my 14.2hh pony/horse won't stand still or stop!HELP!

J

jumpingkatey

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my 14.2hh pony/horse won't stand still or stop!HELP!plz post i need your help

:)hi i am new to this site but i really need some help with my pony she won't stand still when i ride her in the field when i ask her to stop.she will happily slow down for gallop/canter/trot to walk but she won't slow to a halt.i really need to as soon she might not even slow down at all.i have tried being gentle and talking to her and i have tried to be firm but neither worked please help?!?!?!
 
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have you considered using a stronger bit until your pony learns that halt means halt and then weaning him/her back onto a gentler bit?

Im sure others will have far better suggestions for you :)

Welcome to NR btw, im Rach and i have a lovely mare called Curly who i have my fair share of problems with but i love her to bits :D
 
my pony isn't fed any hard food whatsoever because she is a very good and she is a 3/4 thoroughbredX1/4 dartmoor.katey(my pony)is in a GP saddle and a running martingale.she is in a single jointed D-ring snaffle which is 1/8 of an inch too big but i have just bought a straight-bar happy mouth snaffle because she has quite a soft mouth.i don't think she likes the single joint but i have tried her in a french link which she just played with it for most of the time but when i tried her her in a staright bar she went well because it was a rubber covered snaffle.i really need to get this sorted out because i am going to take her to do some showjumping this autumn/winter.she isn't a particularly
fizzy mare but she is excitable and sometimes spooky but she is willing at responsive.so please help.
thanx
 
what is she like on the lunge or working freely.Will she stop then.What aids are you using to stop from in the saddle.Are you using your bottom or just your reins.Will she stop from your voice when you ask along with the correct aids.Are her teeth ok? We often use food treats as a reward for horses that don't like to stand still.Just ask your horse to stop and when it does offer a treat from onboard.They pick this up very quickly.
 
i use my seat and my reins.she works nicely on the lunge and stops ok most of the time.i will try that tip about giving her food on board today.
 
Hey, can't help just wanted to say Snap! I'm having this problem too with the mare I ride, she won't stand at all in the field.
 
when you ask her to stop if she wont listen turn her in a sharp circle straight away, then try agen do something to tell her - oi now u will listen to me -

xx:)
 
Bry did this.

When you ask do you actually ask, as in ask for halt and then release.

Normally sitting deep and upright in the saddle and asking with the reins then releasing should have the desired effect.

If this really doesn't work then I would say that eirther her teeth or her saddle are hurting her.

Has she had her wolf teeth out?
 
jumpingkatey said:
she works nicely on the lunge and stops ok most of the time.
Click to expand...

Stops ok most of the time on the lunge is not good enough. In my opinion, you should work her on the ground until she will not only stop immediately when you command, but stop from all gaits and also stand still afterwards until you ask her to go again. You can praise her with petting, and vocal praise, as well as treating. After she catches on doing ground work, then I would try it riding and continue the heavy praise when she stops and stands for you. If she moves when you don't ask her, make her back up.

Have you tried stopping by lifting and pulling only one rein rather than pulling back on two? I have found that a one rein halt works much better for me as it disengages the hindquarters rather than giving the unwilling horse pressure to push through. My horse started by turning his hindquarters to one side when I began using the one rein halt, but now if I just lift one rein with hardly any pressure he stops in place.
 
Our little Ruby doo does this.
she is dead easy to get from canter to trot to walk, in fact because she is soo lazy all you have to do is sit there and think down a pace and she does it. However from walk to halt we have some problems.
Basically in our case its because she's always been allowed to get away with everything and hadn't done much work in her life. She also knows her strength.

In the school we now have no problems, just occasionally on hacks now. What we actually found is that she responded better to headcollar pressure to stop when riding her, which is basically only on one side if used the way we did (she doesn't always when on the ground). So because we don't yet have a bitless bridle we sometimes leave her headcollar underneath the bridle and tie the leadrope round her neck like a neckstrap (but still attached to the heacollar). If you then need to stop just pick up the leadrope and gently pull. In emergencies she will stop moving forwards by turning her in a tight circle but doesn't like the idea of stopping alltogether (she does do it, but crosses her jaw and set her neck first)
 
thanx to everyone for replying i will try all your suggestions and tips.i have tried to turn her on a sharp circle and it works sometimes but she gets very "hot" sometimes and tries to spin round but she doesn't bolt she just freezes on the spot and trembles if she is really really scared.
 
she has her wolf teeth out and her saddle and teeth have been checked by a professional and were given the all clear i think it is just because she has never been taught properly.before i started riding her my mum always hacked her out for 4 years.we have had her for 6 years now.
 
hi i have just ridden with an instructor and found out what i was doing wrong.i was riding using too much hand and not enough leg.in other words i was pulling on the reins whilst pushing with my bum instead of squeezing with my thighs and my bum.i think i still need abit more advice cos this doesn't always work.
 
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