I live in the mountains and pony a young horse for the first year so they learn how to walk a mountain trail. They have to learn to carry a load through trees without knocking, climb up and down boulders, make good choices with the legs going over and around deadfall etc. It can be dangerous to ride a young horse on mountain trails until they learn to line out. I liked seeing the importance of doing it in the arena as a step in riding them Thank you
Absolutely agree, I started ponying my filly with mom and then after weaning with my gelding all the time. She went all over the AZ desert and a lot of mountains. I also saddled her up at 1 1/2 years and every trailride she went with me. She is 3 1/2 now and is an awesome confident trail horse. Important is to have a great horse to pony off of. Great video and right on with all your points made 🙌🙌🙌🙌
I have always enjoyed ponying my young horses and the adult ones. As you advance in ponying, I enjoy walk/trot transition. It is lovely how the horses will get in tune with each other and get really ready for the next request. It is fun.
I think ponying in a large group of riders is a great thing too. They gain so much confidence and in a way see having a rider as a sort of graduation gift. That's not to say they don't buck, but they mentally understand the concept.
I pony my young horses. Also on trail. It teatches them to do a lot of things that they otherwise would be to nervous to do on their own. They gain a lot of confidence from the other horse being cool in most conditions. And they see other horses accepting a rider on their back. I believe that makes them easier to start under sadle later on.
I haven’t ponied a young horse but I do pony both my mares off each other if I don’t have time to ride both or if the weather is not good I can ride one and pony the other and get them exercised in less time I started slow with them at a walk keeping the ponied horse up close to my leg then went to the trot and lope and they both even learned if they were on the outside they had to go faster to keep up. They both do great! And it can be fun 🤠
Yay Bob! I only pony my engineer hubby. He is progeessing nicely. He still asks why about things i can't answer, but is getting used to some questions having no answer. I think he has come up with his own answers to my un answerable questions. 😅
Another good video. I've found quarter horses can be more spatially aware. Pasture and trails introducing uneven ground and water can help after pen pony and bond established to push to next level. Thoroughbreds tend to have more pasture accidents because they weren't taught to navigate around. For racers or jumpers, would defeat purpose, hence the sand round pens. A step that shouldn't be missed. Less accidents, more confidence. It is possible when time is invested. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent video. I've been thinking about doing this. Not with young ones, I'm not a trainer. But I have two horses, one with severe separation anxiety and I can't leave him home alone and rarely have someone to ride him for me.. I'm afraid he'd jump the fence if he got left; he's come close before and I don't want him getting away or getting hurt. A friend ponied my anxious horse for me once on a trail ride and he did great. No pulling back, and I think he had a great time. So I want to try it but my pony horse doesn't neck rein very well, plus he's the alpha and I want to make sure he doesn't act up with the ponied horse so close on his butt. I found your video encouraging, one reason being how you leave the rope laying around the saddle horn. I was worried about having to hold onto the rope the entire time, using one hand for each horse. I still need to work on some skills, but this looks doable to me. Thanks so much!! I'm surprised you don't have a ton more subscribers. Hopefully the word will get out.
Every time a horse is ridden it learns from the rider so everyone who rides is a trainer. I can tell by your comment that you also think like a trainer, you should give yourself more credit. You're a trainer.
I'm in the same situation. I took on training a weanling filly and she's now 3 years old. We are working with her with pony riding. I took a break from horses against my will due to being in the military and raising my boys. I now have 3 horses. I have "trained" horses in the past but I have taken on the challenge of training a young horse. It can be daunting at times but I take it day by day. I have a great relationship with my horses but my filly is strong minded and I have to approach her training much differently. I'm learning so much from this trainer. She's a smart horse is spicy. lol I'm relearning much of what I have forgotten and learning so much more. It's a never ending process and a big responsibility. She's a keeper and I'll do anything for her. She loves my Saddlebred mare so it works out well for pony riding. Enjoy your horses!!!
I usually ask my riding buddies to let me pony their horse and then have them pony my mare. I figured it makes good sense in case of any emergencies on the trail. Better that the horses are used to this than to have to deal with a new experience on top of everything else that can happen when things go sideways. I like your idea of having things on the ground. I have dealt with enough stumble bums who don't watch their feet. I will be doing this going forward.
agree❤i pony my young Akhal Teke mare with my older Arabian gelding.Although the mare is higher horse that works great and we have much fun together.She doesn't have any problems with getting me upon her back sometimes.
Can I use mom to pony a yearling? I don’t have another horse to pony with. Also, any general advice for the age at which a horse can start to be ponied?
You can try. How good it goes depends on her. I teach mine to lead at a couple months by ponying them but you have to have a good horse so you can control the amount of pressure you put on them.
I live in the mountains and pony a young horse for the first year so they learn how to walk a mountain trail. They have to learn to carry a load through trees without knocking, climb up and down boulders, make good choices with the legs going over and around deadfall etc.
It can be dangerous to ride a young horse on mountain trails until they learn to line out.
I liked seeing the importance of doing it in the arena as a step in riding them
Thank you
Absolutely agree, I started ponying my filly with mom and then after weaning with my gelding all the time. She went all over the AZ desert and a lot of mountains. I also saddled her up at 1 1/2 years and every trailride she went with me. She is 3 1/2 now and is an awesome confident trail horse. Important is to have a great horse to pony off of. Great video and right on with all your points made 🙌🙌🙌🙌
Such a wonderful way to teach us how to start a horse right.
I have always enjoyed ponying my young horses and the adult ones. As you advance in ponying, I enjoy walk/trot transition. It is lovely how the horses will get in tune with each other and get really ready for the next request. It is fun.
I think ponying in a large group of riders is a great thing too. They gain so much confidence and in a way see having a rider as a sort of graduation gift. That's not to say they don't buck, but they mentally understand the concept.
I pony my young horses. Also on trail. It teatches them to do a lot of things that they otherwise would be to nervous to do on their own. They gain a lot of confidence from the other horse being cool in most conditions. And they see other horses accepting a rider on their back.
I believe that makes them easier to start under sadle later on.
I haven’t ponied a young horse but I do pony both my mares off each other if I don’t have time to ride both or if the weather is not good I can ride one and pony the other and get them exercised in less time I started slow with them at a walk keeping the ponied horse up close to my leg then went to the trot and lope and they both even learned if they were on the outside they had to go faster to keep up. They both do great! And it can be fun 🤠
Yay Bob! I only pony my engineer hubby. He is progeessing nicely. He still asks why about things i can't answer, but is getting used to some questions having no answer. I think he has come up with his own answers to my un answerable questions. 😅
Agree 100%
Another good video.
I've found quarter horses can be more spatially aware.
Pasture and trails introducing uneven ground and water can help after pen pony and bond established to push to next level.
Thoroughbreds tend to have more pasture accidents because they weren't taught to navigate around. For racers or jumpers, would defeat purpose, hence the sand round pens. A step that shouldn't be missed. Less accidents, more confidence. It is possible when time is invested.
Thanks for sharing.
Excellent video. I've been thinking about doing this. Not with young ones, I'm not a trainer. But I have two horses, one with severe separation anxiety and I can't leave him home alone and rarely have someone to ride him for me.. I'm afraid he'd jump the fence if he got left; he's come close before and I don't want him getting away or getting hurt. A friend ponied my anxious horse for me once on a trail ride and he did great. No pulling back, and I think he had a great time. So I want to try it but my pony horse doesn't neck rein very well, plus he's the alpha and I want to make sure he doesn't act up with the ponied horse so close on his butt. I found your video encouraging, one reason being how you leave the rope laying around the saddle horn. I was worried about having to hold onto the rope the entire time, using one hand for each horse. I still need to work on some skills, but this looks doable to me. Thanks so much!! I'm surprised you don't have a ton more subscribers. Hopefully the word will get out.
Every time a horse is ridden it learns from the rider so everyone who rides is a trainer. I can tell by your comment that you also think like a trainer, you should give yourself more credit. You're a trainer.
I'm in the same situation. I took on training a weanling filly and she's now 3 years old. We are working with her with pony riding. I took a break from horses against my will due to being in the military and raising my boys. I now have 3 horses. I have "trained" horses in the past but I have taken on the challenge of training a young horse. It can be daunting at times but I take it day by day. I have a great relationship with my horses but my filly is strong minded and I have to approach her training much differently. I'm learning so much from this trainer. She's a smart horse is spicy. lol I'm relearning much of what I have forgotten and learning so much more. It's a never ending process and a big responsibility. She's a keeper and I'll do anything for her. She loves my Saddlebred mare so it works out well for pony riding. Enjoy your horses!!!
I usually ask my riding buddies to let me pony their horse and then have them pony my mare. I figured it makes good sense in case of any emergencies on the trail. Better that the horses are used to this than to have to deal with a new experience on top of everything else that can happen when things go sideways. I like your idea of having things on the ground. I have dealt with enough stumble bums who don't watch their feet. I will be doing this going forward.
agree❤i pony my young Akhal Teke mare with my older Arabian gelding.Although the mare is higher horse that works great and we have much fun together.She doesn't have any problems with getting me upon her back sometimes.
Can I use mom to pony a yearling? I don’t have another horse to pony with. Also, any general advice for the age at which a horse can start to be ponied?
You can try. How good it goes depends on her. I teach mine to lead at a couple months by ponying them but you have to have a good horse so you can control the amount of pressure you put on them.
Why don't you pony both sides?
I do, I just did 1 side here for the video. Most people aren't going to want to watch me doe it all again from the other side.