General help needed for stressy fell!

[Kerbeck]

We have owned a lovely fell pony for two yeras, he is now 9. As we were on a farm with no school up until 2 weeks ago he has been on the back burner whilst I concetrated on my other fell and has just been hacking out.

He is a bold boy who loves his work and is a delight on the ground, we have evidence that he did WH, hunted and did flat showing with his previous owners.

But..... He has a horrible mouth! I put this down to him being ridden in a wilkie complete with a tight flash with not so kind hands prior to us having him, he fixes and takes hold of the bit and just hollows, won't soften at all or stretch over his back (so has a really weird choppy stride) , even in walk! Now I have the luxury of both an indoor and outdoor school I have started popping him on the pessoa for 10 minutes just in walk and trot nice and loose asking him to relax and lower, he started off panicking on the right rein and running off head in the air, I have now got him going both ways relatively sweetly, albeit still tense. He isn't fizzy, quite forward but safe but he looks nervous as soon as he goes in the school.

He has his back, teeth and saddle check reguarly so no known physical issues, he does poo alot in the school like he is scared! I am not looking for a quick fix and I am willing to put the time in but from experience, do people think he will come right at his age having obviously been frightened in the past?

He hasn't got much topline (and carries his weight around his middle so he is an odd shape at present) but I know this will come and I am unconcerned of where he has his head I just want him to relax through his back and neck, does anyone have any schooling plans / exercises they could recommend? He is such a lovely boy we would love to get him out to some flat shows and dressage eventually. He is currently ridden in a loose ring bombers happy tongue with cavesson nose band and occasionally a loose ring waterford if he starts leaning excessively with a very soft contact, I am at a loss as to what to start with as even if I give him the rein and ask for him to stretch he just sticks his head up and doesn't bend or soften in to my hand at all. I honestly don't know how someone competed him safely as you have no control when you school him due to him being so stiff and hollow.


Sorry for the essay, any help would be much appreciated! He is so very different to my other pony which has an amazing mouth and is really light to ride.

[bubbles1822]

I have a fell pony similar to what you've described!!! I started with a Wilkie snaffle that had copper rollers set into it so she couldn't lock onto it. Another thing may be to just spend time in the school not working with a head collar and lunge lines and play games with a ball or weave in and out of cones then build up to ridden work slowly.... Or the other thing is May to loose school over a small jump encourages them to used the back/ lengthen the neck!!

I also used the Pessoa to help encourage shape etc. another thing is to just walk out down country lanes if you could use your other pony for confidence this may help...

[09rebel99]

I use to help someone with a tb ex racer that sounds a bit similar.
I use to get on and just walk round with my feet out of the stirrups doing loads of circles and bending in walk. Put cones out and bend in and out and walking over poles etc.
We just took our time and when he started to chill we started working on the trot.
I'm a big believer in very plain bits and (I know I'll get shot down for this) draw reins if used correctly, very loosely just to be used as encouragement not to force the head in.
Good luck.

[honeypot]

From your description I thought he sounded like a pony that had already had draw reins and his head forced down and the only way for him to get away from it is to lock his jaw and block with his neck.
I would go back to hacking out and schooling on the hack with little contact, leg yield, turn on the forehand etc so he gets used to you using your seat and back and leave the front end alone until you have really clicked with him. Find a corner in field and do a couple of circles and move on. He sounds as if he has a very sensitive mouth like a TB so just resistance in your shoulders and arms may be enough and as soon as he shows any sign of understanding give straight away. Walk and halt are two under estimated paces, when you can stop a pony on any spot you choose just by stiffening your back and using your seat then go on to the next pace. Once he gets it and trusts that you are not going to hurt him, you can perhaps try pushing more into the bridle.

[mandmgirl0164]

Well said honeypot re walk/halt being underestimated! If a pony doesn't understand what you are wanting in walk, it has no chance of giving it to you in trot or canter. Walk, walk, walk and more walk until he can use his back and neck muscles correctly and without resistance in walk, in a snaffle. The neck is meant to move out of the shoulder, and therefore the head also moves forward, not fixed with face behind vertical.

[sarahp]

I have in the past turned an upside down WB the right way up, so to speak. As far as I can remember I did a lot on the lunge trying to build up the correct topline muscles before I did much from on top - this one had had a long standing shoulder problem solved by physio work. But he had to go correctly on the lunge of course, so you could see the neck and back muscles actually doing their stuff. Pessoas weren't invented then, or at least not in this country, and as fr as I can remember I used a loose bungee over the top of the head, through the bit rings and between the front legs to the girth, the idea being that he could put his head down and forward as much as he liked with it coming into effect at all, but if he drew it up and back then it cause light pressure on the poll - NOT the bit. I don't like using gadgets of any sort, but if they are already made with upside down muscles, so to speak, it's very difficult to turn them around without something to show them what you want. And lots of praise for the slightest move in the way you want.

I always did lots of schooling while hacking - to the pony you are teaching it whenever you're working with it, both on the ground or on top. And when riding, apart from all the useful stuff in the three posts above (although for me not draw reins) if you get the slightest softening when you ask him to come onto a proper contact react instantly by softening your hands in return. Ask for just a few steps in an outline to start with, and then allow him to stretch forward again, praising.

It can be done but takes time, tact and patience!

[Kerbeck]

Thanks for all the comments, I definitely don't want to put him in a wilkie as I feel that has caused some of the issues in the first place. I have used draw reins on another pony in the past and I do think they have their place but again not keen with him as I don't want him to feel restricted at all.

He is still predominently hacking and I can stop him with my seat alone in that situation, he is nice and relaxed out hacking and will stretch down and take a contact, it's like when he has to go on a circle or be 'schooled' he just tenses right up and even just asking for a couple of walk strides where he softens between hand and leg seems impossible as he just wants to fight with me. I do a lot of schooling out hacking and he will leg yield flex etc happily but that doesn't help us if we want to compete him eventually as I know he would switch back at a competition, otherwise I would just school out hacking. I know it is going to be a long process but I'm sure he will be worth it, just hate the though of him being stressed.

[bubbles1822]

How about turning him out to play in the school with your other pony? He then may stop stressing about the confined space... Does he tense up if schooling in the field?

[Kerbeck]

He will happily be turned out in there and it doesn't matter if I put him in the indoor, outdoor or the field or ride him with another pony he is still the same