Help rider nerves/riding make horse bronk

[Em5]

Have you tried lunging pony with just his saddle on but with the stirrups down? Try to desensitize him and put your daughter on a safe horse with no stirrups on the lunge to try and improve her balance.

I would also try a different instructor, one who is firm, but rewards as well. Sometimes children know that they can get away with not doing things with some instructors, they need an instructor that they both trust and want to please

[Louise Dixon]

I would also try a different instructor (by recommendaqtion etc., who is used to children and enjoys teaching nervous riders) - not saying there is anything wrong with the instructor you have, but she might just click with a different one and get things sorted.

I think the fact that she is screaming does show she she is really quite nervous, and as the pony doesn't do this with more experienced riders he is too, so I wouldn't go down the route of the daisy rein probably.

I think the ideal solution, although I am well aware this might not be possible financially/logistically would be to find something else for your daughter to ride to do whatever fun stuff she wants to do, and try to find an experienced sharer for your section c, so your daughter can continue to ride him too, but just very slowly and gently, and when she is looking like she is ready to canter him again, do it in a much more relaxed way i.e. following another pony going uphill on a hack or similar, so she doesn't have to ask him, it just happens, and continue like that until she has in her head that going into canter on him is OK, before giving her a situation where she has to actually ask for canter, if that makes sense.

Good luck, you sound like a lovely and caring parent, I'm sure you'll sort it out.

[honeypot]

My youngest daughter rode from the age of four and was very confident until the age of seven when she fell off out old first pony and broke her arm twice, the second time she had to have two operations and after that she was very nervous. She continued to ride but had the loudest scream in pony club as every time a pony did anything out of the way you could hear her two fields away.
Having been through this, ditch the pony, find one she has confidence with and get that one. We were very lucky that she still wanted to ride and we found her a 14.2 saint who ignored her screams and she rode him from the age of 9 to 14. She showed him, did dressage and even hunted him because she had complete confidence in him. If you read Mary Wanless, crouching forward is a fear response and is instinctive and that why its so hard to stop, so before you do anything you have to get rid of the fear, its hard enough for an adult to be self aware so a child has little chance.
You have my sympathy as we went through many tantrums, Rowdy is now twenty eight and has taught many children to ride and every time I look at him I think he was the best £2000 I ever spent.

[sarahp]

We had a 12.2 that bucked daughter off on purpose because he learned he could - fine when bought until I had him physio treated and he obviously felt better..... She sat exactly like that, and I go rid of the bucking pony, found a most wonderful replacement in which she had total confidence and she never looked back. I understand about not selling ponies but which is more important, child or pony?

Schoolingwise how about lunge lessons with no stirrups and a neckstrap? And the phrase that helped me most with canter transitions is to think LIFT into canter, I tended to worry about the trans as I found them difficult to ride and then lean forward.

[chalky284]

I have to agree with the above 2 posts. The pony needs to go! Loan him if you won't sell but you need to get your daughter a pony she feels confident on as that is the only way she will get her confidence back

[lulah]

Sorry I have to agree. they don't sound like an ideal match.

Not only will your daughter's confidence be ruined but so will your ponies - and it sounds like you have done so well bringing him up. He may get into a habit of Bronking with anyone.

I would find another rock steady
confidence giver for your daughter and have some good lessons. Maybe get involved with the pony club .
And find a good confident rider for the pony in question if you don't want to sell.
Then maybe in a year's time progress slowing back on to him with good instructor and see how it
goes.
I don't think ear plugs, calmers or trying to desensitize him to rider faults should be nessacery.

Good luck

[Jessica]

If he is very sensitive to noise then it could be worth your experienced rider riding him with music playing in their pocket to try and desensitize him.