Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Wow, Barbara, you are quite fortunate to say the very least. 

 

Anyone, and I mean anyone, that wants to learn to pony a horse, whether young or old, needs to go to a race trainer, that has a race track on their farm (because on track rules/regulations/liablility will not allow that training), and take lessons!   You will notice they do not pony a horse off of it's Mother, Pasture Mate, and/or Stable Friend.  These youngsters are ponied off of SEASONED, well trained, psychologically stable pony horses.  You can call any race track and ask them, "what is your evaluation criteria for the pony horses used to pony the horses from the paddock to the saddling area and onto the track?"  You should not have any different criteria on the farm level! 

 

Many race farms have exercise riders that work on the race tracks as well.  They finish in the morning at the track and pick up extra money in the afternoon on the farm level.  Get a list of those riders from the 'top' race trainers at that track.  Contact them, spend the $40.00 +/- to have them work with you on ponying ANY AGED horse at your farm.  It could very well be the best training expense you have ever spent. 

 

One of the things that I thought about at last year's Tevis was how many of the riders/entrants had pony horse experience.  That really came to mind after Roger Rohe (?) went off the trail and his horse showed up at the next vet check.  And there was also another rider that went off the trail a couple hundred feet down from where Roger went off.  That horse didn't make it back up.  They had to cut a path at day break to get the horse back out.  The reason I wondered about pony experience was the fact that you could run into a horse, on the trail, that lost it's rider some how, and you might have to pony that horse back to camp.  Most horses will just follow another horse.  Ponied horses will follow and more than likely stay to the back of the horse are on.  Horses that have not been ponied will try to run you down!  It's the 'flight to survival instinct' that kicks in.  That and horses that haven't been schooled to subordinate!   One of the things I have finally just accomplished with my riding mare!  So, now I feel we are ready to go out to a ride!  Anyway, ponying is not to be taken lightly in any way shape or form.  Learn from a professional that is well healed in the art of ponying a horse, young or old! 

 

Last but not least...not all horses are cut out to be ponied FROM either.  You try to pony an alpha mare off of an alpha mare and you are asking for BIG trouble!  Same thing with ponying a colt off of a mare.  Never pony a colt off of a mare.  There are some horses alpha or not that just don't like their personal space invaded.  I could go on and on.  I think that you have the general idea of where I am coming from.  Loosing the use of one's arm for long periods of time and not be able to ride doesn't do yourself or anyone else any good! 

 

I don't even want to get into the 'pack' training horses either!  This is where you need to move multiple horses from one area to another, and they are tied to a lead horse, with a rope passing through their halter/bridle.  If you have ever seen how Zebras travel in packs.  This is much the same formation.  Better to get a pack mule trainer to train your horses to do that!!!!