# How do you stop a pony from spooking



## Love Horse (12 October 2014)

I have a 13hh pony and the school I ride in is big but his good in the school but when I get to the end of the school he always spooks and bolts of how can I stop this


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## Spot_the_Risk (12 October 2014)

Constant transitions, change of rein, serpentines, loops, half circles, leg yields... You want him concentrating on you so hard he doesnt have time to shy.  When you say bolt, do you mean unstoppable ie gallos out of the school and doesn't stop for anything, a blind bolt, or do you just mean he's cheeky and is carting you to the gate?  If it's the later I would be inclined to make him keep on going, as in keep on cantering around and around the school, doesn't matter too much where you are in the school, you want him thinking 'blimey, this is hard work, I don't want to canter' while you're going 'get on with it, go go go!'


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## Love Horse (12 October 2014)

Spot_the_Risk said:



			Constant transitions, change of rein, serpentines, loops, half circles, leg yields... You want him concentrating on you so hard he doesnt have time to shy.  When you say bolt, do you mean unstoppable ie gallos out of the school and doesn't stop for anything, a blind bolt, or do you just mean he's cheeky and is carting you to the gate?  If it's the later I would be inclined to make him keep on going, as in keep on cantering around and around the school, doesn't matter too much where you are in the school, you want him thinking 'blimey, this is hard work, I don't want to canter' while you're going 'get on with it, go go go!'
		
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He canters towards the gate but fast


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## Honey08 (12 October 2014)

From all the threads that you have posted you sound as though it would be great if you could find a good local freelance instructor to give you some lessons for the first month or two (or longer) to set you off the right way and help iron out all these small problems.


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## L&M (15 October 2014)

I smell a troll...(see other recent threads;!)


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## EquiEquestrian556 (15 October 2014)

He may be testing you, or genuinely scared. I'd suggest getting a good instructor that you like to help you, as it's a little difficult to tell you how to stop this without seeing what the pony does  Maybe make him keep on walking or trotting (so you have more control) it doesn't matter which part of the arena you are in, just keep encouraging him forward into the contact. Walk to the part he spooks, and do  zigzags, changing the rein, riding a 20 meter circle etc, so that he has to concentrate on you, not running to the gate.

Hope this is of some help


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## Katie_rory (23 October 2014)

Get him listening to you! If he bolts off with you bring him back to halt as soon as you can and try again! I had a pony who spooked all the time and bolted with me(joys of dressage horses!) and We couldn't stop it from happening so just dealt with it and waited for him to stop!!


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## D66 (24 October 2014)

I take the view that a horse  has room in its brain for only one idea at a time.   if he is focussed on you he won't notice other stuff.  Get him busy with transitions and changes of direction up the easy end of the school, maybe use some poles on the ground and jump wings to go over and round, and then move gently down to the difficult end.
As someone else has said an instructor will be very helpful.
Good Luck and let us know how you get on.


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## lurcherlu (24 October 2014)

My four year old used to do this at one end so I took  her in there and lunged her until it became boring


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## swampdonkey (24 October 2014)

L&M said:



			I smell a troll...(see other recent threads;!)
		
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I don't smell a troll at all.  Just someone who has just started sharing a pony and is full of questions!  As did we all when we had our 1st horse.


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## Auslander (25 October 2014)

swampdonkey said:



			I don't smell a troll at all.  Just someone who has just started sharing a pony and is full of questions!  As did we all when we had our 1st horse.
		
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Amen to that! If a novice owner can't post in "New Riders and Owners" with a bunch of questions, without getting slated for trolling, where can they?


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