I had never heard of ponying a young horse to train them. I first saw the training method mentioned at the Homesteading Today horse forum. Then I typed "ponying a horse" into Google and found THIS ARTICLE.
The article says for the horse that's being used as a teacher, it's necessary to have a steady, dependable horse (preferably a gelding) that knows what he's doing. Blue was totally unfamiliar with the process when we started, but by the third or fourth session, he did great. I'd wrap the lead rope around the saddle horn, and when Libby would suddenly balk, Blue would keep on plodding ahead so that she had no choice but to come along.
Don't ask me how I know, but I can somehow tell that Blue enjoys having Libby along when we ride. Maybe he just likes having another horse beside us.
Blue and Libby are special friends. When I watch the four horses here nipping and squealing and kicking one another, as horses are wont to do in their fight for first place, Blue and Libby will join in the scuffle... but never will they threaten one another; they only show aggression toward the other two. They seem to have come to an understanding of some sort that they are family.
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I LOVE THE WAY YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR HORSES.
ReplyDeleteI did ponying to condition a young halter horse one year. It was much better for her legs and I could incoperate hill work and get great condition.
ReplyDeleteI used my gelding, Dandy, to do it. He's a bit on the anti social side and he wasn't crazy about it but we got it done anyway.