Me and my pony are beggining to hAVE PROBLEMS

Question
Hello,I am only eleven years old but have been riding since i was 5.Last year I bought a connemara showjumping pony from a dealer. My pony is about 14hh. When i first bought him he was headshy.We were getting on fine a couple of mounths ago and we were jumping 3ft . But ever since I came back my holidays in june he has been bucking and being extreemly lazy and i know it was nothing to do with the person who was looking after him. Now he just wont get out the habit. Also is age is 7 . How shall i get him too stop bucking ? He will still continue no matter how hard i try to ride him through it.

Answer
Carmen,

You sound like me!  How wonderful that you have been riding for so long already.  

You purchased this pony last year and he was still growing and if he's been off for a time has probably put on weight too.  I suspect your saddle either needs to be adjusted or replaced because he's not comfortable with the one he has.  Check your fit by putting a clean, white pad, same as the pad you normally use, on under the saddle.  Ride him for a long enough period of time to get him to sweat under the saddle.  Hope you can hang on that long!  Take the tack off and look at the marks on the pad and the horse's back.  

You should see a clear impression of your saddle on the pad.  There should be no spots darker or lighter than the rest.  The channel down the middle should be clean and dry front to back. Look at his back.  Is it evenly wet all over or does he have dry spots?   Take a good look at the panels of your saddle and the tree itself.  Stand or hold it upside down from the cantle and look at the panels.  Check for symmetry, is one side thicker or thinner than the other?  Is the stuffing the same in the same areas on both sides?  Make sure the saddle looks straight down the channel between the panels.  If it's a wooden tree in the saddle they have been known to warp over time.  

Darker areas indicate pressure points under the saddle, lighter areas show where too little pressure is being placed. A properly fitted saddle tree distributes the weight of saddle and rider evenly over the horse's back so that they can carry you as easily as possible.  Anything less is like wearing a pair of shoes that don't fit on a 10 mi. hike!  

You may be able to just have your saddle re-stuffed or you may have to get/use another saddle.  Once you get him comfortable I think he'll straighten out.  Do remember he's a youngster and a pony to boot so, especially in cool weather, he will in all likelihood uncork some bucks and other nonsense.  But you will know the difference.  

Let me know how this comes out.  

Lyn