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Post by showpony7632 on Jan 25, 2017 14:05:47 GMT
We had a pony very similar to yours, very low mileage but 7 and depositing rider often. Last summer, someone suggested to us that we put a pair of shoes on him and just hacked him for six weeks straight, absolutely no schooling. It worked!!! After 6 weeks we brought him back to being schooled and he was so much better, he would still spook at the odd leaf, but then, ponies are ponies! We now periodically put a pair of shoes on him and don't school, just hack him and he's like a totally different pony. We might actually manage to get him somewhere this year!!
Hope this helps
xxx
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Post by gillwales on Jan 25, 2017 16:05:56 GMT
how long have you had the pony? Do you know all of it's history. If the above does not work then have her eyes checked.. just a thought
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Post by brindlerainbow on Jan 25, 2017 16:22:35 GMT
Get her eyes checked  |
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Spooking
Jan 25, 2017 18:49:12 GMT
via mobile
Post by mady on Jan 25, 2017 18:49:12 GMT
I agree with showpony.
My boy is like this not phased by big lorries at shows but any different flooring is spooky. He's a lot better when I hack him regularly as was scared of different shades of tarmac now not bothered
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Jan 26, 2017 8:24:41 GMT
Evolution explains why horses and ponies are wary of different surfaces. As prey animals, they depend on flight for safety and so need to be sure of their footing. Some are more wary than others, but the best thing to do is get them used to walking over as many different surfaces as you can conveniently find, in hand works well. I lead my weaned foals all round the garden from tarmac to concrete to grass to the sand school etc until they are completely blase about it! It also explains the practice of sprinkling some straw down a lorry ramp as it takes the fear of the ramp out of it - for those used to straw anyway!
They may have been domesticated for thousands of years, but they do still have their evolved wild instincts underneath!
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Post by catkin on Jan 27, 2017 10:06:29 GMT
I agree with SarahP, there is a self preservation thing going on that you have to try to teach them out of.
Also note that I have a little pony who is an absolute darling but would always spook at funny things, like brushes dropped next to him. It turned out he had a degenerative eye condition and is now almost completely blind. So, do get the eyes checked if you can.
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Post by dizzy on Jan 27, 2017 10:09:21 GMT
Thank you all for your response,
We have owned for 18 months, eyes have already been checked, also teeth back etc in case it was in anyway pain related.
She has only been back to work for 6 weeks after a 2 month holiday, we try not to use the menage to often and hack as much as possible, but it's just frustrating when we do were so spooky of the surface.
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Jan 27, 2017 10:38:29 GMT
You can school on hacks then, no reason why not.
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