Saw a pony today who behaved perfectly. He was calm, strode out nicely in walk, had a beautiful rhythmic trot a nice uphill canter. He needed quite a bit of leg to get into canter and dropped back into trot within a few strides of me switching off which is what I want for my novice girls. Rode out along a road and he was good in traffic. Owner assures me "you won't find a safer pony". But I felt really uncomfortable on him and I have no idea why. I just felt anxious. And now I am frustrated with myself because I don't understand why.
I get the impression he has been intensively schooled. Dropped into an outline immediately with me making no effort to achieve this. Is stable kept at the moment. He cribs. Maybe he is stressed despite being compliant and I am picking up on that??
Do you trust first impressions or have you found that first impressions have sometimes been dead wrong and a pony/horse has grown on you over time?
I get the impression he has been intensively schooled. Dropped into an outline immediately with me making no effort to achieve this. Is stable kept at the moment. He cribs. Maybe he is stressed despite being compliant and I am picking up on that??
Do you trust first impressions or have you found that first impressions have sometimes been dead wrong and a pony/horse has grown on you over time?