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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
  
| I use utvs (gators, Rangers, 4wheelers) daily to do chores, so all my horses are used to them. I have to ride 3 horses a day and my injured boy needs a 15 min walk every day. I'm worn out by the time I get the first three ridden and don't feel like leading a horse for 15 minuets by then. I want to use a gator, but I've never ponied off of anything like that before. How should I get him used to it? And what do I need to know? |
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 Veteran
Posts: 138
| I pony off a golf cart... teach them the same way you teach them to lead on the ground. They figure it out fast. Though, it is a little tricky to stay at a consistent walk, at least for me it is on a golf cart. I can maintain a trot or jog okay though. To me that's the hardest part if you have an injured horse restrained to a walk. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 324
| I've only seen it done with 2 people, one driving the vehicle and one sitting in the back of it holding the horse. I'm sure it can be done with just one person, though I don't know how it would be done safely.
As far as getting one used to it, as long as the horse isn't a complete space cadet I'm sure they'd be fine. That's how they long trot all the horses at a farm near me... I went out there to ride one time and we did that with my horse (who I guarentee has never done it before and wasn't exactly an Einstein Equine...) and she just went right with it, no biggy (: |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 959
Location: Borger, Tx | I do it all the time with our Ranger by myself. Mine do really good with staying just close enough that I'm not hanging out the side but yet not close enough that I worry about running into their legs:) I have a hard time doing it at a walk, mostly when I'm doing it I have them long trotting. What about ponying off of one of the ones you are riding?? |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 336
Location: Missouri | **Cowgirl Up** - 2015-06-22 4:09 PM
I've only seen it done with 2 people, one driving the vehicle and one sitting in the back of it holding the horse. I'm sure it can be done with just one person, though I don't know how it would be done safely.
As far as getting one used to it, as long as the horse isn't a complete space cadet I'm sure they'd be fine. That's how they long trot all the horses at a farm near me... I went out there to ride one time and we did that with my horse (who I guarentee has never done it before and wasn't exactly an Einstein Equine...) and she just went right with it, no biggy (:
This cracked me up!!
Shoot we pony out of the truck window. If they're broke to lead they'll figure it out. Just be aware of what they are doing - sudden stops are hard on the arms and shoulders (and the door lock knobs that stick up - don't ask). Start at a walk and pick up speed. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I like my golf cart too, that would be my choice if I needed to do this. But I was wondering the same as the other poster, why not just pony the horse while riding one of the others? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| My horses are accident prone, I'm scared to try it! Isn't it pretty dangerous?! |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | IowaCanChaser - 2015-06-22 4:40 PM My horses are accident prone, I'm scared to try it! Isn't it pretty dangerous?!
To pony off another horse? |
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 Go For It!
Location: Texas |
I pony mine with my Ranger... I have a 7 foot PVC pipe that I slide behind the seat so that they don't run in front of me. I breeze them with it through the pasture 30 miles an hour and they do great!
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  The Color Specialist
Posts: 7530
Location: Washington. (The DRY side.) | I would say ponying them from a 4 wheeler ect.. is MORE "dangerous" than using another horse. You are also going to have to have them leading form the OFF side if you are on a 4 wheeler. (And lets face it, a LOT of horses don't lead well from the off side.)
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 Living on the edge of common sense
Posts: 24138
Location: Carpenter, WY | Slim loved going for his 'walks'. Ponied off other horses, out the truck window. It was just easier for Dan to hop in the Mule and do a few laps around the pasture in the evening.
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 Texas Tenderheart
Posts: 6715
Location: Red Raiderland | teehaha - 2015-06-22 5:03 PM Slim loved going for his 'walks'. Ponied off other horses, out the truck window. It was just easier for Dan to hop in the Mule and do a few laps around the pasture in the evening.
This is such a great picture. I hate that y'all lost him.  |
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Texas Tenderheart
Posts: 6715
Location: Red Raiderland | As for ponying off of a Gator4/Wheeler I have never had one that freaked out being ponied by it. They all get used to us having the Gator or 4 wheeler around them to throw hay so it is a flawless transition. As for being ponied on the off side, that also hasn't been a problem. I have a few that prefer the offside.
I can say that the cowbreds, in my experience,have been the laziest about being ponied by anything!!!   |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | I can pony my gelding off the Kabota but I wouldn't dare pony either of the mares...they'd almost certainly attempt to commit suicide. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 518
| I did it every day for a summer a few years ago. I worked a few minutes away and every morning I would drive and my mare would lope beside me. I had a Kubota (RTV) and had no problems! She figured it out really quick and never tried to pull away. I've also done it with a quad, sometimes the horses would trot behind and some would go offside (we never went fast with a quad though) I can only remember one horse that I wouldn't take, he didn't know what to do so he lunged forward and came down on the quad right behind me (I just hand walked him after that) But that guy was proud cut and lacked a lot in the brains department! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 762
Location: NC | Ive ponied both mine out the window of my truck. (yes both to walk up from a pasture a few miles away from barn.) have ponied off back of tailgate as well. Didnt have an issue onces. And my mare was 4 at the time |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| Southtxponygirl - 2015-06-22 4:42 PM
IowaCanChaser - 2015-06-22 4:40 PM My horses are accident prone, I'm scared to try it! Isn't it pretty dangerous?!
To pony off another horse?
No, I do that all the time, I was talking about ponying off a 4wheelr |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | IowaCanChaser - 2015-06-22 6:31 PM Southtxponygirl - 2015-06-22 4:42 PM IowaCanChaser - 2015-06-22 4:40 PM My horses are accident prone, I'm scared to try it! Isn't it pretty dangerous?! To pony off another horse? No, I do that all the time, I was talking about ponying off a 4wheelr
Oh ok, I was thinking you meant off horse back and I was thinking what!!!! LOL.  |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1118
Location: The South | grinandbareit - 2015-06-22 4:53 PM
I pony mine with my Ranger... I have a 7 foot PVC pipe that I slide behind the seat so that they don't run in front of me. I breeze them with it through the pasture 30 miles an hour and they do great!
This is genius!!! I'm still a little chicken to ride at home when I'm by myself after my accident, but I've been wanting to get our mares legged up. Wahlah! I wouldn't have ever thought of that on my own. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Kaycee - 2015-06-22 5:41 PM teehaha - 2015-06-22 5:03 PM Slim loved going for his 'walks'. Ponied off other horses, out the truck window. It was just easier for Dan to hop in the Mule and do a few laps around the pasture in the evening.
Ditto love this picture too  , Slim sure was a handsome boy  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| Okay everyone, I tried it!! It went really well, my cat rode in the seat beside me, and I feel like my left arm is gonna fall off, but my boy behaved perfectly. Maybe if I do this daily my left arm will match my roping arm!! |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | PSA .... Make sure your batteries are in great condition before setting out on a ponying journey with your horse and three dogs in tow.... I'm just saying... |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 927
Location: Iowa | I pony off of the 4 wheeler. I put the horse between me and the ditch. I never had a problem except my arm getting tired. When we use the gator, I have a passenger holding the rope. |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | All 5 of ours do it from a 4-wheeler. We don't fly around at 45 mph (!!) but they lead and respect the situation completely. We leave from the house on our rides so we pony them about a mile from the pasture. A lot of times my bf brings both the horses we'll be riding for the day by himself. They learned quickly. |
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 Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | We have done this in years past. I would start out with someone driving and you sitting in the back leading the horse that way if something happened and he got skeered, you could jump and not turn him loose. |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | I've ponied Duncan off a 4-wheeler. I do put a stud chain on for this just in case. I also sit on the lead rope. We long trot and lope. |
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Living on the edge of common sense
Posts: 24138
Location: Carpenter, WY | Southtxponygirl - 2015-06-22 6:01 PM
Kaycee - 2015-06-22 5:41 PM teehaha - 2015-06-22 5:03 PM Slim loved going for his 'walks'. Ponied off other horses, out the truck window. It was just easier for Dan to hop in the Mule and do a few laps around the pasture in the evening.
Thanks guys ....still miss the big guy every day :( He was Dan's big buddy and he buried his ashes right under the window in his stud barn that he spent hours hanging his head out of. Slim had a 360 view from there and loved to see everyone comming and going. Thank heavens for frozen semen! |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | I have never owned a quad or a gator..so its never been an option and even if i did own one it still wouldn't t be an option..we have way to much bush.....lol...m |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Pony off the gator and use a bit. If i'm just walking and trotting halter is fine but when i get into a lope I use a bit because mine can get cranked up and feeling good. I've got one that just thinks being ponied is play time and jus bucks and plays....he always needs a bit LOL |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| IowaCanChaser - 2015-06-22 8:30 PM
Okay everyone, I tried it!! It went really well, my cat rode in the seat beside me, and I feel like my left arm is gonna fall off, but my boy behaved perfectly. Maybe if I do this daily my left arm will match my roping arm!!
Being on the injured list too, I started ponying out of the side by side.
What I do is I use a 20 foot rope attached to the halter, I wrap it around the pole behind me and I hold onto the rest
This way I can focus on driving and my arm doesn't get sore
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Ponying a horse off a 4wheeler/gator