So I bought my new pony four months ago and I have fallen off nine times not broken any bones. Things are starting to go backwards. We only have an outdoor school where we keep her and she stands square not wanting to go in every single time. When I get into the school and ride her for a lesson my legs she ignores and my instructor says use the whip and she cow kicks every time ears back. I don’t like whipping her but my legs are probably not strong enough. When my instructor gets on her she said she is the easiest pony to ride she has been riding for 30 years. Previously she was owned by a teenage girl and a younger girl went to pony club jumping et cetera. I took her to show jumping and dressage I am an older rider and I have fallen off in total nine times. I am losing confidence fast and I now do not look forward to riding her at all. She always spooks at one end of the school where the hedge blows and the dark corner where the apple tree is and this really again knocks my confidence. In the school she bolted away from a deer she saw and planted me on the floor. I am having two lessons a week for two hours and I don’t feel we are bonding or improving. I don’t know what to do with her in the school and when I take her in there she is reluctant to do anything. We can only go out walking on hacks as the ground is too hard. She doesn’t have any back issues or health issues as my instructor rides her At the beginning of the lesson to wake her up. What am I going to do I feel I’m at a crossroads. We only have an outdoor school. She loves jumping BS points. She is 14x
New pony owned four months going backwards
- Thread starter NewForestCrossNewbie
- Start date
Just because your instructor rides her it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have any pain issues which might explain her behaviour. Did you get her fully vetted? If not, I would get a vet to give her the once over. Is her saddle professionally fitted and are her teeth up to date? Does she have regular physio?
Assuming all is OK, I am not sure how helpful it is for your instructor to get on and ‘wake her up’ for you. She will go from having an assertive and confident rider at the start, and then you get on who is less confident and skilled (I don’t mean that unkindly) and the pony is probably confused as to what is going on. A good instructor will teach you together as a partnership.
Assuming all is OK, I am not sure how helpful it is for your instructor to get on and ‘wake her up’ for you. She will go from having an assertive and confident rider at the start, and then you get on who is less confident and skilled (I don’t mean that unkindly) and the pony is probably confused as to what is going on. A good instructor will teach you together as a partnership.
I agree with everything @Mary Poppins has said - thanks for saving me the typing! I'd also strongly advise getting some lessons with a different instructor because this one doesn't seem to be working for you. I may be misunderstanding but are you saying each lesson is 2 hours? If so that's too long and may well be why she's reluctant to go in the school. I know the ground is hard but get her out on some hacks, I wouldn't canter on the hard but a sensible trot is fine and getting out and about will give her an interest in life.
I would echo above and add in some lunge lessons without stirrups.
If you have come of that many times, it sounds like your balance is need of some work.
Hacking out in walk and trot is fine. You don't sound ready to be at competitions yet.
Give yourself time.
If you have come of that many times, it sounds like your balance is need of some work.
Hacking out in walk and trot is fine. You don't sound ready to be at competitions yet.
Give yourself time.
She had a full 5 stage vetting. She had a saddle fitted 4 months ago I’m having it checked again in 4 weeks. Teeth up to date.
The lessons are no longer than 50/60 mins 2 hrs I would be 6 stone!!!!! We do go out hacking and she’s fine hacking.
I am still a novice not denying this the competitions were only a change of scene and low level. I do need to work on my seat, balance and keeping my hands down and quiet. So I definitely need to improve. I will suggest the lunge and no stirrups tomorrow thank you
So for now stop the lessons and go out hacking. Focus on getting her forward and responsive on hacks and have some fun together. Maybe you've been trying to hard and making her sour, take the pressure off, build a partnership and remember it's meant to be fun.
Yep agree with everything said, I’d probably be trying to bring that saddle check forwards too, a lot can change in 4 months with a new owner and work routine.
If she is fine hacking and you are confident hacking her out, I would ditch the school for a while and get to know each other on hacks. Just walk when the hour is hard, but in a few weeks it will soften as we come out of summer. I would then return to the school very gradually, starting with 5 minutes at the end or beginning of a hack. Build up the school work slowly and try and make it fun for both of you. Building a partnership with a new horse takes time and patience. Taking things slowly now will pay off in the long run. Two hour long lessons a week puts lots of pressure on both of you and just doesn’t sound like much fun to me. If you still want lessons, can your instructor take you out for an instructional hack? I would certainly stop her riding your horse though, it doesn’t sound like it is helping you.
For a horse, being in the school is like a human going to the gym. Our RI always said that 45 minutes was max in the school.
Falling off 9 times is way out of order and a safety risk.
Can you analise the cause of those falls? Were they all spooks?
Have you read anything or had any advice on helping train a horse not to spook?
There is a book by Michael Peace The 100% Horse and another excellent approach by an American police rider.
I have just found the details
Rick Pelicano, Bombproof Your Horse: Teach Your Horse to Be Confident, Obedient and Safe No Matter What You Encounter.
One thing I have noticed over the years is that, where horses are concerned, one should always feel that one is in control (and not the horse). So do something. If you are repeatedly falling off, get better control of the horse through ground work. And when riding, think about head height. Head height is a major factor in spooks. That is because of the way the horse's eye focuses. With the head down, they get a closer focus, as for grazing. With the head raised they can focus on the horizon and are more likely to spook.
I am riding a horse that is known to nap. One solution I found on line involved work with the horse inside the stable box, before even leading the horse out into the yard. I tried this and it certainly made the mare behave better when being groomed and tacked up.
But it has been hard for me to take absolute control because I was always taught that relaxing the horse is the major task in riding. When you have a problem, as you have, it really means re thinking things and doing things differently. Otherwise things will continue as before and you will continue to fall off.
Falling off 9 times is way out of order and a safety risk.
Can you analise the cause of those falls? Were they all spooks?
Have you read anything or had any advice on helping train a horse not to spook?
There is a book by Michael Peace The 100% Horse and another excellent approach by an American police rider.
I have just found the details
Rick Pelicano, Bombproof Your Horse: Teach Your Horse to Be Confident, Obedient and Safe No Matter What You Encounter.
One thing I have noticed over the years is that, where horses are concerned, one should always feel that one is in control (and not the horse). So do something. If you are repeatedly falling off, get better control of the horse through ground work. And when riding, think about head height. Head height is a major factor in spooks. That is because of the way the horse's eye focuses. With the head down, they get a closer focus, as for grazing. With the head raised they can focus on the horizon and are more likely to spook.
I am riding a horse that is known to nap. One solution I found on line involved work with the horse inside the stable box, before even leading the horse out into the yard. I tried this and it certainly made the mare behave better when being groomed and tacked up.
But it has been hard for me to take absolute control because I was always taught that relaxing the horse is the major task in riding. When you have a problem, as you have, it really means re thinking things and doing things differently. Otherwise things will continue as before and you will continue to fall off.
Some good suggestions in the responses above. When I’ve been in a similar situation I have set myself a time limit - if I‘ve tried everything possible and things are no different, or worse and I’m not enjoying it, in x months, then maybe time to think of an exit strategy. Sometimes horses and riders are not compatible, not unlike a a human relationship, sometimes despite the best will in the world, things just don’t work out. Wish you all the best with whatever you decide. These situations are never easy.
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