Turn. You don't need your pony horse to have cutting horse agility, but he has to turn when asked. You might need to head off at an angle to avoid a collision when the ponied horse suddenly veers in front of you. Or you might be negotiating a series of trees, teaching the ponied horse to follow as you pick your way between them.
Back. There may be times when you need to put your horse in reverse just to maintain control of the ponied horse, such as when he stops abruptly or decides to back up. He might even have managed to turn around and start heading the other way. In any case, a tug-of-war is not the answer, but a few quick steps backward could give you a chance to reposition the ponied horse.
Turn on the forehand/turn on the haunches. You might need to swing your horse's front or hind end closer to-or away from-the ponied horse for any number of reasons. Picture the ponied horse bringing his hindquarters around to set up for a kick. Asking your horse for a turn on the forehand (moving his hips away from the ponied horse) can pivot him out of kicking range. Or say the horse you're leading strays into some vines alongside the trail. You don't want to get your pony horse tangled up in the same mess, but moving his shoulders over a step or two might allow you to reach in and extricate the ponied horse while keeping your horse clear.
If you have the experience, the know-how, and the right horse, ponying can offer you all kinds of useful exercise and training opportunities. But to keep everyone safe, you have to know what you're doing-and so does your pony horse. Make sure he's emotionally solid and has excellent control before you ask him to take on the challenges of leading another horse.
Safety Tips for Ponying
Even if you're riding the best-trained pony horse in the world, you need to follow some basic rules to keep everything as safe as possible. Of course, riding and leading well-prepared horses is the first step. But here are some additional factors to remember.
• Always hold the lead rope in your hand. Never wrap it around the saddle horn or fasten it in any way to you or your horse. You could easily get yanked out of the saddle; the saddle itself could get jerked sideways; or your horse could get pulled off balance.
• If you gather up any slack in the rope, hold it in loops, not coils. Just like when you lead a horse on the ground, coils can quickly wrap themselves around your wrist or hand if the horse pulls back or takes off.
• If you ever feel in danger, let go of the rope. Maybe the ponied horse is bolting, bucking, balking or even jumping into your horse, but hanging on could put you and your horse at risk. Letting him go could mean a wreck, but that's a chance worth taking. And in many cases, he'll decide to follow you anyway because he doesn't want to be left behind.
• Begin your ponying work in a safe area, such as a round pen or other enclosure. This will give everyone a chance to get used to each to each other and their relative positions. A young horse might never have seen anyone sitting so high above him. It will also help you ensure that you have good control before heading out to a more exciting or less predictable environment.
