The motivation behind writing this has come from observing families struggling with ponies that are suffering from poor performance, lameness and/ or behavioural problems that their child can't physically manage. I have a unique perspective on this subject as a lightweight rider, coach and veterinary physiotherapist and my hope is that this might help one or two families. This discussion is also applicable to horses being schooled for novice adults.
It has been shown that excess rider weight has a negative short-term impact on horse biomechanics (2). It is assumed that this will in turn influence welfare and soundness. It is probable that this effect is greater the heavier the rider and the more often that a pony is ridden by a heavy rider. Currently, I school several ponies once a week that are as small as 11.2hh. At 8st, I am technically too heavy for these ponies but is this the lesser of two evils? It may not be the lesser of just two evils, it may be the lesser of many evils.
From a physiotherapy perspective, it is rare to find a child under the age of 10 (and probably older) who truly understands and feels the the intricacies of correct schooling. When a pony is ridden solely by riders who haven't yet developed 'feel' (and of course, this applies to horses too), the pony strengthens their inherent and natural asymmetries whilst also carrying themselves with more tension than they would naturally, as they attempt to balance both themselves and their rider (4). In this situation, you may observe 'motorbiking' - where the pony falls around corners and 'laterality' - such as the pony becoming 'better' on one rein than the other. When the pony is working in this unbalanced manner, ground reaction forces are altered which can lead to lameness and compensatory musculoskeletal tension due to the transfer of torsional forces through structures such as the vertebral column amongst other effects. The pony may also develop behavioural problems and/ or 'pain face' - where signs of musculoskeletal tension are identifiable through the ponys facial cues (1). Facial cues were used to develop the Horse Grimace Scale in 2004. Have a think, does your pony display any of the facial cues below when ridden?
Another idiosyncrasy that I often observe, particularly in ponies, is saddle slip and its effect on the pony and the child. Did you know that a correlation has been identified between hindlimb lameness and saddle slip, where the saddle slips in the direction of the lame or 'more lame' hindlimb (3). The problem with children that haven't yet developed feel, is that a very slight saddle slip can lead to the child leaning to one side, leading to a negative cycle of further saddle slip and further rider asymmetry. It is true that a round pony with little wither or shoulder may always suffer with a degree of saddle slip, but a saddle that always slips in the same direction may indicate a problem. Over time, if left unchecked this vicious cycle of asymmetrical biomechanics and resultant discomfort worsens until the pony develops a clinical and more serious lameness. So, in theory, an adult rider may be able to prevent this negative cycle from worsening, whilst also providing feedback to you regarding the feel of your pony's hindlimb action which can then be managed by your veterinarian and musculoskeletal practitioners.
From a coaching perspective, I want all of the children that I teach to develop 'feel' as quickly as possible, not only for the welfare of the pony but also so that riding is as enjoyable as possible for the child. A pony that is schooled correctly enables the child to learn efficiently as the pony will reward the child with a correct response after the child applies a correct aid. This positive reinforcement increases the child's learning speed and generates a positive cycle of correct horse and rider biomechanics. If the child applies a correct aid and the pony sticks two proverbial fingers up at them before buggering off for a snack, the child is less likely to use the correct aid in future, because the aid didn't work.
This is when we start to see harsh use of the rein and leg aids, resulting in physical discomfort and confusion for the pony as aids that are applied in frustration don't make logical sense. The less stoic ponies of the world will respond to this in a way that the rider (and parents) will view as negative - through aversion behaviours such as 'tanking off' or planting their head on the floor to release bit pressure. You can see how a negative cycle of incorrect pony and rider biomechanics and further frustration for both parties ensues. I have often wondered when watching children ride like this - when do we think these riders will stop riding harshly? Will they turn 21, realise they are now stronger than they were when they were 10 and all of a sudden dial down their strength or harshness? Unlikely. It is very very difficult to dial down your aids, particularly if you have been riding for a long time and they have become somewhat subconscious. Finally, and dangerously, pony behavioural problems often lead to a reduction in exercise levels which can contribute to obesity and laminitis.
Unfortunately it is not possible for scientific literature to advise specific exercise routines for individual ponies, as each pony is influenced by numerous and unique internal and external factors. The key to success is through the application of available research combined with common sense and the utilisation of different exercise modalities in moderation. Your pony is an athlete - treat him as such, this means to ensure that you keep on top of physiotherapy, saddlery (including bridle and bitting), dentistry, and veterinary care alongside schooling. For reference, depending on the ponies age and experience, I find that a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio of adult:child schooling per week works well. Experienced ponies may maintain a correct way of going with schooling only every couple of weeks or longer. This ratio is based around pony learning speed and habit - if the pony is in the habit of going well (when being schooled) then they are more likely to continue this way of going when the child is on board.
When a child who lacks 'feel' schools a pony more often, the habitual way of going swings in the other direction. This is why we often see younger ponies (and horses) developing behavioural problems when sold, as they have not been in the habit of carrying themselves correctly for long enough to habitually maintain that way of going when a more novice rider takes the reins. It is useful to note here that even adults with 'feel' benefit from having their horses schooled. Riders who always ride the same horse often stop noticing and adjusting small biomechanical discrepancies over time (such as saddle slip or rider tipping) as their musculoskeletal system adapts to the horse and their brain begins to tell them that these discrepancies are 'normal'. An outside individual can bring awareness to the horses discrepancies through schooling, and riding different horses is useful for the rider re-tuning. There is no black or white, right or wrong method to training. The line is blurred, but it does exist, if in doubt then air on the side of caution.
If you have anything to add to this subject, please comment below.
Like this blog? Visit https://www.equinecanine.co.uk/post/the-waldhausen--soft---rope-lunging-aid-what-are-the-facts to read about the German lunging aid.
References
(1) Dalla Costa, E., Minero, M., Lebelt, D., Stucke, D., Canali, E. and Leach, M., 2014. Development of the Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) as a Pain Assessment Tool in Horses Undergoing Routine Castration. PLoS ONE, 9(3), p.e92281.
(2) Dyson, S., Ellis, A., Mackechnie‐Guire, R., Douglas, J., Bondi, A. and Harris, P., 2019. The influence of rider:horse bodyweight ratio and rider‐horse‐saddle fit on equine gait and behaviour: A pilot study. Equine Veterinary Education, 32(10), pp.527-539.
(3) Greve, L. and Dyson, S., 2013. An investigation of the relationship between hindlimb lameness and saddle slip. Equine Veterinary Journal, 45(5), pp.570-577.
(4) Hodgson, D., McKeever, K. and McGowan, C., 2014. The Athletic Horse. St. Louis: Saunders/Elsevier.