The Daisy Rein

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ellietracey
Apr 28, 2000
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pony keeps putting her head down

HELP my daughter's pony keeps putting her head down when she ride's her and up setting my daughter she as had her teeth done and back looked at hope any one can help
 
Can you elaborate???? When does this happen, how far down? To the ground????? how long have you had the pony? Is this a new problem??????? What is the pony's history, i.e. what has she been used for up til this point?
Please post more info re, your pony,
Thanks!!!
 
I also had this problem yesterday when trying to get Ronè to canter on the right leg. When she struck off on the wrong leg, I would quite strongly pull her up and start again-I never jagged her mouth but I suppose she was afraid of me doing it. She put her head right down to the ground- i was using a snaffle bit with a rather tight flash noseband, otherwise she evades the bit. Anyone else have any suggestions as to this behaviour???:( :eek:
 
IF she's just being a cheeky little pony and knows that once her head is down, your daughter cant get it back up again; I would suggest either grass reins or a daisy rain
 
I've seen SO many RS ponies do this, mainly because they can!! (and often because it does a very good job of getting rid of the rider-I speak from experience). If you are sure there is not a pain issue (back, teeth etc.) it could just be naugtiness, especially if she can feel it unsettles your daughter.
Is your daughter the only person to ride the pony-could someone else that could school her for a bit so that she doesn't feel she can get away with it and perhaps teach her a few manners?
Vicki xx
 
putting head down

Hi all
I have had this pony for two years and she as always done it i have grass reins on but when she then puts her head down she moves the saddle with her. Her tack, teeth and back are all fine and been checked and when my other daughter rides her she does it but when i get on her she does not do it, maybe i ride diffrent to them :(, when i first got her she did it really bad but put it down to been under wieght and had her teeth done, she was not so bad in the summer month's she as put on loads of wieght and teeth redone last month and now she started doing it really bad again, she is a ride and drive pony i only know a little history of her past, my daughter gets her head back up no problem, not doing it for grass as does it on roads too, :(
 
AArrrghhh - nightmare - I will watch this thread with interest.

My 6yo daughters pony does the same!

She is fine all over back teeth - adorable little pony - tries it when an adult rides then gives up as they she soon learns they can hold her and push her on.

It is a trait described by her previous owner as 'shakes her head'. Seemingly put previous owners daughter off. I wondered what she meant till we had her 4wks and started doing more work with her and i see it as a 'I have had enough - now time to upset small child trick!'

Fortunately my daughter is a determined little rider but soes get upset on occasions. She has been unseatd a couple of times also.

I tried grass reins and daisy rein, both pulled the saddle forward. I don't have a d-ring for a crupper on her saddle.

I use side reins and limpet pad - reins slack enough not to interfere except when she snatches at the bit. There are not in use till she starts snatching - then they are put on for 5 mins - and then taken off. This seems to work and it is the only solution I have found for her.

Hopefully as my daughter gets stronger we will no longer need them, but she is very little for her age.

The one thing it has taught my daughter is to keep her heels down as she has been pulled out the saddle.

I also tell her to let one rein go and pull on the other to get her head up and use her 'angry'(a loud get on!)voice.

Before she was holding on to both reins for pure life and going withthe pony - she just doesn't have the strength.

Good luck - hope you find something that works - our is a smart little pony and doesn't take long to suss out the rider fortunately this is her only downside -touch wood- It could be much worst!
 
My guess is that the first time the pony did it, your daughter let her because she either didn't know what to do, thought it was no big deal, the pony needed to stretch, etc. It doesn't really matter-- she's just a kid and shouldn't be expected to understand horse psychology. But, now that the problem has arisen, you can take the opportunity to teach her a lesson about good horsemanship.

Explain to your daughter that she should do her best not to let the horse drop his head. Show her how low the pony should be allowed to drop his head, and if he lowers it an inch, she should lift his head back up (show her and explain to her how to do this). However, if the pony's been allowed to get away with this for too long, he'll be bound and determined to get his head down-- and your daughter most likely won't have the strength to keep him doing that. So... I would recommend in trying an overcheck-- basically the same as daisy reins-- I just happen to like overchecks better. :p

Stephanie Bay's advice is quite good-- teach your daughter good positioning for general riding, and good positioning for a troublesome moment (yes, there's a big difference between a proper seat and your "I'm NOT moving!" seat, and most definitely a time and place for each), as well as how to correct her pony when he drops his head.

He's most likely picked that trick up trying to reach some grass, and then realized that if he did it quickly and pulled hard enough, he could either yank the reins out of the rider's hands or simply pull them off balance. Horses in general, but especially ponies, can be lazy, and all but the most well-trained and well-mannered are likely to take advantage of an innocent, unsuspecting passenger. At my barn, we call horses who've been allowed to have their way "kid spoiled--" they've learned to walk all over their handlers, just because their handlers were too small, too young, too un-authoritative (yes... horses like authority-- they like the security of knowing you "know everything"-- :p ), too uneducated, unsuspecting, and unsupervised. We've got a couple horses who are the most excellent, sweet, willing horses-- but you can't sit up there like a tourist or else they slip back into their kid-spoiled ways.

Nip it in the bud now, so your daughter can once again ride without worrying about her pony's behavior and training.
 
my hunter pony does that when my 6 yo friend gets on her (Georgia) she has only just started doing it though she only does it though when Georgia rides her before she has her tea i think she just does it beacause she is rushing back for her tea. :rolleyes:
 
Hiya

Yes our pony does this also, but more of a shake than a pull, we were just started to try rectifying this but audrey is out of action with an injury at the mo - am hoping she might of forgotten it when she is better;)

We did all the usual teeth, back, tack checks and eventually realized it was an evasion thing.

We are now back at a Riding school for a while and all the little ponies wear daisy reins to stop this happening.

Will keep an eye on this thread, let us know if you improve it at all.
 
If the pony is sound, which it is by the sounds of it, and it's just pure cheekiness - opt for a daisy rein. I'm not for gadgets, but for small children on cheeky ponies, these are very useful. Pony learns not to do it, daughter doesn't get arms yanked out. Murphy used to do it when we first got him, and I used one for a week, and have never used it since (and I was 15 then - not exactly a small child). It sorted him out straight away.
 
hiya

Hi all
I have used daisyrein and i am at the min's using grassreins which go from saddle over poll to the bit, megan is 100% in every way but just doing this thing with her head :( Did not think that so many ponys did the same as megan:(
 
Yeah, although its not much consellation I guess. I stll remember sumersaulting down a ponies neck as a 5 year old, and watching a grumpy little shetty x snap several pieces of bailing twine made into make-shift daisyreins.
I really would suggest getting someone bigger on her for a bit if you can. If she can feel the weight shift (even a bit) when she pulls your daughter she'll keep at it, having someone sit it out, just for a while, might put her off a bit.
Vicki xx
 
pony's

Hi
I have rode megan a few time's and she does not do it with me might be because i am heavyer then my daughters, but after a week she is back doing it again when my daughter's get back on :( i think she is doing it to get out of work lol ( thats what pony's are good at):confused:
 
sorry

hi sorry i have tryed that too did not like it been pulled on her tail but it did not stop her putting her head down guess we can live with it as she is very good in every thing else 100% in the heavyest of traffic and any one can mess with her i suppose she as to have one fault
 
They do know who is riding them and who to try it on with - we have been through this with every rider on our 11.2 - and as she is 18 now that a few riders.
If grass or daisy reins pull the saddle forward - then go for the side rein option.
To help the rider put a knot in the reins and she can hold onto reins with one hand and front of the saddle with the other when the pony has its head down- but the little riders don't have the strength or quickness to react to this to stop it

As you have guessed they do it to get out of work - aren't ponies fun.

Lateral thinking answer would be to train the pony to go on a western loose rein -but probably not a good idea on busy roads!
 
daisy rein

My mother developed the Daisy rein after the pony we had (named Daisy) kept putting her head down whenever she went into a canter, or saw enough grass that she wanted, therefore putting agony on my 8 year old brothers hands. we tried side reins, but she threw a strop, pounding her hooves in the ground. the daisy rein was made so that when the pony or horse puts his/her head down, the rein pulled the bit up in the mouth from the D rings on the saddle, making them think it was the child pulling. it was so effective that we sold it to shires equestrian after being noticed at a horseshow and has been distributed worldwide. we have used it on all of our ponies and horses throught training, and sometimes we still use them now if we are out with unfamiliar ponies and they want to show off!

if you would like any more information on the daisy rein, please do not hesitate to ask.
 
My mother developed the Daisy rein after the pony we had (named Daisy) kept putting her head down whenever she went into a canter, or saw enough grass that she wanted, therefore putting agony on my 8 year old brothers hands. we tried side reins, but she threw a strop, pounding her hooves in the ground. the daisy rein was made so that when the pony or horse puts his/her head down, the rein pulled the bit up in the mouth from the D rings on the saddle, making them think it was the child pulling. it was so effective that we sold it to shires equestrian after being noticed at a horseshow and has been distributed worldwide. we have used it on all of our ponies and horses throught training, and sometimes we still use them now if we are out with unfamiliar ponies and they want to show off!

if you would like any more information on the daisy rein, please do not hesitate to ask.
 
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