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Aggressive new pony, charges when lunging

5K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  Ktibb 
#1 · (Edited)
This is more of a rant than anything...

So my aunt was talked into buying a new pony, and I was talked into helping her teach it some manners.

Oh boy does she need them! I started to teach her to respect my space and to allow me to catch her over the weekend. I had her going well in line (lunging both directions and backing up) the last time I had worked her.

Well, On Friday she did not want to be caught. Okay fine, looks like I need to teach her to catch me. I began to go over the same lessons I knew she knew (ie you face me you get to rest, you give me your hienny you're gonna work) she started off by simply trying to ignore me, and then she decided she just wasn't going to have any of it, turned and charged me.

Ears pinned, teeth bared coming straight for me at a canter- the whole 9 yards. Boy was she was surprised when I took a jump toward her and she met with the end of my lunge whip across her neck! When I connected she stopped dead in her tracks and just looked totally shocked. I can only imagine she's gotten away with being a bully at her previous home. Sorry Hun, that's not gonna fly here.

I promptly chased her butt away from the herd (the two other horses in the pasture) as fast as I darn well could, scolding her as I chased. A few moments later (once I had walked back to the other horses, gave scritches and was able to catch my breath) I went back to her to continue working her (still off line) as if nothing had happened. She still didn't want to be caught, so back to moving her feet. Initially she lunged around me just fine but again decided she didn't want to and would rather charge a 2nd time. She met a similar fate only this time I connected with her cheek and didn't just chase her butt away, I kept her moving for a good 5 minutes (long for her, she's been sitting in a 30x30 for the last 2 years).

By the end of our little lesson (my second time working with her) she was joined up/following well, backing up 4-5 steps, yielding her hind quarters 2-3 steps and I could send her around me both directions, yielding her HQ to whoa and I put her halter on and took it off a few times cor good measure. I finished with desensitizing and gave her a carrot.

I'm very interested to see how our next session goes.

What would you have done in this situation?
 
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#4 ·
Lol, thanks. That little twit had it coming. I sure hope it sinks in, but my aunt says she's afraid to go in there with her durring feeding time so she must still be acting 'testy'. Then again my aunt doesn't like to raise her voice; she's always afraid the pony is going to end up afraid of her... lol.
 
#6 ·
I sure hope so. I haven't had a chance to work with her again, probaly won't until Friday. My aunt however... she needs to realize that I'm not being cruel in doing so, and until she steps up and asserts herself as the alpha mare her pony will continue to be nasty to her. No amount of work I do with that mare will change the interaction between the two of them.
 
#7 ·
I was taught that in ground work, if the horse "pushes" on you, you must meet their pressure with the same amount, and a little bit more. So, that pony mare pushed REAL hard on you and you need to push back, REAl hard + one. You did well. I hope that I could do as well, were it me being charged. I might have flinched, I dunno.
 
#11 ·
As she gets fitter I will (if needed). She is just in pretty poor shape. Her previous owner said she hadn't been ridden on several months, and even when she was being ridden is was a short ride through the neighborhood a couple of times a month. She was also housed in a rather small corral with no turnout. I didn't want to over stress her, but she was puffing pretty good.
 
#16 ·
Well I got another session with Sissy in over the weekend. At first she thought she didn't want to be caught, it only took me sending her off once for her to change her mind.

For this lesson we moved into the round pen and worked on line. Boy what an attitude change! She was still by no means an angel, but she didn't charge me, lol! I've got her changing directions consistantly turning to the inside at a walk and trot. Nice transitions through all gaits, and transitions up on hand signals alone. Woah still needs some work, as does her off line back-up (on line I can easily get 5-6 steps now.

I didn't ride her yet, she still needs some more condition before I ask her to start work with a rider. But I think she's coming along well. She seems to have a good mind, isn't reactive but moves out well when asked. I'm starting to think she'll be a good little pony after all. Hopefully she'll make a fun lead line pony for the kids in another year or two, her jog is sure showing a lot of potential.

Also, after the lunge session we decided to see how show she would react to the clippers. She didn't like them initially but after about oh... 30 seconds she got over it and I clipped her bridle path and muzzle. I didn't clip her ears though, per my aunts request- we are coming into winter.
 
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