How to Ride a Pony That Spooks
Riding a spooked pony is no fun, especially considering that pony riders are often young children who are learning to ride. If the spooking has caused the pony's rider to be afraid of riding, an experienced rider needs to train the pony while the pony's rider takes lessons on a calmer, more experienced horse. It is important to remember to be calm when the pony spooks. A nervous rider will only exacerbate the problem.
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Instructions
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Riding Through a Spook
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Avoid the spook by asking your pony to listen to you. Every time your pony starts to look at something, turn his head back in the direction you're riding and ask him to do something, whether make a circle or go faster. You want his attention back on you.
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Ignore spooks when they happen. Don't talk to your pony, and try not to tense up or get scared.
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Ask the pony to leg-yield every time a spook happens. Ask for the leg-yield by pulling your pony's head away from the scary object. Use your inside leg just behind the girth to push your pony toward the scary object. In a true leg-yield, the pony's legs should cross, but this isn't necessary in this circumstance. The leg-yield is a good exercise for making your horse pay attention to you again, getting the scary object out of his sight, and asking him to approach the scary object.
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Correct a pony that bolts when he spooks by asking him to halt. First, teach him to halt by working in your riding area's center, where there are less scary objects. Walk him around the center, halting several times. You can then return to the perimeter and teach your pony to halt when he spooks, instead of bolting. Start at a walk. Once your pony is listening to you at the walk, move to a trot, then a canter.
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Tips & Warnings
Before you start any training program, have your veterinarian check your pony to make sure that he isn't spooking because of a health issue, such as an eye problem or neurological disease.
