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Post by nia2311 on Dec 5, 2012 18:38:36 GMT
It would put me off, yes, if I wanted a pony that my child could do on their own. I suppose it depends on age/height/capability of your son, but I would want a pony to be compliant being tacked up by a child at trial. Its a shame if it is ideal in all other ways. Maybe others with disagree with me!
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Post by nia2311 on Dec 5, 2012 18:45:44 GMT
I understand, its very hard to find a suitable pony! I would question why he is head shy when having his bridle on? Has he had a bad experience in the past? Is he in pain? What is the source of the pain? I suppose a vetting may answer those questions, and may raise any other potential issues that would rule the pony in or out?
For me, being able to be safely tacked up by its rider is important and would be a deal breaker for me.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2012 19:01:36 GMT
He has maybe just had a bad experiance with the bit/bridle. I would 5* vet check just to enusre. But if he ticks all the boxes then personally I would be willing to work with him and get him over it  |
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Post by Guestless on Dec 5, 2012 19:21:11 GMT
I have bought one who was bad to get a bridle on and she is MUCH better now although she did put us through the mill. Different situation when there is a child involved though - do you know WHY this pony is bad? If there is something you can work through, then I would probably go for it if the pony ticks all the other boxes and the child wouldn't be too upset at not being able to tack up on their own.
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Post by gillwales on Dec 5, 2012 19:23:42 GMT
no I would not buy this pony as it is very easy to be injured by a pony throwing it's head around, I would also imagine it will be difficult to catch without a headcollar left on.
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Post by clueless on Dec 5, 2012 20:25:06 GMT
my 14hh pony when i was a child was a nightmare to get a bridle on... I was really small for my age so used to undo the cheek piece and browband and slide it on when my mum was about I had the pony for years he was a mega star........ other than the bridle thing he was faultless... he just hated having his ears touched. im glad it didnt put my mum off!
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zoejo
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Post by zoejo on Dec 5, 2012 21:20:33 GMT
Yes i would buy. Our pony was difficult to put a bridle on and has improved. He was never a problem to catch just didnt like his bridle pulled over his ears.
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Post by nia2311 on Dec 5, 2012 21:22:35 GMT
Have you assessed how the pony is with your son on the ground, other that putting the bridle on?? The head shy-ness may be indicative of more general handling problems for a child.
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Post by lulah on Dec 6, 2012 12:13:28 GMT
it would personally put me off yes. i agree with nia, the headshyness might also pose other problems. I remember my first pony when i was 7yrs old used to bite when doing up the girth , it terrified me !
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sarahp
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Post by sarahp on Dec 6, 2012 12:42:24 GMT
Is any pony absolutely perfect? We had the most wonderful Welsh B with one fault - at some stage someone had obviously made a habit of turning him out by taking off the headcoller and chasing him away......so he would tense right up, wait for it to come off and then chuck his head and flee. I didn't let daughter (9yo when we had him) turn him out, and he nearly broke my finger once but we wouldn't have passed him over for anything, he was the most fantastic pony and a total saint in every other way. Purely a man made problem, why do people do it?
If this one is OK with headcoller and to take the bridle off would clueless' way work for him?
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Post by nia2311 on Dec 6, 2012 14:40:27 GMT
If possible, see how he is with your son, but without the current owner involved/in view. You will then see the true behaviour, if that makes sense?
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sarahp
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Post by sarahp on Dec 6, 2012 17:41:43 GMT
Most importantly too - how is your son about the pony? Children often have a feel about what pony they will get on with - obviously you wouldn't OK anything that wasn't suitable but if they fall for a suitable pony with a small quibble they will be more able to deal with its idiosyncrasies.
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Post by catkin on Dec 6, 2012 18:14:28 GMT
One of the best ponies we ever had (a welsh mountain pony) was extremely headshy when we first had him. He was about six years old and he'd been tacked and untacked up too much (as a young pony) by small children who yanked the bit out of this mouth. But, he was known to us and was a saint in every other way. I hunted him twice a week from the age of five, did all PC stuff, rode him side saddle in displays.. you name it, he did it. Anyway, back to the point, he did eventually come round with the bridle problem and I think my mother made sure that either she carefuly tacked him up or we were very closely supervised. The point of this example being that the pony was so good in every other way, my mother decided that she would work around his problem and anyway, he came right in the end through careful handling. And yes, SarahP, we all so adored him, we would have forgiven him even if he hadn't improved!
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Post by sjw87 on Dec 6, 2012 20:32:42 GMT
I have an 18yo gelding who I've had for 10 years. He is ear shy rather than head shy and was very difficult to headcollar or bridle when I first met him.
It took careful work to begin with but I don't even think about it now and haven't done for years.
With my boy, it's ticklish ears that do it - if I keep his ears trimmed out he's so much better but of course trimming them is a chore as he's not over enthused.
It can be caused by something as simple as teeth needing doing or pony not too keen on the choice of bit.
All ponies have quirks of some kind and if this one is good to handle in all other ways for your son then I'd definitely consider it.
Sent from my ST18i using proboards
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dippymare
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Post by dippymare on Dec 7, 2012 12:49:59 GMT
My girl was terrible to be tacked up and rugged when I got her a year past may. She is still a bit headshy when go to catch her or give her a cuddle, and still jumps around a bit to be rugged and girthed up.
She came from a riding school and I think she has either been handled roughly or too quickly over a period of time and she is afraid of it. I started by just putting her saddle pad on her back while I fed her or mucked her out then removed it once done and put honey on a snaffle bit on a headpiece to let her mouth the bit and she soon began to look for the bit when I went in. Now she doesnt mind having her bridle on and will stand to have her saddle placed on her back, but I have to be slow and carefull to girth her up but she just winches now if I do overdo it rather than savage me with teeth. Rugging on the other hand is still testing, I cant pull her rug to straighten it, or lay it on her back like I do the others (she'd freak and id be dead) I have to fold it all back and place it on her withers then roll it over her back then be quick to strap her in or its on the floor again. and teeth snapping at me in disapproval.
She doesnt mean any nasty naughty behaviour, I know its because she has had a really bad experience with it sometime before i got her. Had her 5 star vetted and nothing unusual and had her teeth done twice in the last year iv had her and back checked when fitted with new saddle, no physical problems at all just learned its painfull. In every other way she is a dream and I trust her with my life and my foster kids. I have no regrets about buying her and love her to bits. It takes time patients and repeating to get them to come good but it work and my girl has improved no end in the time iv had her. If the pony is everything you want and he is vetted with clean bill, I would go for it as the time you and your child spends with the pony correcting this, builds a strong bond and trust between you all. Good luck with what ever you decide to do. x
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Post by farrellperdi on Dec 7, 2012 13:20:36 GMT
When I first had my tb x he was a nightmare to put his bridle on, but he was everything I wanted, so I had him, the physo said it was an old injury causing the problem we was patient with him an in the end he was a dream.
However we found out th real cause of the problem last year, he had kissing spine! Really badly aswel.
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sarahp
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Post by sarahp on Dec 7, 2012 14:41:59 GMT
I would mention it to the vet - I was given a little mare some years ago who had only ever sat in a field, never been broken or shown or had a foal, who was very ear shy, and oddly developed along the topline too. I took her to the physio and she turned out to have poll damage which had referred down her back, physio sorted her out and she was fine.
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Post by rightrein92 on Dec 7, 2012 15:42:56 GMT
I know it's not the same but my mare always without fail every time I do the girth up turns her head and try's to nip me she doesn't mean it nastily and she did it before she came to us fully vet checked and teeth and back done regularly its just something she does I don't even think about it anymore just make sure I stand and do the girth up to the right of the saddle she's worth her weight in gold otherwise so I don't let a quirk affect my judgement of her x
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baggygirl
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King Brian Boru :D
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Post by baggygirl on Dec 8, 2012 17:45:15 GMT
My mare would be nipppy when doing her girth or rugs up, and can be difficult to catch and she been a total angel with us, we had plenty of horses and ponies who were headshy/earshy (they were from ireland) but has got better with patience and trust. Make sure you keep praising him when he does something good
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Post by mady on Dec 8, 2012 21:00:03 GMT
we bought a 3yo once which proved to be very difficult to bridle once we started to break him. we has to piece every bit on his head but eventually he did start to approve and was ok but it took a while.
Since he has qualified for hoys
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Post by 09rebel99 on Dec 9, 2012 19:36:26 GMT
Aslong as you and your son are both happy thats all that matters!! Good luck with your new pony and let us all know how you get on :-)
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Post by nia2311 on Dec 9, 2012 19:37:28 GMT
Glad you are happy and hope everything goes smoothly with the new pony! You'll have to post some pics of the new team!
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Post by sjw87 on Dec 9, 2012 21:04:09 GMT
Fantastic news, all the best with your new equine addition!
Sent from my ST18i using proboards
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Post by bow1607 on May 12, 2013 15:55:07 GMT
That's fantastic news! well done for taking the time with him and working around his quirk!
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Post by mara on May 12, 2013 21:39:53 GMT
fab news - we've got one that's very sensitive - all over & would raise a leg to his stomach when girthed up & be awful to bridle when we first bought him - I took the decision that as the adult I would be the one to tack up & because he hasn't got a child smacking him in the teeth when he's being bridled/unbridled etc he has improved beyond all recognition - we no longer have the head up in the air & shooting backwards!
He can still raise a leg if I'm not careful about girthing him up but he doesn't do it very often now so it's been worth the 6 months of being very gentle when doing things with him.
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Post by Guestless on May 13, 2013 8:29:09 GMT
Lovely update. As sarahp wisely said, the perfect pony doesn't exist and with a bit of patience and understanding, you can get over some issues. It would have been a different matter if you were saying something else, eg pony had no brakes, but this one sounds as if he was well worth the risk. I hope he rewards you by being a faithful friend to your son. |
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Post by angelena on May 13, 2013 19:20:01 GMT
What a lovely outcome. So glad to hear you mastered him. I had a mare same due to having her wolf teeth out but after months of patience she was perfect. Well done you |
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Post by mara on May 17, 2013 18:32:41 GMT
And that photo entirely justifies you taking the 'risk' and your hard work - cracking |
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Post by gillwales on May 17, 2013 20:27:51 GMT
If you want to get him used to being plaited then start lower down his neck, I knew one youngster that had been an orphan and was extremely headshy after having the skin over his ears. Make certain you stand on a box so that you are not reaching up to plait him
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Post by gillwales on May 17, 2013 20:35:02 GMT
well done you, I used to hold this other youngster and bore him to sleep talking to him, maybe I should make a cd |
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