Novice Pony with issues

[frankyboy]

Looking for advice on how to calm novice pony from not loading ,spooking in show ring ,scared of putting saddle on and in general terrified of everything .
Riding him with a simple snaffle but need something just a bit stronger . Judges have gave me really positive comments but he has so many issues, Advice would be appreciated ,


Thanks

[gillwales]

tbh it sounds like he is not ready for shows yet. Practice loading and all of the other things until he is not scared of his own shadow. I'm not certain that a stronger bit is going to overcome his issues, in fact it could well add to the problems

[sageandonionagain]

Oh dear frankyboy your pony is not ready for shows, you will completely terrorise him. Go back to basics at home and put no pressure on the pony whatsoever. The first port of call is the vet to physically check him over and then a good sympathetic trainer to start him again, by first introducing the saddle correctly. If you want to go straight out, this is not the pony to do it on and by the sounds may never be.

[judyh]

You need an experienced person to help you. It sounds like you are a novice yourself and will ruin the pony if you're not careful.

[brindlerainbow]

Just out of interest has the pony always been nervous/anxious or has it happened since he's been broken or was there something else that triggered it ? I only ask as a pony wouldn't be born with all those issues, they are man made, of course all animals have different temperaments, some are naturally calm and laid back where others are a bit more highly strung. Different temperaments react differently to different situations. I have a section B that I bought as a weaner at Fayreoaks, she had the most laid back chilled out temperament of any pony I had ever had, nothing phased this pony. When she was 3 years old the neighbours let off fireworks ( big mortar rocket things ) in their garden which was just over the hedge from where my ponies were just stood calmly eating from their round bale. It wasn't Christmas eve, New years eve or fire works night, it was just an ordinary winters night so not expected and we hadn't been warned by the neighbours. All 3 of my ponies went ballistic with fear, bolted and smashed into a gate, they were petrified. I got them in the stables while my OH went round and ripped into the idiot neighbour. My section A aged 20 just stood shaking with his head down, he too was a pony phased by nothing, my RP filly aged 2 threw herself round the stable and was literally trying to climb the walls, as was the section B. Next day RP and Section A were completely normal but my section B refused to leave the yard and go into the field for 2 days, even when she did go out she was anxious, not grazing staring at the hedge where the fireworks had been, to this day ( she is now 7 years old ) she has never been the same again,loud or strange noises make her anxious, she used to wander round the field the way ponies do but now she marches and is on her guard a lot of the time. She has improved and she will get back to how she was but it's going to take a long time. My point is that I know exactly what triggerd my mares anxiety, so you must try and think back to when your pony changed and what could possibly have triggered it and then work on that. Get him an old companion that's been there and seen it all and use it to help you load, hack out. If your pony is frightened of the saddle then leave it in the stable with him so he can smell and touch it in his own time without any pressure. Good luck!!

[fanfarefan]

turn him away !!!!

[frankyboy]

Thanks for all your advice and I pleased to say that we have turned the corner just all of a sudden and my novice pony is out winning .Being professional myself I took it very slow and suddenly pony came on a dream ,xxx