Doodle time, and opinions please :)

[jen526]

Next step with young 2 yr old Doodle, going out "buddying" off my 19 year old Little Joey. On the whole, after training at home, our first trip on the forest went very well. The local herd running on the forest were not exactly helpful, however, that is forest life and a herd of mares galloping past you is just something that happens, (granted not normally 3 times on one ride) though I would prefer it hadn't happened on our first "buddy" venture!

So, we set off, I don't have a second rider and horse to ride out with for this, so my kind husband was on foot with us, myself riding Joey and leading Doodle. The local herd initially greeted us by galloping past twice, adrenalin did rise both in Joey and Doodle, but without incident I left my husband behind to go for a little wander with just me and the two boys, all very happy and calm. Thinking to myself "this is going rather well" I decided to head back towards my husband rather than push that bit further - good decision. I have no idea why, be it boredom, fed up being led off Joey, challenging, residue coltish behaviour - Doodle started to bite my leg, with long leather boots on it made no impact on me what so ever, he then progressed to trying to bite Joey's neck/shoulder. I opted to just swinging the end of the lead rope to make it hard for him to make contact with either myself or Joey. Joey is partially sighted in the right eye, that's the only side I can safely hold Doodle due to historic injury on my left side, swapping sides is not an option for me to try. At one point he looked to me as though he was contemplating rearing (he likes rearing in play in the field), however, he didn't, but I do feel the thought is there. But, given he didn't rear, there is little point wasting time worrying about something that hasn't and may not happen, just a note for the feel that it could. It lasted for about 5 mins, as we returned to my husband he was being better in his manners (not perfect). The reason why, I honestly don't know and probably never will unless Doodle learns to speak English, and other than to satisfy/justify in my own mind, the reason could be anything for Doodle. Soon after which I did need to hand Doodle over to my husband as the local herd decided to gallop straight towards/past us again - my Little Joey felt ready to burst, I wasn't sure if he would or not, happens he didn't so I was able to take Doodle back home again with no further attempt to bite.

So, the biting whilst being "buddied", How would you deal with this?, what would your plan be looking forward? I would love opinions, this is the first time I have ever "buddied" another equine. Doodle is only 2 years old, has been walked out on the forest in hand, prep'd on our own land where there was no biting issues. The behaviour historically showed itself in hand too, backing him up in hand and he promptly stopped. For those that don't know, he is part bottle reared, been out with our herd to learn his manners, which he mostly has now. I do not think he has been miss-treated in any way, in day to day management when he arrived with us he used to bite a lot, no longer does.

Compulsory photos will have to wait, photo bucket does not wish to work, guess its due to the Xmas tree lights the photos would show a very calm young pony that looks as though he has done this many times before x

[kafee]

Well done for taking him out, and bringing him back, with Joey in such challenging circumstances. The fact that he didn't leave you when the herd galloped past shows the strength of his respect for you as his leader. The biting could simply be an invitation to play. He was in the other ponies 'field' and they were having fun, and he felt he ought to be allowed to do the same with his playmate. Good luck for next time.

I'd like to take my two 3 YOs out for a hack leading from another pony, (one at a time), but it would have to be on the road. I would be completely on my own and I find it difficult to mount while controling two ponies. More ground work needed I guess, but that will have to wait as my riding pony has a hoof abcess at the moment.

[alonerawnut]

Jim Goddard showed us a surprising noise on the Practical Skills course when he was leading a colt / young stallion: it was like a loud "BRRRRR" as if you were about to make a telephone noise (Brrring brrrring!) - fairly high-pitched and unlike any other noise / voice cue he'd use during training.
It'd be like the colt had pressed a button, by making contact with Jim with his teeth and Jim didn't make any other gesture / movement, so it was as though this noise just happened, independent of Jim himself.

I wonder if you introduced that while leading normally (perhaps backing it up with backing up), you could also use it while buddying / ponying? It has the advantage of being hands-free! You might have to desensitise Joey to it though - walkers on the forest might think you're a little strange, randomly imitating a telephone while out riding

[jen526]

Hi Kafee
As I can only lead with Doodle on the right, I have trained them to stand nicely together, mounting block in between them & I get on Joey from the off side.   Teaching verbal commands prior, paying particular attention to halt and walk on.  Doodle will also move away from pressure so when he gets a little close to Joey I can use my leg in an outward motion to Doodle and he will move away from it.   Traffic, both these two boys are good with traffic however I would not go along the road riding without a second person with me walking, just not worth the risk.     Its good fun even from the training aspect, so worth you trying even if you never actually go out and about. I set up obstacles in the field and practised going around them, changes of direction etc.. Hope the abscess clears and heals quickly for you xx

Alonerawnut, thats a great idea, as I was reading (as you said) my first thought was I would need to de-sensitize Joey first, especially given I have used an array of noises in the past with him to ask for speed (when we used to race), and of course it can't be a noise used during the drifts or that really will get the ponies galloping!.   I feel some in hand work coming on to find a noise that I can make, can remember, and that I can train.    As for what others think whilst im out riding, it will give them something interesting to chat about, though so many walkers now seem to have ear phones in, I have made many jump as they didn't hear me coming!
Photobucket seems to be working, here are a few pics:

Waiting for traffic to pass, on these forest roads you sort of go which ever side you can fit!,


Crossing the local brook


Working our way back through the bushes


The herd galloping back towards us again, shortly after this photo my husband took Doodle for me as the herd went directly past us.  
 

[kristine]

You're brave to do that with bonus horses running around... that's pretty impressive! They look nice, I've never buddied ("ponied" here) one in anything but a western saddle, so even more impressed.


Can I ask a dumb horse culture question? Always heard the saddle horses that lead race horses out on the track called "pony horses"... same in the UK? Thanks!

[jen526]

its not really brave, its just something that sometimes happens on the new forest, though deer are the most common to fly past at speed. Normally the ponies on the forest ignore riders. The im riding was born on the forest. Im not so calm if we get cattle at speed towards us. Race horses in the Uk, hpefully some one else can help with that, I have no idea x

[kristine]

Are there stallions out with the herds? I've had problems with wild stallions coming up to try attack my saddle gelding before, but might be a completely different situation. The mare gets to stay home on those rides. Charging surprise deer sound fun!

[Caroline]

The stallions are out with the herds for 6 weeks of the year. They used to be out all the time, but that was reduced in order to reduce the birth rate and raise sales prices.

I don't dare take my TigerLily out on the forest when the stallions are out. But they are generally very quiet and well behaved. It normally only gets a bit rowdy when two stallions clash on territory. General advice is to keep your ridden/led horse away from the wild ponies as far as possible.

Unfortunately my TigerLily is a highly social creature who gets very excited when she sees other horses. So she tends to attract the attention of the wild herd in a way that more relaxed horses wouldn't. I think the wild ponies tend to want to avoid ridden horses because they see them as different to themselves and somehow tainted by human energy. But when there is one if as wild spirited and excitable as TigerLily prancing about yelling "hey girls - lets party!", it is rather different and the wild ponies want to check her out as much as she wants to check them out.

[jen526]

Caroline is absolutely right, though I feel the herds caution with ridden horses is through the experience of the annual drifts and colt hunts, all of which is done on horseback. The herds are a lot more wary in the autumn (drifting season).

When the stallion is out, the grapevine tells us the colour, so we avoid all well fed looking ponies that colour!

To be honest the stallions are generally all of very good nature, its part of the consideration when the stallions are chosen. When they are put out they are mobbed by the mares! They have a rather tiring few weeks

[kristine]

Sounds like he's busy! That's good, and a plus about the good nature. With the wild ones here are bad customers... and have killed people.

[jen526]

Thats awful, the New Forest is a very well managed conservation area. All the stock on the forest is owned (by commoners), we have commoning rights to turn animals out, we do not currently use our rights.
If a pony, mare, gelding or Stallion is reported as neing aggressive to people - it is removed (often pts), sadly it is the tourists that teach this behaviour by offering human food to the ponies, they also draw the ponies towards the roads, in the Summer season I always stop and have a word with tourists if I see them trying to hand feed the ponies from their car. They know no better, sadly many are killed on the roads (ponies - not tourists haha). This is the main reason we dont turn anything out, our area has a high road kill record.