Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Unbalanced small pony

From: Kirsten

My little sister's 12hh welsh pony Sudance is a good little pony. She rides her (walk, trot) (with me teaching) a few times a week. I also school her a few times a week. She's doing quite well and is by no means green (she's done pony club D rally) but I find her quite unbalanced and on the forehand, especially at the canter. She puts her head down and is pretty speedy. I'm concerned this will be too much when my sister begins cantering her. Is there anything I can do (other than lots of transition and hills) to help her gain balance, or is this just a little pony thing?

Hi Kirsten -- yes, there's a lot you can do, and you're right, I'm going to suggest transitions. LOTS of transitions. Transitions up, transitions down, and all of them on the lightest possible contact. If your sister is a beginner rider, it would probably be a good idea to put the pony into something other than a snaffle -- a kimberwicke, for instance. It is a good bit for strong ponies ridden by small children, because it gives the little rider brakes, and the security to sit up and have a light hand on the rein. All too often, parents put a child's pony in a snaffle because they think it is a gentle bit ("What, a Kimberwicke? Horrors! That's a severe bit!"), but they don't realize that a frightened, insecure child, or one who feels herself losing control of her horse, will keep a tight grip on short reins, and punish the horse constantly with the "gentle" snaffle. If a little rider knows that she DOES have control, and that she CAN slow her pony and stop her pony, she becomes secure enough to ride with a following hand, and so rides better, and more gently, in the stronger bit.

Your sister is VERY lucky to have you there to school her pony. Many ponies get a bad reputation for being "difficult" when they aren't at all really, it's just that they are always being ridden by small children who aren't very good riders, and the adults who ARE good riders can't get on the ponies to give them a refresher course! A small adult, or an older child who can ride really well, can keep everything going smoothly.

- Jessica

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