Pony VERY keen to gallop!

[squidsin]

Roxy and I did the South Oxfordshire sponsored ride yesterday - 12 miles over jumps (most of which were pretty big so we just popped a few of the little ones.) It was a gorgeous day, we rode through stunning countryside, and Roxy and I had a brilliant time. The only slight issue - and we have this hacking at home too - is that when Rox is fresh she gets pretty strong and just wants to GO! She has a lovely smooth gallop and I never feel like I am going to come off, but she is easy to start and hard to stop! She will try and race any horse that comes near too. So I generally find I have to hang onto her for about the first 3 or 4 miles until she's a bit tired and more chilled, and THEN we can do jumps and gallops. But the hanging-on hurts my hands and isn't ideal. I had her in Dr Bristol bit this time (I normally ride in a french link snaffle with full cheeks) but it made no difference. I am thinking I'll have to try a gag next time. Unless anyone has any brilliant advice!

 

[KP nut]

No advice but just wanted to say sounds great! Well done!!

 

[squidsin]

Thanks! It was just wonderful - so glad it was yesterday and not today though as it's wet and 'orrible today! Every time me and Rox do something like that, I feel we get closer and to know each other a bit better, which is nice. It feels like she's one of my mates now!

 

[KP nut]

I feel the same about Cally. I am learning more about her all the time. And mainly I am learning that she is just a total sweetie!

 

[newforest]

What are you feeding her on?

 

[squidsin]

Speedibeet, chaff, balancer and handful of pony nuts. It's not the feed though. She's completely calm to ride in the school, or on our own out hacking, or to lead and handle. She just gets really excited out in company at the prospect of galloping and jumping. She's always been like this, it's just now we're doing more stuff where I need a bit more control.

 

[Bodshi]

You know, I'm nearly sure you once said in a post that you weren't bothered about hacking etc, you preferred being in the school ... have I got you mixed up with someone else?

Raf used to love galloping, as soon as his feet hit grass or stubble he'd want to be off and if I let him go I had very little hope of stopping him until we got to the end of the field or wherever we were. It never frightened me, I knew he would stop at the end or when the other horse/s (if we were in company) stopped, but it did niggle me that I had no control.

The answer came when my RI gave me a bit of a bollocking about not doing my homework and told me that if I ever wanted to progress I'd have to practise. So I took Raf out in the stubble and schooled and schooled in canter. At first he was very cross and huffed and bucked because I kept him on a circle and he wasn't able to tank off with me, but gradually things came together and we were able to do nice circles without an issue. And although I'd done it with the intention of being able to canter nice balanced circles, the surprising side effect was that I was able to take him in open spaces and have him canter at the speed I chose. He's good as gold now, even hunting he doesn't pull, although he does 'ask' to go faster and makes the most of it if he's allowed, lol.

However, Raf has never been what I'd call 'strong' - his method of evasion is to stick his head in the air. Horses are all so different aren't they? Possibly this method wouldn't work for Roxy, and someone will come along who knows about bits etc and recommend something more suitable.

Glad you're having fun anyway!

 

[squidsin]

Ha ha - yes at my old yard, I stayed in the school as there wasn't anyone to hack with and we had to go down a horrible fast road to get anywhere. So I moved yards and now we're very happy hackers and I struggle to bother with the school at all!

Raf sounds similar to Rox. If I ask for canter, I'll get gallop (not in the school, only out and about, and only through enthusiasm!) It does mean that on a sponsored ride, if I let her go, we end up about a mile ahead of everyone else, and also I want to do XC with her and she takes any jump as a cue to start galloping afterwards. I can stop her OK but I am not a confident enough rider to do a whole xc course in flat-out gallop! There's a big field with gallops a couple of miles from us. I think I'll take her down there on Saturday and practise cantering nicely up it - NOT charging up as if we were part of the cavalry!