Talk to me about Pony-ing!

[FjordBCRF]

We board with a woman that has a year and a half PRE gelding. Very nice person, and very nice gelding. She asked me yesterday if I’d be willing to get him used to being pony-ed! I have never done it before, but my fjord has started off the year essentially being a therapy horse for other horses who aren’t sure about scary things, and getting out on trail. He’s been the resident Steady Eddie every place we’ve been, even when he was a youngster! I am totally interested in it, I think it would be great for my guy to learn a new skill and if/when I get another fjord, its probably going to be a young one that Charlie would get to pony and show the ropes.

Anything to keep in mind? We were planning on starting in the indoor when we have the arena to ourselves. Charlie drives and we drag stuff around all over the place so he’s used to having something behind or at his side…just not another horse.

[Tarlo_Farm]

Are you really strong? Make sure they get along. Have someone around to help hand you the PRE when you’re ready. Get settled on your guy, have the friend hand you the PRE on a long leadrope with your shortened reins and the end of the rope in your left hand and some excess in your right hand which you gather while using your right hand to hold the left side of the halter of the PRE. Try to keep your upper arm locked to your side for leverage. You control him by holding his head close to start. Here is where you find if he wants to bite - you or your pony. Move out at a walk. Stay at a walk, and if all is going alright, you can let the PRE move a little more freely. When you go outside, start over again with as much control as possible. In time, if all goes well, you can probably pluck the PRE off a safety-tie without anyone to help.
When I raised and trained babies, I had a stout QH that could have been used on the track. He was big and calm, essentially bombproof. I ponied babies all over the farmland in my neighborhood. They got a good look at the surrounding area with a solid buddy along.

[Haven_tJumpedInALongTime]

Do you ride English or Western? If Western, I would recommend a saddle that has a good horn that can be used to hold a horse if things go sideways. In my world of ponying horses, things can and will go sideways at some point! It’s nice to have tack that can hold a horse if needed. I have a roping saddle that I only use when ponying a horse. I also make sure I am riding a horse that responds very well to neck reining. I find that I spend most of my time focused on the horse I am ponying (normally a baby that’s all over the place!) and the horse I ride to pony is on automatic!

[Tarlo_Farm]

I’m sure @Haven_tJumpedInALongTime doesn’t mean to TIE the horse to the horn. Never, ever, ever do that unless you’re on a roping horse.

[widge]

Former polo groom checking in! I used to pony up to four at a time. Just think of it the same as leading a horse from the ground: you want them at your shoulder, insist on manners from the start, and accept that you can’t really control much more than their head. If you can, start with a ground spotter. Either way, build up your skills by doing lots at the walk first, make shapes, do walk/halt transitions, get confident before moving to trot. And keep us posted!

[Haven_tJumpedInALongTime]

No, I didn’t mean tie! I meant in case of having to dally for a second to regain control!

[Foxglove]

Bow to @widge superior pony-ing experience, but I do pony my geldings all the time as I enjoy the company since I generally ride alone. I always assumed if it leads well, it ponys well. But then I have two horses that have pony-ing other horses in their CV. The older of the two was a track pony horse early in his career --and the younger was a pick up horse for bronk riding at rodeos before he was mine. Neither had to be trained by me to lead another horse. They just did. I will say that my younger horse is much more fun to pony than the older one. He stays with his head right by my knee --never faster, never slower --just right by my knee. The older horse, when lead, tends to lag behind just a bit --not anything to correct, but just enough to be out of my peripheral sight --a little annoying . . .

[candyappy]

I did a lot of ponying off my first horse. Just start in the arena like you planned and hopefully your horse will be one to discipline any rowdy behaviour.

It was uncanny how my horse instinctively kept whatever horse we were ponying at the proper place ( along my leg) if the other horse tried to pull past my horse would block him with his body or whip his head around. Made my job easier.

He also kept pace so if the horse being ponied stopped suddenly or slowed he did too before I could react. A great way to get a non ridden horse fit and bring up youngsters.

[McGurk]

Great advice so far in this thread. I have done lots of ponying; it’s a great way to give babies some outside experience and a little exercise without stressing them, and it’s a great way to put horses back into work after a lay off.

I also find its a great way to teach very young new riders, they are much better at mimicking what I’m doing than they are processing verbal instruction.

Back in the day, ALL foxhunters ponied, because the only way to keep a whole hunting barn fit and going was to pony 1 - 2 days per week.

The only think I didn’t see mentioned is that it’s helpful if either the horses have a similar length stride, or if the pony horse is highly amenable to adjusting their stride to the ponied horse.

Ponying a long strided horse from a short strided one can be miserable for everyone, and ponying a short strided horse from a long strided one means either the ponied horse is being run off of their feet to keep up and/or you end up with arms of different lengths.

Good luck!

[NancyM]

OK. Many years of racetrack ponying, many ponies trained from greenies. Many racehorse first timers with the pony.

Get a leather shank. Rope is too bulky. Leather is easier to hold. English or western saddle doesn’t matter, use whatever you are comfortable in.

Unfortunately… the best rule of thumb to follow is… only one of the three of you involved should be green or first timers. That is… if the rider is green, both the pony AND the horse being ponies should be experienced. If the pony is green, the horse being ponied and the rider should be experienced. If the horse being ponied is green, both the pony and the rider should be experienced. Do you understand that? Multiple green partners is not a good idea.

Have the groom bring the horse up to the pony, let him look at the situation. His nose should be at the pony’s shoulder. Do NOT let the horse get further ahead than this, keep your leg in front of his chest. Do not let out too much rope, maybe a foot or so, if everyone is relaxed. If the horse gets too far ahead of you, he can kick your pony.

Start with the groom leading the horse alongside you and your pony, as all four of you walk along. When the horse is OK with this, the groom on the ground can try handing you the shank, and stepping out of the picture. Do this in an enclosed space, riding ring if possible, in case it doesn’t go well. Some horses are spooked by the sight of a rider up above their eye level, and will run backwards in fear. In that case, a GOOD pony willl be able to turn and follow the horse, so that you don’t lose him. A green pony probably can’t do this. A green rider won’t be a help either if this is a problem. May not be a problem.

When ponying, hold the leather shank with a few inches of slack from the halter. Room enough for some “play”, but not too long, nor too short. Hold the shank with your right hand, your reins with your left. Your pony neckreins, right? Along with the reins in your left hand, you ALSO hold the tail end of the leaather lead shank, a couple of coils. That way, if the horse runs backwards or balks, your rein hand is automatically activated, and your lead pony sticks with the horse you are leading. A good pony will follow any negative movement the horse makes, so that you don’t lose him. A green pony probably won’t. A green rider probably won’t either.

Have the handler who passed the horse to you remain walking with you at first, if you can. Your pony should be welcoming, not grumpy about this. The young horse will be perplexed, and may be frightened by what you are trying to do, not understanding the change in where the instructions are coming from. If your pony is calm and quiet and easy to get along with, more likely for success.

That’s kinda the basics for ya. Good luck.

[RedHorses]

Work with the young horse first, on the ground, and establish that he is listening to you and responding easily to halter pressure as well as body language.

He must not crowd you or be straying away from you. He should match your pace, fast or slow, halt promptly, and back up on some cue while you stand still.

Because when you start with a horse who doesn’t know the ponying thing, especially a younger horse, they will try to play with your mount and lose focus on you. You will need to regain their attention.

Once in the saddle, do lots of transitions between walk and halt, lots of turns, halt and back up a couple of steps, etc to keep the ponied horse’s attention. In the beginning turn towards him more often than away, and be proactive about slowing him down so he doesn’t get ahead. Turning away can give the ponied horse the idea that they’re pushing the ridden horse - watch for crowding, nippy behaviour and be ready to halt and back him up.

My horses have all overlapped with the previous horse, and I ponied each one from the previous horse. I ponied the last one the most.

[PaddockWood]

Maybe someone already suggested this. Once you get to know the new guy on the ground and he listens to you I would then walk your horse and that new guy together and establish everyone listens and can work together. Walk, halt, turns, etc. Then, even some trot steps and everyone keeps it together. Just this work could take a few weeks. I find it quite a bit of fun.

I enjoy walking my two together in the indoor and we pretend we are Ben Atkinson with his at liberty horses. Of course for me, just keeping my two in stride together in unison and moving at the same speed and taking synchronized turns is not a given, so riding roman style is but a mere dream.

[OnAMission]

Make sure your riding horse turns readily on his hinds off your leg in case the rope ends up heading for under his tail. We pony our pack horses so they have to go single file which is different than just ponying for exercise obviously but that tail thing is a thing! Ideally whatever horse you’re leading is well halter broken to know to follow the lead rope; when we get on we’re able to drape the lead rope around the horn, not tied off hard, just a drape, and that holds the pony while we get on the horse. If you use the horn to hold the pony if things get exciting just do a half wrap and keep your thumbs up!

ETA along the same lines, wear gloves until you know how everyone gets along.

[Tarlo_Farm]

Yes to gloves, yes to a leather shank being better than a round rope. Be sure not to let enough line out that you have to worry about it ending up under their tail as Mission warned. She’s talking about schooled, learned pack horses.

[McGurk]

I was working by myself, and while I was mounting, the ponied horse moved suddenly and the pony rope went under my horse’s tail.

A wonderful, broke horse, but a few bad seconds none the less. (He humped his back and hopped in surprise, no big deal, but I hadn’t caught my off stirrup and was trying to manage my reins and pony rope - not good!)

Might be a sensible precaution to sack out your horse with the pony rope for a few days beforehand.

[FjordBCRF]

This is all wonderful information thank you. Does anyone have a good YouTube video, or could find any good ones to watch? I’ve done a little searching myself but anything COTH approved would be welcomed!

@NancyM - noted on the green combination. I believe our BO may have some experience so I’ll see if she’s willing to be around when we get to me being mounted.

[Willesdon]

A good story, heard many years ago, told by Ian Stark, the Eventer and Course Designer. His first paid employment was as an administrator, moving files and boxes around in a local Government office in the small town near his home. But really he wanted to compete in Eventing. To get his horses fit, each lunch time he would cycle home fast, throw a saddle onto one of his horses and a head collar on the other and then do his regular lunchtime circuit, trotting and cantering and jumping over every five bar gate along farmland tracks before rushing back to work. He said it was years before he learned that jumping five bar gates whilst leading another horse was “a bit unusual”. A very kind, humourous gentleman, always worth listening to.

[Trot_On]

I put in lots of miles doing trot sets keeping hunters fit at a busy foxhunting barn. Lots of great suggestions, I will add a couple more.

Because you all are learning, taking time to do extra groundwork prep will not be wasted. In addition to making sure the PRE readily accepts your space, up and downward transitions, halt and back, install the command “easy” to slow his steps. You can teach manners while ponying, but it’s hard work for you and Charlie and will take all the fun out of it.

Neck reining is useful but as long as Charlie moves nicely off your leg, you should be able to get by with knotting your reins shorter (makes it easier to find them in a hurry) and bridging them. His driving experience is an asset, but just to make sure run the lead over sides, hindquarters and around his tail.

Before trying to pony a horse, ride with your lead and practice holding it, lengthen, shortening, and transitions with voice and seat. Imagine you have a horse and practice what you would so with Charlie and your imaginary PRE - what steps and what order. Also imagine a whoops situation and flop around with the lead and even you. This should give a little muscle memory and get you comfortable before you add the youngster.

Ponying a young horse is like driving a truck and trailer. You need to prepare and make transitions slowly, pay attention to the position and ears of the youngster, and your lead shank. However, don’t forget to watch ahead so you notice the pine tree that came down after your last set, or the angry copperhead in the middle of the trail!

[FjordBCRF]

All wonderful advice, thank you again so much! I talked with our BO today and she (as I suspected) has quite a bit experience pony-ing! She’s going to help us get started which i feel much better about. She may even start with one of her horses who has experience and a weeeeee bit longer legs than Charlie does .

[Caligirl83]

Blockquote
Because you all are learning, taking time to do extra groundwork prep will not be wasted. In addition to making sure the PRE readily accepts your space, up and downward transitions, halt and back, install the command “easy” to slow his steps. You can teach manners while ponying, but it’s hard work for you and Charlie and will take all the fun out of it.

I hands down agree with this! Be really sure the horse being ponied understands voice commands for walk, trot, canter and WOAH, and “easy” (slow down but keep going) are all incredibly useful. And it will translate well when you get the young horse under saddle.

One of my young horses that I started out ponying would at first plant his feet and refuse to follow… in hindsight, I realize that the horse I was using to pony him off of was the alpha mare in their pasture herd and the young horse was afraid of getting kicked. So having a grounds person help encourage him to move forward was helpful. A roundpen can be really useful for this, and I have worked with some people who start all their colts in a roundpen being ponyed off an older experienced mellow horse.

Ponying is such a useful but often undervalued skill. Have fun learning it!