An Attitude Adjustment

A few weeks after I birthed the twins, my Pony came back from lease. The trainer said he was the world’s best pony and he was wonderful, but she wasn’t getting enough business to justify keeping him. That’s fine, I took him right back.

When he got back, I was surprised to find him more assertive than he had been before. He wanted to be higher in the pecking order. I was even shocked to hear that he’d been top of the pecking order at the trainer’s barn. 

He was unsuccessful in moving any higher in the pecking order, but he did start “sharing” Berry’s meals with her. She made some half hearted attempts to get him away from her food, but apparently she’s a bit of a pushover, and she would eventually just let him share. 

He was still definitely at the bottom of the herd, but he’d gained a new confidence in himself. 

I put out that I was looking for a new leaser for him and got some interest. When one candidate was looking promising (pony cluber, mom is graduate of Pony Club), I took him to my trainer’s barn to get back in a working mindset, and because I didn’t want anyone on my currently muddy mess of a property. Frankly it’s just a little embarrassing. 

I was expecting lots of praise about how great of a pony he was, and what a gem he was. Instead, he was a jerk to handle, he broke away from my trainer when she was bridling him, and broke her expensive bridle. Then he ran around the farm for 30 minutes. 

He was hard to catch (that I already knew about, he is a punk), he screamed the whole time, and he couldn’t be trusted on the crossties. Trainer said he acted barely broke and she’d hate to see him at a show. But, he’s already been to a show?? 

I’d be happy to say that he probably regressed because I’m been pumping out babies for the last few years and haven’t done much with him. I can admit that I haven’t been the best horse owner recently, as the horses have basically just been eating and existing. But, supposedly he was “World’s Best Pony,” at a trainer’s barn, being used by a trainer for beginner lessons for 8 months. What on earth happened??

I am just really confused. I don’t understand what happened last year. He should have been just fine. 

I cancelled the appointment for him to meet the potential leaser. I would hate if a child got hurt because of him. The plan is just to pick him up, and start working on him again. Luckily the weather is warming up, and I want to make time to work with the horses again. I’ll just have to pick up the pieces, and turn him back into a good equine citizen again. 

It’s pretty disheartening though. A part of me just thinks I’m a terrible horse owner and I should just get out of horses. I feel like such a failure. I’ve had horses the majority of my life, I know how a horse should behave, and there’s no way my Pony should be behaving so badly. 

Luckily he’s small and I know he used to be mild mannered, so I’ll just start working with him and see how it goes. I guess if I start having issues, he’ll get to be my second horse sent out for training. Hopefully he’ll come back around easily though.