brakeingin a shetland ponie

Question
hi there i have a shetland gelding im trying to brake in for my children he takes a bridel no problem i have sat on him bear back but when i do he dont move he just stands there refuseto walk on do u have any advise for me which can help thankyou  

Answer
Hi Claire!

You did not say if this pony had any riding experience at all or if you did.

Breaking a pony, especially one that will have children riding him, is a very complicated task.  It sounds to me like you need help.  Help I cannot give you over the Internet!  LOL!!

Have a trainer come out and evaluate your pony and have them talk to you about a plan for getting him safely broke to ride.  I feel you do not have a plan and when the human is not in charge, the pony is!!  And that is NEVER good for anyone!!

Get some help and while you are doing this, have your children in riding lessons to help them get ready to ride their pony.  A good, safe lesson horse is what they need right now so that if the pony has a few problems after he is broke to ride, the children will be able to safely handle them.

It is your job to give this pony the best possible start in his riding partnership with humans.  You have to put aside your wants and needs to give him a fair chance at this.  The slaughterhouses are full of unwanted horses that were badly trained through either ignorance or abuse.  Since children are involved too, you will want to be especially vigilant.

Good luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange