Q: I have a pony who is well behaved most of the time, but sometimes he spins and then runs away with me. I don’t know why he does this. Do you have any tips to fix it?
A: The first thing you need to check with any behavioural issue is that your pony is not in pain. Before worrying about fixing the behaviour itself, you need to speak to your vet, saddle fitter, dentist and physio to check that there isn’t something else going on that is triggering this behaviour in your pony. Ponies are not naughty by nature and only act up for a reason. As they can’t speak, it is often a bit of a challenge to find out exactly what causes them to behave in a certain way.
Once pain or discomfort have been ruled out, you need to search for other things that might be causing the problem, such as the build-up of too much energy because of rich food or lack of free movement. Does your pony have plenty of time to get rid of excess energy in the paddock? If not, you can increase turnout time and lunge your pony a bit before you get on. In this way, your pony has the opportunity to burn off some of his energy before he has to start work. If your pony has lots of turnout and the opportunity to move, then have a look at his diet; is it very high in sugars and energy? If so, your pony might be cruising around on a ‘sugar high’ when you ride him, making it difficult for him to concentrate on his work. Chat to your equine nutritionist or vet about the best food for your pony, and then make the changes gradually to allow him to adapt.
If you have ruled out all of these more obvious things, and the behaviour continues, you need to look at your pony’s anxiety levels and your riding. A good instructor can help you understand what is going on and train your pony. It might be that you need to build his confidence so that he doesn’t feel afraid and run away. Alternatively, it might be something in your riding that triggers him to spin, and an instructor will be able to help you with this. Don’t try and ‘muddle through’ on your own with a problem like this as over time you will lose your confidence and stop wanting to ride. These issues can be tricky to fix, as they can become habits for your pony, so don’t be hard on yourself and get a professional involved to help you with the retraining process!
