Will not GO for one rider

[Fallsky]

My teen daughter is having trouble with her mustang pony and I’m at a loss of ideas so thought I would pick the lovely experienced brains here.

Pony is 10 years old, lovely soul, super safe and quiet. He is slowly becoming more and more resistant to moving off her leg. Goes well walk/trot/canter for other riders including coaches and other teens if they get after him. My daughter can get him going but he gives her 2 % effort - does not come to the table at all. She is a lovely dressage rider and rides other ponies beautifully. We have ruled out every medical issue, tack fits, etc.

Has anyone come across a horse who will just not work for a specific rider?

[Highflyer1]

So she uses the exact same tack as other riders? And she is roughly the same size? Does she use more hand/leg than others? Sometimes horses react this way to pressure especially if they are used to being ridden on a looser rein (and depending on training) less leg. A horse that is Western trained or does only hunters may not understand what a dressage rider wants. Maybe try riding him on a long rein and using a lighter leg/more in a half seat at first. If all else fails he might just need a couple of good taps with a dressage whip behind the girth to remind him that he doesn’t get to choose whether or not he does his job. If he routinely needs “getting after” he may just be a little dead to the leg in general.

Horses certainly have preferences but a well trained, healthy horse should go as well as his training allows if the rider is able to ask correctly.

[Lusoluv]

We have a horse at our barn that looks and feels dull to the average rider. He was part-leased to a string of beginner riders who would “kick to go, pull to whoa”. He tolerated this for a couple years, but got progressively crabby/resistant to the point where he started hopping up or offering to buck. He was checked over by the vet several times. One day I decided to get on him after a college girl (confident rider) almost got him into a full rear by trying to “make him forward”. I soon realized he wasn’t the dullard he seemed. He was SO sensitive that kicking, squeezing, thumping with beginner aids, were overwhelming him. I sat up, used my seat, literally brushed his hair with my calf and he moved off. We walked, trotted and cantered on the bit in ~20 min. He swished his tail violently when I accidentally squeezed my calves. His quick reminder got me back to attention. A dozen barn regulars were witnesses. I told his owner, who was too afraid to ride him since she came off 2 yrs ago, how to ride him. I said I’d give her some lessons and that if she worked smarter not harder, he would be a dream. She said “no thanks” and the horse has been sitting ever since. Rein contact must be light, but not Western pleasure-like. Just very consistent contact and light seat is all this horse needs. I’m allowed to ride him whenever I want, but I really don’t have time with my own. But it’s just an example how one rider’s nightmare is another’s dream if you figure them out.

[Lusoluv]

@Highflyer1

Horses certainly have preferences but a well trained, healthy horse should go as well as his training allows if the rider is able to ask correctly.

This is key!!

[Weezer]

I’ve witnessed similar situations and it usually comes down to an ineffective leg aid. Pay close attention to the way riders use their legs to get the horse going versus the way your daughter does it. It can be as simple as your daughter squeezing at the knee instead of the calf, etc. If you still can’t figure it out, maybe try calling an animal communicator and see if the horse can tell you what the problem is. I’ve seen that solve training challenges too!

[MapleBreeze]

Check her leg pressure and aids. Pull her leg off and let it train to make sure she’s not squeezing or gripping in an area that my irritate or blocked the horse. Is her leg at the girth or is she moving it backwards from the knee and squeezing with her calf? Is she carrying a whip to back up your leg aids can she wear baby bump Spurs? I find that some of my students electrify my horses be ause they rode always with the gas pedal down and squeezing.

[QHEventer]

I would also agree that this is a possibility…sometimes the quiet ones are more sensitive than you realize. I have one that is super quiet and can seem dull, but she is super sensitive and will shut down with too much leg. I pretty much just need to think it, and she’ll respond. My other horse is the opposite and I need a LOT of leg. If I ride the mare like this, she gets behind and if I get after her she’ll buck or prop.

How is the pony on the lunge line? Is he responsive to voice cues? Get him super sharp to that, and then see if your daughter can ride him forward off voice cues instead of using a lot of leg. Another option would be to tap with a dressage whip instead of nagging with the leg. Although, some sensitive ones (mine especially) will be very offended by that

[Fallsky]

She uses the same tack as other riders. Sizes of other riders vary and I would say my kid is average sized compared to the handful of others who ride him. She uses almost every part of her body to push him forward include digging in her heels. He will go forward but very braced and he physically looks upset. We took away her spurs because he was getting more and more dull to them. He pretty much ignores the dressage whip. Poor kid is trying so hard to be quiet it is negatively effecting her really nice position.

The pony is capable of doing 3rd level and does some of the movements with the coach on board (of course she is amazing). He has just shut off for my girl. We have been trying for a year but can’t seem to fix her nagging him.

[candyappy]

@Fallsky

Has anyone come across a horse who will just not work for a specific rider?

Yes. Sometimes the horse -rider combination just does not click. Usually if the horse will go for others just fine then the rider is just lacking in the strength or ability to do what needs to be done to show the horse who is " boss". The horse knows the rider is not in charge and takes the upper hand.

We had a lovely Appy gelding that anyone could ride. My young daughter was just not forceful enough to get the upper hand needed to make him move. She sat there one day trying in vain to get him going.

My younger son ( 2 years younger) who hardly rode got on and gave him a huge thump with both legs and off they went.

The mare we got after that gelding she has had zero issues with and we have owned her 12 years now.

[Lusoluv]

If the horse is trained, sensitive and goes well for tactful riders, the answer isn’t to “show it who’s boss”. That will get the opposite effect. Kicking harder, digging horse’s sides with your heels causes the passive shutdown or worse, an active rear/buck to escape crude aids.

Would you bellow at a sensitive child if he didn’t respond to you quick enough? If he cowered, would you yell even louder? There are those few horses that can’t deal with normal/crude aids. The only way they can tell you is by their atypical response to typical beginner aids. Now I’m not saying there aren’t smart horses/ponies who get a rider’s number and ignores them. But in either case, the OP’s daughter probably isn’t a fit for this Mustang.

[StormyDay]

@Fallsky

She uses the same tack as other riders. Sizes of other riders vary and I would say my kid is average sized compared to the handful of others who ride him. She uses almost every part of her body to push him forward include digging in her heels. He will go forward but very braced and he physically looks upset. We took away her spurs because he was getting more and more dull to them. He pretty much ignores the dressage whip. Poor kid is trying so hard to be quiet it is negatively effecting her really nice position.

The pony is capable of doing 3rd level and does some of the movements with the coach on board (of course she is amazing). He has just shut off for my girl. We have been trying for a year but can’t seem to fix her nagging him.

I’d say this sounds like ineffective or incorrect leg aids. She shouldn’t be using her body to get him to move; just leg and possibly seat aids.

This is a problem I see with riders who are afraid of hurting the horse, so they start using their whole body to kind of rock and squeeze the horse forward. It doesn’t work and usually ends with frustration. Bring the rider back to the basics of heel leg aid squeezing = go. If the leg doesn’t get the correct response, a quick tap of the crop follows. There is no other part of the body involved at this point.

It’s likely the horse has zero idea what she is asking as is just confused as to why she’s rocking back and fourth up there.

[LilRanger]

She should just breathe. Sit there and breathe until he relaxes. When he relaxes, she can ask as quietly as possible for him to move. It sounds like she is busy and maybe there’s too much noise and he can’t hear her for the noise.

[leesa1]

Are you sure she’s not riding with the handbrake on unknowingly? Is her lower back braced unintentionally? pelvis at wrong angle? Sounds like something in the rider’s body might be giving the pony a ‘wait’ signal while her limbs are giving him a ‘go’ signal? Does she sit more on one hip than the other? Does she lean back? Is her weight too far at the back of the saddle causing the edge of the panels to dig in?

[GraceLikeRain]

@Fallsky

. She uses almost every part of her body to push him forward include digging in her heels. He will go forward but very braced and he physically looks upset. We

A horse can feel a fly land on their side. If she’s shoving with her entire body, digging her heels into his sides, and was using the spur so consistently he tuned it out, I’d go back to square one. If the horse goes well for other riders it isn’t a lack of education on the part of the horse. Horses are mirrors. I’d go back to the halt and have her work on the smallest aid to go from a halt to a walk. So many riders go from 0 to 60 or use an entire leg clamp when a soft press of the calf is all that is needed. He sounds like an invaluable teacher if she’s willing to be taught. Getting louder isn’t the right answer. If she’s willing to slow down and figure out how to get a positive response off of a small consistent aid at the halt to walk, walk to bigger walk, walk to halt, bending through changes of direction, consistent bend on a circle, etc. I would bet that this issue will almost completely resolve.

[MsM]

I got my horse in part because he would not go for a previous buyer! When I called about him I was told a buyer was going to try him the next day and seemed very enthusiastic. They later told me the buyer passed and I tried and eventually bought him.

They told me the horse would barely walk for the previous buyer. They could see no obvious reason, he just did not want to go. When I tried him he was politely forward although very green. The trainer had been doing tons of relaxed trotting in figure eights and he would practically do that on his own. Once I got him home and let him go more forward, holy cow! we got engine! Still pretty spicy, especially in the winter when he feels “walking is dumb”

[candyappy]

@Lusoluv

If the horse is trained, sensitive and goes well for tactful riders, the answer isn’t to “show it who’s boss”. That will get the opposite effect. Kicking harder, digging horse’s sides with your heels causes the passive shutdown or worse, an active rear/buck to escape crude aids.

Of course it doesn’t. Maybe in some cases if you are wearing spurs you are going to get more than you bargained for. Or if you go on and on picking at the horse, or use forceful methods.

In some cases even a well trained horse will take advantage of a more timid rider. I rode that same horse every day and all I needed to do was lightly cue him to get the desire gait. Riders that lack leg strength when giving cues have this problem.

One good thump from my young son ( no spurs) showed the horse who was in control and is something we all have to do in many different ways when we interact daily on the ground or when in the saddle.

Continual picking at horses is what usually gets one into trouble.

[luvmyhackney]

That is a lovely pony to not send her flying. Mine would have dumped her at the spurs.

Less is more. Tell her to relax and invest in some lunge lessons on said pony so she can focus on body position and asking lightly.

Might be worth her just spending time with him and focusing on ground work, at this point she probably tenses up with anticipation that he won’t move. Horses know this stuff. They know our energy and are quick to humble us.

[SLW]

Drop the reins and see if the pony goes forward. Something is blocking him.

[Fallsky]

We did some groundwork the last few days. I showed her how light she has to touch his side at the girth with a finger to get him to react/move his body.

It was interesting because he was way more sensitive to me in the exercise but she had to push on him way harder to get him to yield to the pressure. With me I only touched hair on his side but she had to push into muscle (if you know what I mean) to get him to step over.

My daughter is very soft and gentle in herself and does not yet have the ability to bring out her inner, non physical, strength.

[Salty]

I had a pony who was so sensitive that the canter aid was to step into the outside stirrup. Anything more than that, and she would shut down.

I would continue working on the ground and on the longe line. It doesn’t sound like this pony and rider are a great fit, though. They’re both getting frustrated with each other.