it and farting in rhythm with the scratching :rolleyes: :D

There was one pony that used to roll all the time, her little rider (tiny 7 year old on a 14.2hh arab) had got so used to it she'd mastered jumping off as she went down and jumping back on before she had a chance to get up!

[Laetitia]

My pony used to kneel down in grass reins much to the consternation of his miniscule jockey. L

[shoniedaspony]

hmmm...i used to always be on a lovely 15.1 cob that used to decide to roll everytime you reached the centre of the school, so you used to dread changing diagonals...i alawys used to try and prevent her going down to roll but being a novice rider i was as good as useless...

but my instructor used to shout at me as i leapt off as she started rolling...io did wonder how stupid she thought i was! funniest sight to see all 3 members of staff legging it across the arena waving their arms madly...they never moved so fast!