napping and refusal to hack alone

Question
My mother and I bought a 13.2hh, 12 years old, gelding
just under a month ago from our local equestrian centre.
Our requirements were a pony that would be suitable for
ourselves to hack out on and also for my 9 year old
daughter to learn on.  So far George has been perfect for
my daughter, who will not be doing any road work for a
long time.  He is very patient and willing in everything but
hacking out alone.  He is living at grass and has three other
ponies to keep him company but I don't feel he has made
any real bond with the others yet.  The problem starts as
soon as we head down the driveway, every step is a push as
soon as he realises he is not going to the paddock for
schooling.  I have managed to get him to go about 200
yards down the road but he is napping, stopping and
occasionally spinning as he goes. He is fine with an other
horse and even with one of us walking next to him.  If I use
the crop, which I rarely do because I want to be positive
and not enforce his negativity, he starts to rear - not right
up but his front feet definatley leave the ground.  We are
unsure of his background as he came over from Ireland and
as I say he has been great in every other way.  I will be
talking to the people we bought him from but I want a
second opinion as some have said that this is almost
impossible to solve. Have we bought a dud and should we
bother trying to solve this or am I flogging a dead horse
here?  

Answer
Hi Becky!

This is not a big problem at all.  In my opinion, it could be solved in 30 days of work with him.

It does not matter what he did before, just what he will do for you now because he feels comfortable doing it.  He is smart and wants to understand that the outcome of walking away from his friends is going to be him still being safe and happy.  Let's introduce food into this and he will be very happy with the outcome.

You were right to not crop him becouse it would only make the rearing worse.  Ponies can be soooo stubborn.

Start him on the training with just hay and water for a few days.  No grain or treats.  Then, with him on a longe line, no chain over the nose, start walking him down the driveway and miraculously there will be a bucket of grain and treats at a considerable distance from the barn.  Let George have his fill all the while you are telling him how brave he is!

Next day, the bucket is a little farther.  And so on for a few more days and he's at the end of the property and across the road or wherever you want him to end.

Then, you get on him and a helper stands far away shaking the bucket of grain and calling his name.  Over the next week, the helper gets farther down the driveway and so on.

Then, no helper but, a pre-placed treat for you to give him when he has gone far enough.

Eventually, phase out the food and replace it with praise.

This will have to be reinforced every once in awhile as all ponies are backsliders!!

You are happy with him in all other aspects and you will soon be happy with him in everything ~ IF you are always smarter and sneakier than he is!

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

Solange