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RE: [RC] Teaching horse to pony - Snodgrass, BonnieA lot
of people think ponying is all about controlling the led horse. So much has to
do with the "pony" horse being under control. My tips are;
1.
Pony horse must be well trained to neck rein and go well in some sort of shanked
bit or hackamore that is appropriate to neck reining. Snaffles just don't work
well with only one hand on the reins.
2. The
pony horse must be very manueverable, forehand, hindquarter turns and side-pass
or leg yield. To insure immediate obedience to leg cues I use a blunt dressage
spur that just gives me a harder heel. If the pony starts to crowd or step on
the led horse I want to be able to immediate move the pony away, like now. If
the pony gets snippy or threatening I have only my legs and voice for
correction. A slap with the side of your leg against the pony while growling
gets the message across. If pony is too spooky of jumpy to correct then you
probably should be on another horse.
3. Do
wear gloves every time!
4.
Don't pony with just a halter and lead. Put something firmer on the led horse, a
stud chain wrapped around the nosepiece of the halter and all the way
around the nose or a training halter that tightens when the horse pulls back.
Don't delude yourself that you can hold a 1000 lb horse if it pulls back. That's
about the time the pony horse goes the other way. Being able to slow and control
a bolting young horse is importent too. Use a fairly long lead, to have room to
play the rope out to a suddenly silly goose of a horse. Use a round soft lead or
a good leather lead.
5. Do
not take turns around a horn. Every tug on the rope hits the pony's withers and
could turn your saddle.
6. I
did have to carry a long dressage whip a few times with one young horse that
balked at crossing mud. talk about a lot in your hands!
Bonnie
Snodgrass
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