From: Terry Bruno
I own a large Appy pony mare (Freckles) 8 years old who my daughter, Gaby (also 8) rides huntseat. She's boarded at a reputable h/j barn and Gaby takes lessons 1 or 2x a week and shows about once a month in beginner over fences or short stirrup divisions.
The pony's been great all summer but in Sept. has started showing gross disobediances. First at a show, she refused a jump, which she never does, three times and Gaby was disqualified from that class. Her trainer, Julie, schooled her and then Gaby schooled her in the warmup area and she went just fine, but in the ring she was difficult again. Gaby was able to get her over the fence by trotting the first fence, but Freckles obviously didn't want to go. Freckles then cantered the other three fences like nothing had happened.
Then at home she started kicking out when asked for the canter, but would then pick it up. She has gotten worse until the last time Gaby rode her, last Saturday. Freckles kicked out and bucked some but would not pick up the canter. Gaby trotted her for another 5 or 10 minutes to regain her composure (Gaby's not Freckles) then asked again and Freckles bucked worse and actually reared a little, which she had never done in the past. Gaby stopped and dismounted and got her trainer, Julie, who then rode the mare. She was tense for the canter depart but she did it when asked. Julie asked for it many times untill Freckles hesitated and gave a little kick, then she hit her with the crop.
I have asked for the vet to come out and look at her, but her trainers assure me that's she's not lame, as she is moving well. After this weekend I have insisted and the vet will come out this week. The trainers (who I respect) think it is an attitude thing and that Freckles (who tends to be a willful and testing mare) has learned a new trick to get out of work and just needs some schooling and correction. Some older girls at the barn have ridden Freckles in the last two weeks and she was doing the kicking thing with them too. She acts much better when Julie gets on. Julie used to ride the mare once a week, but she was going so well this spring, she stopped for the summer. Julie alone will ride Freckles this week and try to school her out of it. Gaby and I are very upset by this behavior.
The pony has been so good all year, jumping anything you point her at and generally doing whatever you ask. She can be pushy on the ground and is a little green, but for the most part a safe and lovely pony. What do you think is going on? Can it really just be a new bahavior? It had such a sudden onset and is such gross disobediance I find that hard to believe. Gaby's trainers think that Gaby just needs to be more assertive with Freckles and let her know that she can't get away with things, but the pony's behavior has now gotten dangerous. What do you think we should do?
Terry Bruno
Hi Terry -- your instincts are sound. Freckles has a reason for her behaviour. Thank all of your friends for their "helpful" advice, and then have your vet come out just as you planned. You need a professional opinion here.
Honest ponies don't suddenly start misbehaving just on whim. Freckles is trying to tell you something in the only way she can, which, since she can't talk, is by her actions. My guess is that something hurts, and that she may need a few months off jumping. Your vet can check her back and legs, and find out whether she is sore. I'll bet she is! Cantering should be easy for a healthy pony -- and cantering is certainly easier for the pony than refusing to canter, bucking, being punished, and then being made to canter anyway. Horses tend to take the line of least resistance -- all things being equal, Freckles would simply canter when asked, as she has in the past. Horse attitudes don't appear out of a clear blue sky. Horses are reactive -- Freckles is reacting to something, and it's a good bet that something hurts somewhere. Everything points to it! If she were my pony, I would have her checked out from stem to stern -- and check her tack (does it still fit? is the saddle tree broken or twisted?) then give her time off, and take her for slow trailrides. It's been a long, hard summer for her.
Showing is stressful -- not just the jumping, but the trailering back and forth. And if Gaby is jumping her in lessons twice a week, and showing once or twice a month, that's a LOT of jumping and a LOT of trailering. Freckles may simply be sore (feet, legs, and back) and fed up with a steady diet of shows! Showing is fun for the riders, not so much fun for the horses -- and a long summer of showing is enough to make any pony sore and tired of the whole routine.
Beware of trainers, instructors, and people on the street who are quick to analyze horses by saying "this one has an attitude" or "this is bad behaviour" or "you have to work through this resistance." None of this really means anything! Terms like these describe but doesn't define the problem, and certainly don't solve it. Attitudes and behaviours are reactions to something -- your job is to figure out WHAT the something is. You can't "work a horse through" a resistance when that resistance is the horse trying to tell you that it's in pain. You can't "discipline" or "school" the pain out of the horse -- trying to push her over fences just to make the point that she HAS to do what she's told is likely to create a horse that truly dislikes jumping, for excellent reasons. Give Freckles the benefit of the doubt. She's jumped everything willingly all year, she's probably done too much, and now she's trying to tell you that something hurts. She can't talk -- all she can do is refuse a jump, or run out, or buck. Listen to her, and see whether your veterinarian can't be an "interpreter" for you.
Jessica
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