Got Some Issue's...

[littleangel]

Hello, I have got a beautiful Shetland x Dartmoor, 10hh pony called Skewi. He is very strong considering, he is only 10h, his strength is hacking and he is fairly good for riding in the field (schooling) He naps towards the gate (Me and my mum have worked on doing small circles in view of the gate without him napping and it has worked so far, but when I go around the perimeter he seems to be napping towards it again! ) When I pull him back he just trot's really fast with his head up in the air and even though the fence is up, he runs through it and it really hurts me! Me and my mum were out on a hack 1 year ago, I think it was now, and she was walking along side... But Skewi slowed his paces down and my mum went on ahead, so Skewi took the chance to spin round and canter back along the road with me still on him and go back to his stable, all is well that he went to the stable but it was still very, very naughty of him... Even though he seems like a little devil, I have had him since I was 7 and I love him, he is actuallly very good for his breed that some of the Shetland's x Dartmoor's that I have seen... I got the name littleangel because of Skewi... He is an amazing lead-rein pony and you could easily bong a 6 year old on him, with somebody leading and be as safe as you would be, sleeping in your own bed. He is a talented little show-jumper, but of course I don't jump him much due to the fact he naps and I get hurt... On lead-rein, no problem as I said before, I lunged him over a jump around 60 - 80cm's he cleared it but needed a bit of encourage-ment... Please can you help me with getting him under control...

Maybe, suggest some tips and ideas that might work.... I'll be very, very grateful..

I just want to make it clear that I am NOT selling him, and I will probably never sell him anyway. He is such a sweet heart! Love you Skewi xx

[snowflake]

Lessons! They will improve your riding too which will help you to be able to deal with your cheeky little pony! ;D Also try getting an instructor who comes to you, as he may behave somewhere else.

[nia2311]

Firmness and consistency too. If he turns around, make him turn back and keep doing it until he understands you make the decisions. If you give up and let him go back into his stable, he has "won". I agree with Snowflake to get an instructor to help you work through his napping

[sageandonion]

Skewi sounds a proper little character and you of course love him to bits, lucky boy. Sometimes we let them get away with things on the ground as well as riding without thinking especially when they are small so then under saddle they can have a bit of misplaced air of authority.

If you can afford, have lessons and/or join the pony club/riding club.

On the ground be very firm with Skewi, never let him pull you, he must always step back when you open the stable door and you can do some groundwork training in obedience in hand and on the lunge which will be interesting for you both.

[littleangel]

Thank you, everbody... sageandonion, thank you so much for your help... He is 4 out of 5 stars on his lungeing, and 3 out of 5 stars in hand... Thank you for the tip's...