When Good Things Happen to Bad Ponies

As long as there are impish ponies that outfox their little riders, I’ll be waiting to scoop them up and see if we can make them better.

It’s no secret that I love ponies. I buy ponies, train ponies, raise ponies and sell them. And if I had a dollar for every time someone mentioned a “bad” pony that they rode, owned or knew, I would probably have enough money to have my mortgage covered for the next 15 years.

But here’s something funny: A lot of the good ponies I have, know and love started out as one of those bad ones. You know the kind — won’t be caught, runs under trees, steps on feet, tries to bite, squealy, bravo types. See, a bad pony is often a smart pony. Ponies are intelligent little guys. They are survivors as little fellows in a big horse’s world. They learn quickly and don’t easily forget. Due to their size, most of their training is done by children. Sometimes, things get so out of whack with said child and pony that an angry adult steps in and tries to train on the “bad” pony. It becomes a battle. Loops are thrown and ponies get jousted around. And generally, things get worse.

And that’s generally when they enter my life. I appreciate their intelligence and must admit that while teaching tough ponies, the tough ponies have taught me a lot. I love seeing good things happen to bad ponies. Most of the ponies we have around here ride, reform and eventually sell to a long-term kid home start out as “bad.” They are hard to catch, gate sour, ill-broke, short-tempered and clever. It takes patience, timing, the right mindset and consistent handfuls of grain, but most of the “bad” ones we get turn out to be great. They learn that being caught is a lot less work than being shifty and trying to get away in their pen. They learn that being broke and going where they are pointed is a good choice. They learn that tummy scratches and hours tied up and being braided and fussed with by kids can actually beat being ignored any day.

If they are too tight, touchy or unfriendly, they don’t work in my program. But a lot of the time, ponies want to get better. The little guys force us to use good horsemanship. The principles of pressure and release, rewarding at the right time, and being honest with our own skills are key when trying to train them. They learn things swiftly, good or bad. The really good ponies will just absorb the poor timing, the bad decisions and the lack of feel their tiny handlers have and stay good as gold. But the “bad” ponies can only tolerate so much.

However, I’ve seen time and again that with the right training, timeline and approach, their personalities shine through, and they become plucky, willing partners for all different levels of kids.

I should also state that I don’t think it’s important as horsemen (or pony people) to create a perfect environment of feel, timing and walking on eggshells to make a good one. Ponies need to learn how to handle conflicting commands and child shenanigans. It doesn’t do anyone a stitch of good if they aren’t gentle or seasoned to lots of different environments, puppies underfoot and possibly washable paints. A person should be able to stomp up to a pony and pat them on the neck without experiencing flinching or distrust. But sometimes, it takes a bit to get to that point.

I strive to raise golden-hearted ponies — the kind that build kids’ confidence and can tolerate a turkey jumping on top of a trampoline (and look beautiful while doing so). If I can help the horse world eliminate some of the “bad pony” stories from their lives, I will consider my program and efforts a success.

Some people feel they are better off with a big old horse, and that’s ok. Ponies aren’t always for everyone, but I hope they can be for anyone by the time they leave my place. I love being a part of good things happening to bad ponies.

And you know, I suppose that the same can be said for horses, too.

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